Ever heard people talk about the smell of a brand new car? Well, I thought it was a myth. Now I now it isn't as I sit in my new Toyota Corolla with the 6 CD changer and the spoiler in the back. It is 3 weeeks old and I am in love.
Get this. I am a 76 year old with my First Ever Brand New Car. I kid you not. Before any family members have been counting their inheritance in eager anticipation of every time we sneeze, forget it. The inheritance has been spent, along with the occasional dip in ye old Shields bank for loans, handouts and mercy gifts. Our budget is stretched to the max.
But I digress. Here's the story. We were driving two old Saturns, purchased from a reputably questionable used car guy in the San Fernando Valley who sells salvage cars. We drove there one day just looking. That was in the last decade. We drove off with two salvaged Saturns with low mileages. Well, of course they had low mileages. They had been in wrecks at an early age. Duh!
Anyway, Des had a blue one of 1997 vintage and mine was a red 1998. They were dependable, in spite of the lack of air bags. Oh Well.
One day near the end of the year, as I was peeling a green banana, we decided to 'just look' at the dealership where we knew a salesperson in a nearby city. Just looking, we told each other. Can't afford a new one, we agreed. It was de ja vu all over again.
Drove in on a sunny Saturday afternoon and drove off with a new Toyota. They kept the red Saturn. One look at the salvage title and it seemed we nearly had to pay them to keep it. So much for a trade.
My new baby is red but closer to burgandy. About the spoiler, what is that all about anyway? I thought spoilers were doting grandparents. But when I showed off my new car to a grandson, he said, you got a spoiler. Where have I been all these years? Oh, right, in disreputable back alley used car lots in the Valley.
Back to my baby. It purrs. It also won't let me start it unless I jump in and turn on the ignition within 30 seconds. That's because I spent an extra $500, over the objection of my depression era husband, because it has an anti theft feature.
His argument against the extra item was, 'when have we ever had a car stolen?' My answer was, when have we ever had a car anyone would want to steal? He surrendered.
The next debate was over a car cover. He wanted me to keep the car in the garage. Our two feisty cats, Mitsy and Murphi sleep in the garage at night. I said they would scratch it. He laughed, shaking his head, but didn't give me the argument about when have we ever........?
I was explaining to my cardiologist the other day that we needed a car cover for our new car when we park it in the garage, but not when it is in the driveway. Even when I explained about the cats, he obviously thought there was more wrong with us than our hearts. But he is just a baby age-wise, not born in the depression and probably is driving a brand new car as we speak, or write. Whatever.
After turning down the great deal at Toyota for a car cover at $199, I bought a Costco special at $32. It is a pain to put on, so here's the deal. When my new red baby sleeps in the garage with the cats, I found two old blankets and toss one over the hood and the other over the top. So far so good. Des uses the box the Coctco car cover was in because he loves boxes. He and the cats have more in common every day.
Thus endeth the tale of Sassy and the sporty red car. Or, great gramma Sassy is spoiling more than Lucas these days.
So Says Sassy
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