My new car has changed the person I am. It’s true. I used to almost dread running errands, going to the grocery store, picking stuff up, dropping kids off. I’m borderline agoraphobic without the fear. I’d just be happy as heck to just stay home and not go anywhere.
Now, I’ve become someone who likes to drive. Other than in high school, right when everyone was getting their licenses and we all fought for the right to drive places, the only people who really enjoy driving are control freaks. And now me, because I love my car so much.
Instead of bribing the kids to run into the store for me, I willingly go. In fact, I try to think of reasons to go into Winn Dixie. (“I know I just got home from the store, but I’m pretty sure we need some squirt cheese and figs and we need them now!”) The Salvation Army bell ringer is starting to suspect me of casing the joint.
In case you missed the earlier blog post on my new car I got a Toyota Prius and it’s super cool. How cool is it? “Park” is not one of the options for gears. At first I took that to mean that I should just get in the car and keep driving forever, but I do have to stop driving and go home to heat food and check my email once in a while.
My new car has a high-tech screen that, among other things, shows a running tally on how good my gas mileage is. I suppose they felt obligated to put that in standard, because why else would we pay so much for this car? It gets great gas mileage, but doesn’t have some perks you might expect. My husband is still mad that it doesn’t have automatic seats. “It’s not a luxury car, it’s an environmentally super cool car,” I told him. “We’re not supposed to be comfortable, we’re supposed to be super cool.”
Problem with the good gas mileage: I’m loving this car so much and driving it so superfluously that I’m actually using more gasoline than I ever have in my life. But the upside is, our kitchen cupboards are always stocked with whatever anyone wants to eat, the dry cleaning gets picked up as soon as the chemicals are dry, the bills are getting paid on time and last week I went to a doctor’s appointment when I felt fine.
I hope this wears off soon. I’m starting to feel the urge to get lost on purpose and have to circle around Tampa to get to the Walmart on Indiantown Road.