Everyone knows I love to drive my car, but I also love it when it's sitting still. There is no place inside work where I can do my writing and sketching without someone disturbing the process. The only sanctuary i have is out the front doors into the parking lot. My car.

In the hour I have for lunch my car provides a sanctuary from all the craziness of work. I pull out my tablet or sketch diary, pop a CD into the player, and I'm secure in my little mobile cubicle. It's my own personal space, a safe haven where no one bothers me, and is invaluable to me maintaining some shred of sanity. I love my job, but it has a very high stress level at times. Fortunately, my car is always there for me.

MR2 @   11:54:46 AM 

 Have you ever focused so intently on something that you missed what you should have been seeing? I'm guilty of that with my Tempo. Ever since the first day I drove her my focus has been on what she was not. She doesn't have snazzy looks, she can't take a corner at speed without feeling like a rollover is imminent, and the engine lacks verve. Mind you, it's not horrible, it's just not very exciting. All of this lead to a general malaise about the Tempo. I called her the PC (politically correct) mobile, neither exciting nor offending anyone. I fet as much for it as I did my toaster.

As much as I like cars, this was like torture. My passion for cars was ebbing, and I felt lost. Fortunately, the gods of automobilia had not forsaken me, for this September a saviour was delivered unto me, and his name was Probe. Biblical references aside, the Probe was a godsend. The faint ember that had once been a raging inferno of desire for fast cars was rekindled, and life became good once more.

Pity the poor Tempo in all of this. Instead of miles accumulating, dead leaves and the muddy pawprints of the neighboorhood cat (I hate that cat) adorned the finish. Normally I would have sold the Tempo, but I like being able to say "Yes, I have two cars!"

The funny thing was, each infrequent time I drove my Tempo, my attitude towards her changed. Instead of dreading another drive in the PC mobile, I began to appreciate the car for what it actually was. Not a flashy or extravagant vehicle, she showed herself to be a true friend. Reliable, durable, a little boring, but comfortable like your favorite pair of tennis shoes. She's not a great car by any stretch of the imagination, but she's a good car. And that's good enough for me.

MR2 @   04:03:24 AM 

 Sorry to anyone who thought I was dead, I'm not. Lots of things going on in meatspace, but that's all through now, and I'm back. Switched this blog over to Blog 6.0 instead of Blogger. I like Blogger, but their recent problems have lead me to this decision. Oh well, onto car and bike stuff!

MR2 @   03:36:29 AM