I did something this weekend that I should have done a long time ago. I bought a car. And not just any car; a NEW car. And not just any new car; a car so new it had less mileage on it than what my dad and I had to drive round trip to get to the dealer. This car is so new, you can smell the perfume and cologne of the underpaid assembly line workers.
For the car fanatics out there, here are the essentials: it’s a 2-door, silver, standard Honda Civic DX Coupe with black interior and it gets 38 miles per gallon. And the engine…well…the engine’s pretty and won’t need a tune up for “110,000 miles.” It comes with a CD player, air conditioning, two cup holders (don’t laugh, Inga never had ’em), 4 tires, a very cool (free state inspections for the life of your car) value package deal, and the coolest freakin windshield wipers you’ve ever wiped your windshields with. And in the words of not one, but two of my female coworkers (both of whom, I suspect having a crush on me), “you’re going to get some chicks with that car!”
This car’s entrance into my life, though, has presented me with four very difficult dilemmas:
1. Inga. What to do with Inga? Poor Inga Beep the Jeep has been sitting in my parking lot since mid-winter and has not started since mid-February. While her body remains, her soul has gone on to a better lot. So far, I think I have the following options:
a. selling her for parts at the Jeep dealer;
b. paying a small fee to have her taken to a junkyard; or
c. donating her to the Kidney Foundation, who will tow her for free, and which will allow me to write off the donation on next year’s taxes.
Obviously, c is the best option and the one with which I feel the most comfortable but I’m new at this donation thing so if anyone out there knows of a better donation option, please let me know.
2. The Loser Cruiser. Considering this bus has provided me with more inspiration than my 3 hours with Sally on Inspiration Point after the prom, it’s going to be tough to completely turn my back on Deane and the other regulars. But considering I’ll most likely resume car-pooling with The Doctor, and on the days I won’t be car-pooling, I’ll probably be playing softball and will need a car, I can’t see myself using The Loser Cruiser all that often. Maybe I could ride it once a week for old time’s sake?
3. Now that I’ll be driving more, I risk putting on the 20 pounds I’ve lost since I began riding the bus and started walking everywhere. I’m not so concerned with this, however, because I can honestly say that in the last 6 months, I’ve developed quite the appetite for exercise. My rule will continue to be: if it’s located within 1 mile of my house, I’m walking there.
4. Most importantly, what to name her? All of my cars have had memorable names (eg, Noise, Old Yeller, Inga). The new car must have an equally great name. I’m not going to force it though; I believe that a car’s name should come naturally, thus producing rewarding results in the end (eg, Daisy, Veronica Japanica, Manny, The Beast, Fairmoni, Fanny Muffles, etc). If anyone out there has any suggestions, please let me know. And no, I’m not going to call her “The Other Woman,” a nickname that carries with it an uncomfortable acronym.
Benchly'sword 
what did you end up naming her?
Miles. I thought she was a she at first but she turned out to be a he. And since his silver color made me think jazzy thoughts, Miles seemed appropriate.