I love my car. Not in the way that some people love their cars, but I love it, all the same. My car is not a sleek, wondrous machine, promising endless adventure and growling speed songs somewhere out of the range of human hearing. It does not contain feats of engineering so mind-bogglingly cute or useful that passengers are rendered silent by their sheer beauty. It does not do anything particularly fast.
My car is a very dirty white Toyota Corolla, with a very odd and fairly permanent tracing of some black thread, like Goth silly string, along one side and a schmear of peach paint from a wall on the back bumper from the time my depth perception failed me behind Happy Panda one day. It has one little Oregon Zoo decal trying to differentiate it from its myriad Toyota brethren, and three or more hats sitting around the inside or perching on headrests within. It has a special transmission I like to call ‘darkmatic,’ because it is one of the various things in the car that doesn’t light up at night any more. It is a dumpy, frumpy little car, and utterly forgettable.
Until very recently, its sheer normalcy (I have it on good authority that my car is the most common make, model, and color in the country) discouraged me from naming it. It took me from place to place, accepted my stuff without comment, hid my Powell’s ‘Great Authors’ Nalgene for almost a year under its seat, and ungrudgingly carried the same load of castoffs for Goodwill for another year or so. It is a useful, dependable thing, my constant companion, and I felt almost ashamed for not having named it. And so it is with great joy and great affection for my blessedly boring little vehicle that I announce that I have at last thought of a name which both acknowledges its unexciting nature and communicates its beloved state. My car’s name is “The Poky Puppy.”
I can’t decide whether to splurge and baptize the little dear with a car wash.
Comments
The Car of My Dreams
is a Toyota Corolla, but then I’m a graduate student. :-)
Re: The Car of My Dreams
Hee hee! Well, I’m not sayin’ your dreams are bad. Your dreams are very practical indeed. Many a hotter, prettier car is far less dependable than my darling poky puppy.
I hope the car of your dreams is a more interesting color than white, though :P
Re: The Car of My Dreams
Here’s hoping, but I may not have much of a choice since I’m buying it used. As long as I don’t have to risk frostbite waiting for the bus anymore I’ll be happy.
Hear Hear!
I love the name! I have the following nuggets to share with you, since I, as you know but some humble readers may not, own a Corolla of the same vintage but a different, though similarly benign color:
1. My light under the shifter burned out, too. I inquired about having it fixed. Apparently they have to rip out half the dash and the cost would be EXORBITANT. Just kiss that one good bye and turn on the dome light if you’re unsure what gear you’re in on dark and stormy nights.
2. When in doubt, don’t wash the car.
3. The stuff you gave me three weeks ago? Still in my car. Rock on. Mike has laid down the Law about the stuff in the garage, though, so, to Goodwill we will go.
4. My little Coroller (unimaginative, but pleasing) just rolled over 100K. Sniff.
Random Fact
Corolla refers to the part of a flower where the petals are. I ran across this fact while reading about botany. I had always thought it was a made-up word.
Re: Hear Hear!
I’m not sure I’d call the color ‘benign’. Perhaps in the general sense that most car colors short of pink, scary yellow, and some shades of brown are, but I’d call the color primarily “boring”. :P Not to mention “shows dirt”.
1. My temperature gauge light is out too!
2. But…it’s white! And I need at least one spot clean to put my apple sticker on!
3. Wicked awesome. I actually got rid of mine, and now I have another load of clothes and non-Powellsable books clunkin’ around.
4. Mine’s at about 93k. I better get goin’ if I want to catch up!
Re: The Car of My Dreams
Ugh. Yeah. The Poky Puppy was a fleet car for my mom’s family’s business before I bought it off them, and my sis’s was bought used…and we got white and metallic beige (the SECOND most common color of Corolla).
I would say though, if you have the option, buyin’ a used car in a smaller town (both of ours hail from Grants Pass “It’s the Climate” Oregon) saves you money.
Re: The Car of My Dreams
I think it probably helps to have the hookup in said small town, don’t you?
Re: The Car of My Dreams
Yes, but things are cheaper in small towns in general.