Imagine this, but hand painted bright blue on top, dark blue on bottom, pink wipers and blue hubcaps. We made a mini version of it to display at the mother-daughter crafts display at church.
Where I lived the wind would blow off the lake and cover the lakeside road in drifts, and I didn't like driving in Quebec winter. But it was a reliable little boo. Didn't let me down in the 1993 Snowstorm of the Century. Provided a place for Fernando and I to make out.
It mocked me when I tried to go past 100 kmph (61mph). To go fast you had to put the gas petal to the floor...
put... put put... put put put... put put PUT... PUT PUT PUT... PUTPUTPUTPUT
It was funny to watch someone else try to drive it, cause they would gauge their ability to pass a car, pull into the left lane, gun the car and... put... put put... put put put... realize they couldn't make it, and pull back into the right lane. One day my step-mother lent me her old sports car, and the first time I went to merge with traffic I put the petal to the metal and
VROOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
Friend Delyriam and I were pushed into the back of the seats. I could do 160 kmph (100 mph) in that Firebird and not feel it.
Still, I was glad when I moved out of home and into a bus-filled neighborhood, and I haven't had a car since--16 years. Mostly I like taking the bus or train, but once in awhile I dream I'm still in college and driving in my little car, and when I wake up I'm a little sad.
As Nanaimo isn't the most bus-oriented town in the world, I may end up needing a car eventually, and thought I should get comfy again. And so this week went Tootling About the Nabe With Stepmama. First time I've driven in 7 years. How did it go you wonder? Very well indeed! Except we both forgot to take off the parking brake.
I was reminded of State and Main when we got home, got out, and stood looking at the smoking back tires:
...So that happened.
Song of the day - "Brown Car" which brother, Swiss Girl and I used to sing in rounds.
Any and all Fond Car Memories welcome. :-)
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Shmoopy Hits! song of the day: Love theme to Superman, with lyrics.
5 comments:
I had to go put State and Main in my netflix que.
I could tell you some car tales for sure. My favorite car was a 72 VW bug. That car got 50 miles to the gallon easy.
My older sister had a red Chevette! She was a senior and I a sophomore, so I got to drive to school with her. We would play all the AM stations (that's where the music was waaaaay back before talk radio) and open the windows for "air conditioning." It was a great car, and I have very fond memories of our time in it. Loved the hatchback!
My first car was a Volkswagen Beetle convertible. I bought it before I got my license, so I would sneak out at night, roll it off the lawn, pop the clutch and drive it to parties. Highly illegal on all counts. I'm happy I did it, though, because the same sister borrowed it New Year's Eve and got in an accident. She was injured and the car totally wrecked. I've owned two more VW's since then, but neither compared to the powder blue convertible.
As you can imagine, I now drive a mini-van. Boring.
My favorite car was a white Honda Civic, in 1977. She was named Mavis and was like a little box. I could fit all of my worldly possessions in her, and relocated from Duke to Miami, barely being able to see out the back window. Great car. Sold it when I married and moved to California.
Mine was a '93 Subaru Impreza wagon/sport. It was a 5-speed, red, leaky sunroof, and handled like a sports car. So naturally I would occasionally take it out onto a windy road to drive it like one. I totalled it when I spun out on the ice several years ago and it broke my heart. Loved that car.
Ahhh. To all the cars we've loved befooooore...
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