March 29, 1998 -- "Well this car is automatic, it's systematic, it's hydromatic. Why it's greased lightnin'!!" I have the most exciting news... But before I get to the exciting news, I want to talk about how much I love spring time. It's my favorite time of year. I was BORN in spring, why wouldn't it be my favorite time? Oh...April 18th is creeping up on all you folks who want to send me Virtual Flowers or something on my birthday (hint hint...nudge nudge). That's about all for now. I think I need to change the CD...Alice in Chains isn't very springy. ;) So, exciting news. Mom called me this morning. Mom: Guess what? Me: What? Mom: We bought a used car!! Me: Cool! (My thought: Oh crap, they bought me a car) Mom: It's a Buick Regal! Me: Wow! (My thought: Oh crap, they bought me a BUICK!) I hate Buicks. My ex-boyfriend Dan (the nice, somewhat dull one) drove a Buick. I've never been less comfortable sitting in any car in my whole life. I hated that car. Me: So, are you getting rid of the Caprice now? (That's the tank) Mom: Oh, no. Your sister can use it. Then everyone has a car. And now we can get the Cavalier (That's Squirt.) fixed for good. You can probably have it when you come down next time. The new one has power seats and it's a bit bigger than the Cavalier. Me: (Realizing I DON'T get the Buick) Oh, power seats? Neat. What color is it? Mom: Silver. Me: Cool!

I guess I really do like Squirt. Even after all he did to bother me when Mom and Dad first got him two years ago. You see, Squirt has an alarm, and when we first got him I wasn't used to it. Every time I went somewhere in Squirt I would, without fail, set off the alarm after I dropped the keys in my purse. I vividly recall about six times I was standing in a parking lot rooting through my bag in the dark looking for the darn alarm doo-dad. Or in the rain. Or in front of someone's house at 2am. Damn, I hated that alarm.

So, I get Squirt. April 10th. This is Squirt. He's mine. He's a squeaky toy, but he's mine. This photo is actual size. He's that small.

Okay, honestly. What the hell do YOU think this means when the washer fluid is full?

I used to hate the experience of driving him too. The steering is somewhat stiff compared to the Tank, which I learned to drive in and was very fond of (Still am!). The wheel has an airbag thingy so it's thick and huge. The seats are kind of hard compared to the Tank...and that was a problem when we first got him because I was still having back pains from my car accident. It has daytime running lights and little pictures instead of lights that say "oil" and "fuel" and other simple things like that. Brian and I together, with the owners manual, couldn't find the damned dipstick when a undefined light came on. I regularly cussed out the car in public places.

Then Squirt started to have little automotive seizures. The engine would just NOT accelerate. That's what my parents have been trying to get fixed for so long. But the Chevy people don't know what's causing it. But through all of that, I somehow started to like the damned thing. It's a great little car, and I've driven it back and forth to Binghamton several times, once to Oswego, and to a couple other places. The four hamsters under the hood conserve quite a bit of gas, and the radio sounds nice. It's got power everything except seats, a Magic Flippy Thing (that's a whole other entry I'll save for later!) between the seats and AC. I'll have a car. I'll be able to go to the supermarket whenever I want. I'll be able to head over to Brian's when he's taking too long. I'll be able to go home whenever I want. I'm so happy. Squirt's no Hot Rod, but damn, he's a cute little red car. I haven't set off that darn alarm in quite some time now. Maybe I should, just for old times sake.

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