Goodbye Cromwell, Hello Whatshis Name

 YESTERDAY WAS QUITE AN EVENTFUL DAY.

Yesterday I had coffee at St. Arbucks, lunch at the kitchen table, and then bought a new car. Yep, quite a day.

I hadn’t planned on buying a new car yesterday. I’ve been thinking about it, even planning on it, but all I knew was that I wanted to get it before we had our first real snowfall. It snowed this morning. I think that I may have inadvertently caused it by buying that car.

My old car was just that – old. It was, and still is, a 2002 Hyundai Sonata and I have nothing but praise for it. It hauled my carcass around for more than 100,000 miles and never left me in the lurch (The lurch is geographically located by the side of a road, miles from anywhere.). After all those years of faithful service I felt that common sense was leading me to the point of knowing that I was starting to push my luck, let alone the possibility of pushing the Hyundai.

So, being blessed with a trusted friend who worked at the local Toyota dealership, I dropped by to see what he might have to offer me. I gave him my list of needs/wants and a budget range. He showed me a number of cars that fit the bill. His name is Bill, so I figured that was a good coincidence.

All of the cars he showed me were good fits. They all had the proper bells and whistles and the bells and whistles were both physically within my reach and my budget. I stress the need that things must be within my reach because, having a left arm that is distinctly below industry standards, I have certain limitations.  And to quote Clint Eastwood from one of his “Dirty Harry” movies: “A man’s got to know his limitations.” I know mine.

 I once looked at a car that had the headlight switch in such a location that I would have been restricted to daytime driving only – No sale there.

When I got back home I told Dawn all about my excursion to Toyotaland and she suggested we go back and see if we could close a deal. We did.

Now sitting in the Gimp Spot in the St. Arbucks parking lot is a 2013 Toyota Corolla. I would say it is red, but Toyota says it is “Barcelona Red.” My first thought was that that sounded like the name of a Riverboat Gambler. Dawn thought it sounded like a hooker. It is neither. It is a four-door sedan.

Now I feel prepared to meet the winter in a car that I am confident will start when I need it and stop when I need it. Both are important to me.

The next matter of importance regarding the car is coming up with a name for it. The Hyundai was called Cromwell. I’m not sure exactly why the Korean car had an British name, but then why am I named after the Men’s Room? Names just happen. They either fit or they don’t. First we must determine this car’s gender, and then go forward from there. I’ll keep you advised. Until then, I urge you all to slow down and drive safely, especially if you live anywhere near me.