She Has A Nice Face...

The exciting news has come to pass!!

After months of check engine lights, mysterious noises, screeching AC, static-y speakers, exploding headlights, dead turn signals, bucking gear shifts, schizophrenic temperature gauges, leaky tires, generally unpredictable behaviors, and a fantastic amount of whining (just ask Indefish)...I am finally saying goodbye to the good ol' 1993 periwinkle blue Dodge Spirit that was my first car.

I do say this with a bit of melancholy, as that was the car I learned to drive in and it's also the one that got me to camp and back several harrowing times, made many trips to different churches, ferried me to work and school and the beach, and was sort of a bear to parallel park.

But it's time to let go. And (forgive me, potential atheistic readers) God was in the entire process. Because the woman who sold us the car in the first place actually wants to buy it back, needing a car she can get to the park and ride in (which the Spirit is perfect for).

This freed me up to strike a deal with my parents regarding the purchase of a new (used) car.

I knew what I wanted. I had a pretty specific list, though I thought for sure it would be too much to ask. This is what I wanted out of a car:

1. Newer than '95.
2. A fun color (though NOT champagne or yellow, please).
3. Air conditioning (the Spirit's never worked).
4. Cloth seats (no vinyl...I like wearing shorts in the summer).
5. Smaller than the Spirit.
6. CD player (I've never even had a tape deck).
7. Under $2,000.
8. Reliable.

This wasn't exactly a tall order, but we also wanted to buy from someone we could look in the eye. AND who would have all of the necessary paperwork.

Long story short...one of my dad's coworkers is a marvel. And her 1999 (NOT '98 like I first thought) COMPLETELY fits all of my expectations...and more!

Meet FLORA THE COROLLA!!



Okay, you caught me. That's not Flora. Not specifically. BUT that's exactly what she looks like! Same color and model. Isn't she cute?

I couldn't be more pleased. And Dave Matthews' "GrooGrux King" was the inaugural album played on her fantastic stereo. :)

-The GLS