The Muppett: My Life With My Car
August 12, 2009 · Posted in children, erin, newlywed life by erin
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My husband and I have been car shopping for about six months. We’re looking to find something that is big enough for our growing family and that will also accommodate our two dogs. The idea of a new car is always exciting, but there is a downside. We have not had a car payment since we’ve been married and I can get used to that really quickly. I have gotten used to that.
I’d love a new car, but I’m not looking forward to having a car payment that doesn’t go away for a really long time. I also have some feelings of sadness as I think about getting rid of my car and thinking about someone else driving it.
My first car was a 1992 Ford Explorer that had belonged to my grandfather. When he passed away, my grandmother gave it to me because I was a couple of months away from getting my driver’s license. The brakes on the Exploder (my nickname for the car) went out on me a few times, but it was a good car. When it came time for me to go 14 hours away to college, my parents weren’t sure that the unreliable Exploder was the best option for me to be out on the interstate all by myself.
For my high school graduation, my parents gave me a Volkswagen Jetta. I was so in love with that car. I nicknamed it The Muppett because when the headrests are raised up, it reminds me of Beaker from The Muppetts. I drove that car to college, then from college to grad school, then to my first job, to my second job, and to the hospital to have my baby. The Muppett has been there for the most significant moments of my life thus far and I hate to see it go.
It runs fine, it doesn’t even have 100,000 miles on it yet—more like 98,000, and it does what a car is supposed to do and gets me from point A to point B. But it’s just not big enough to accommodate our two dogs and baby. I’m sure we’ll make the decision within the next year about which car we’ll purchase, but it’s not going to be an easy decision. And the day I say goodbye to The Muppett will be a sad day.
Is anyone else still driving the car that drove them to high school or college? Did you give the car a ridiculous nickname? Will you be sad to see it go when the time comes?
I AM!!! Betty (as in betty boop) has been with me since the day I turned 16! I love that car and get tears in my eye when i even think about getting rid of her…
sigh, another reason why we are the same :)
My first car was a 1983 Volvo - it was the first new car my parents ever owned - they purchased it the year I was born! The big joke when any of my friends got new cars for their birthdays was “We bought you a new car! The year you were born! Har-har-har!” I called it the Volve (creative, eh?) and it was a damn good car but quite worn around the edges.
For my 17th birthday, I too inherited a 1992 Ford Explorer from a family member - it was two-toned (baby blue and navy blue) and I called it the Beast. It even had a “The Beast” bumper sticker that my HS boyfriend made. The Beast made the 22 hour drive to college twice and then died in South Carolina my sophmore year. Parentals sprung for a new car and that’s what I have today - 2003 Pathfinder.
I won’t be sad to see the Pathfinder go - mostly b/c it was stolen last year and when the police found it, a very, very smelly homeless man was living in it and the car was returned to me with his dirty underpants littered all over the backseat. I used to love that car - now it gives me the heebie-jeebies whenever I have to drive long distances in it :(
Aaaaaand that was the longest comment of all time.
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I had Barney through high school and the first part of college. He is a 1995 purple Pontiac Sunfire, and I loved him! Sure he had his problems (what, you don’t burn through a quart of oil each month in YOUR car?), but he never let me down. Then, once I moved to college, he just wasn’t making the cut on the drive from my apartment to campus. I bought a new car (a 2005 Hyundai Tucson, brand new at the time), and passed Barney on to my sister. It’s nice to know he’s still in the family. :)
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Aw! Good post. I just had to give up my first car- a Nissan Sentra. It had over 140,000 miles on it and the repairs were starting to add up to more than a payment would be on a new car. It was a nice black Sentra that my college roommate accidentally named when she called it a Nissan Sinatra- I called it Frank. I drove that thing everywhere- including the 6 hour (one way) road trips to see my husband when we were first dating long distance. I was so, so sad the moment I had to say goodbye to it. Coincidentally, I bought a VW Jetta! It’s name is Beny, as in B-b-b-beny the Jet-ta!
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I still drive my first car a 1992 Honda Accord named Patricia. Although hubby calls her Smokin Betty due to her occasional oil leaks! She did does exactly what she’s supposed to do get me to and from places. I know I’ll have to replace her someday.
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In high school, I drove my sister’s ‘95 Accord while she went to school. When I went off to school, my parents leased (Thank God - who knew I was taking off for NYC) me a Grand Jeep Cherokee. I’m now back to driving the Accord…no name for the Accord but this little baby has been through a lot!
I am definitely attached to our cars. Our first big married decision happened days after the honeymoon when Nick’s 1995Mazda 626 died on the side of the road in a small town in Texas. He had to find a new car fast because we had a cross-country move coming up. I was really happy to get a new car for the reliability, but sad to let go of his – we had our first date in that car, first big fight, etc. etc.
I’ve had my car since I was 16. I’m guessing I will have to get a new one in the next few years. It is a ‘95 Chevy Camaro… kind of weird I know, but it was my dad’s car for two years before he gave it to me. It was a cool car then, and my friends and I have been on many, many fantastic road trips in it. I’ll definitely miss it when it is gone!
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I still miss my first truck. It wasn’t my first car but it was the first one that I got any say in. The others were hand-me-down clunker farm vehicles. Alex was an awesome little Toyota that I had for 5 years or so. I had been thinking about getting a different vehicle sometime in the next year or two since I no longer really needed a truck and my dog couldn’t fit in the front without creating hazardous conditions. I definitely wasn’t ready to let go when I had to though! I was letting my younger sister drive it when someone ran into her and dented the drivers side door just enough that you could not longer open it. The insurance company said it wasn’t worth fixing (how dare they?!) and I had to scrap her. I was pretty bummed, but I absolutely LOVE Curvy. She’s a 2003 CR-V (CR-V -> CRVY -> Curvy) and easily fits two overly large dogs in the back and still has room for people.
oh yes, i loved the first car that i bought myself! it was a 1997 cavalier convertible, eggplant-colored. that car rocked my world! when we moved to chicago, it wasn’t quite practical any more so i sold it to my uncle, who still drives it!
I had a maroon Jetta named Jetta Jameson. Hee.
One of my dear friends drove a Passat forever. She recently had a baby, and along with their black lab she needed something bigger, so she got a VW Touareg and loves it. They have diesel ones too, which have great gas mileage (which helps the car to suv gas bill shock).
My mama was driving the Tiguan, which is smaller. I took it on a couple of road trips (my husband hates riding in my Audi convertible- the “Barbie Dream Car”). It was great! That’s what I will likely get when I have a little one and have to get rid of my Barbie dream car.
(Sorry- my family owns a car dealership so I get a little salesman-like sometimes)
