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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

"Too Sexy for my Car"

February 6, 2012
The first brand new car that Cody and I purchased (actually the only brand new car we have ever purchased) was a Honda Accord.  I can’t remember the exact year model- It was probably a 1990 or ’91.  We had Jacob and Lynnsay, but no Dave yet. I loved that car…
When we went car shopping (the first time I had ever shopped for a car)- Cody had given me an entire scenario to act out.  I don’t remember exactly what it was, but I think I was supposed to act like I did not really like anything and I was nervous or something. Whatever my role was supposed to be, Cody and I had not been married long enough for him to come to grips with the fact that I have no acting abilities (my sister got all of those genes) and I can’t ever hide my emotions (no one in our family has those genes). So- the moment I got in the car and put it into gear (it was a 5 speed!!!!) and took off down the road in Killeen, I was hooked. I believe when we pulled back into the lot at Cleo Bay Honda my exact words were, “I LOVE THIS CAR!” And Cody knew his goose was cooked and his grand plans of negotiating had just been blown out of the water by his non-acting, over emotional wife. (If you ask me, it was a bad plan from the get go- but I tried to go along with it)
It was “Champagne” color with a maroon interior.  The interior was so plush and once the door was closed, outside noise almost ceased to exist.  The “new car” smell was heavenly. It had the oh so chic flip up headlights, and the antennae went up when you started the car and down when you shut off the engine… It was, and always will be, my very favorite car. We had that car until after David was born, and Jacob started school. That was when I entered the world of “Car Pooling”. 
When you have 3 children, and the oldest is in kindergarten and the youngest is 18 months, and you want to share the job of carrying your children to and from school- it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out you need a car with more passenger room…so we began to look for a vehicle that would fit our needs- a (YIKES!) mini van!
We settled on a “slightly used” Ford Aerostar.  It was the extended length and also was the “Sport” model.  Being a sport Aerostar only meant that it had some extra cut vinyl striping, and that it had running boards.  But even those did not make me feel very sporty while driving it.
There was a song popular about the time we bought the mini-van, “I’m Too Sexy”. There is a line in the song that says, “I’m too sexy for my car…too sexy by far.” I must confess, I sang that song every day when I drove that minivan, for a long time.  I am sure I even made up verses, because I do things like that.
I distinctly remember being at a red light by a lady in a cute Honda Accord and I was there in my big blue box (marked up with the racing stripes and running boards) and I hated her.  I was envious of the cute sexy car.  I also noticed there were not three children all screaming in the back seat of her car.  She seemed to be enjoying the music on the radio while I was making up new and improved verses to add to “I’m too sexy for my car”…  I am sure I sang something like “I’m too sexy for YOUR car…too sexy by far!”
I have to say I grew to love that minivan as well as the other two we purchased after that one. They are the affordable choice for a family.
It is hard to believe that was about 17 years ago.  Minivans have changed almost as much as my life over the last 17 years.  The last minivan I owned was a Ford Windstar.  I was so excited because the driver’s seat folded down and moved all the way up allowing the driver to have easier access to the middle row of seats. Now days minivans have doors that open electronically on both sides.  Even the rear door opens electronically! (I wonder how much money Chiropractors have lost since mothers no longer have to struggle to get those things closed?) They have stow and go seats; hidden cargo compartments; and  dvd players are the standard, not a luxury.
Funny thing is- I think I have out grown the minivan phase of my family, only to revisit it now that I am a grandmother. I really want a minivan. I want the space and the convenience.  Now, when I am at a red light and I see a young mother beside me in her minivan- and I covet the van.  Now I sing, “You’re too sexy for your car…too sexy for your car…too sexy by far!  I’m too old for my car… too old by far! I need a minivan….need a minivan- I think I’m going to tell my man.”
Funny how life is full of changes!  I never realized that having a grandchild would make me want to go back to the convenience of driving a minivan…and yet, I never realized how much having a grandchild was going to impact my life either!   

This is what our first minivan looked like- exactly!!

1 comment:

  1. I remember one of the vans. It picked me up to babysit a few times! Doesn't seem that long ago...I could see you rocking a minivan again as a grandma!

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