 |
| Prudence ends up on an Ashland bike path. How? |
We hosted our Open House Warming Party less than two months after
we moved in and when I look at those pictures compared to what things
are like around here now, well, they've changed!
And I feel pretty good about that.
Sometimes having that dramatic comparison is helpful since living it out slowly every day might not seem like you've made strides.
It was so stark then, both inside and out.
Naturally, it's much more our own now and reflects our tastes and lifestyle.
Which are far superior to the previous occupants (PO.)
Naturally.
But that's not what this entry's about.
It's what CAM's co-worker Peggy asked at that party-
"So I guess you'll be wanting a Parker now. Need one?"
W.T H. is a 'Parker'?
Apparently, out here in The Sticks, it's a vehicle that stays on your property.
Forever.
I think they're meant to dissuade bad guys from coming in and robbing you by looking like there's someone home.
But really, if the car never moves, has flat tires and moss growing all over it, won't that be noticed while casing the joint?
Yet it occurred to me on subsequent drives up and down HWY 36, that yes, at least 1 Parker graces damn near every single residence.
We didn't take up Peggy's offer (in hindsight, maybe we should have) but we've got one now.
Because you see, we have added to the family.
Introducing Prudence the Prius!
On some level, it feels sort of dirty to have more cars than adults here, but we've justified that.
CAM uses the '98 Forester as a dump-truck.
It was supposed to be his Bigfoot jalopy.
All-wheel drive and a little beat on, large enough to carry a fair amount of gear and otherfreaks enthusiasts, and safe on the forest roads, which are gnarly and dirty.
But then it started having issues. Again.
Now it's the battery, needing recharged every time it's driven.
And it's basically dying from the inside out, thanks to years of salted, Ohio winter roads: there is no cure.
He feels taking it .5 miles up the road for trash & recycling is do-able, anything else is asking for trouble.
It was the defacto Parker when we'd commute to town together in Zippy Zelda, the 2007 Impreza.
(Some of you might remember her predecessor, the standard, black sedan that appeared mysteriously in our Seattle driveway some years ago? And the cause of one of our most 'heated discussions' to date?)
Well, poor Zippy's been through the wringer lately.
It's so sad to watch an auto lose its luster over time and use. Lots of use.
And just when she was starting to look good after finally replacing the cracked and pitted windshield, CAM turned her left flank into the fence gate and I put her front bumper into a trailer hitch on the truck in front of me that didn't merge correctly. (Yeah, totally not my fault. Bah.)
We're actually much better drivers than that.
Cosmetics aside, up until about a few months ago, she was dependable.
CAM was on his way to the Epic London Track Find in Cottage Grove with all the casting material (Cliff tells it well) when she decided to throw a rod and leave him stranded along the highway at dusk.
Unbeknownst to us (and maybe our local dealership), but certainly not Subaru of America, that particular make and model was flawed.
Many dollars and a new engine block later we had a fix and a letter from the head office offering us a grand off our next new purchase as compensation for our time and trouble.
How very kind of them!
If that wasn't insulting enough, not a few months after that she was back in the shop for the brake light switch sensor, which prohibited engaging the gear shift.
This development especially pissed me off to discover while in the Oakway Center's parking lot.
Subaru lost 2 brand loyalists that year.
So when the topic came up recently as to the fate of our transportation, it was decided to fuck Subaru and find an alternative.
I really wanted to like them forever and for the most part, always thought Zippy Zelda and Ney Ney Hibiscus (named by Nellis, RIP) had served us well.
(Nevermind that little story of the xcountry trip that almost stranded 4 members of my family and cost me $$. A decade later we were informed it hadn't needed a new transmission after all: it'd only just needed flushed. Grrrr.)
I'd been curious about the Prius ever since its release, but wasn't serious until now.
Gas is probably one of our biggest expenses due to driving in and out of the city daily, despite decent mileage with what we're using now.
We went round and again about our options and decided to keep Z since she was all paid off and just add a trailer for work loads, even though I was keen for a Dodge Ram, mainly for macho reasons.
But redneck-cred notwithstanding, trucks are squirrelly out here; the roads wet more often than not, so tailspins are likely.
We know this car's capability and could tempt fate by ending up with a lemon.
Therefore, it's become the new Squatch Mobile and remains dog friendly.
And I feel pretty good about that.
Sometimes having that dramatic comparison is helpful since living it out slowly every day might not seem like you've made strides.
It was so stark then, both inside and out.
Naturally, it's much more our own now and reflects our tastes and lifestyle.
Which are far superior to the previous occupants (PO.)
Naturally.
But that's not what this entry's about.
It's what CAM's co-worker Peggy asked at that party-
"So I guess you'll be wanting a Parker now. Need one?"
W.T H. is a 'Parker'?
Apparently, out here in The Sticks, it's a vehicle that stays on your property.
Forever.
I think they're meant to dissuade bad guys from coming in and robbing you by looking like there's someone home.
But really, if the car never moves, has flat tires and moss growing all over it, won't that be noticed while casing the joint?
Yet it occurred to me on subsequent drives up and down HWY 36, that yes, at least 1 Parker graces damn near every single residence.
We didn't take up Peggy's offer (in hindsight, maybe we should have) but we've got one now.
Because you see, we have added to the family.
Introducing Prudence the Prius!
On some level, it feels sort of dirty to have more cars than adults here, but we've justified that.
CAM uses the '98 Forester as a dump-truck.
It was supposed to be his Bigfoot jalopy.
All-wheel drive and a little beat on, large enough to carry a fair amount of gear and other
But then it started having issues. Again.
Now it's the battery, needing recharged every time it's driven.
And it's basically dying from the inside out, thanks to years of salted, Ohio winter roads: there is no cure.
He feels taking it .5 miles up the road for trash & recycling is do-able, anything else is asking for trouble.
It was the defacto Parker when we'd commute to town together in Zippy Zelda, the 2007 Impreza.
(Some of you might remember her predecessor, the standard, black sedan that appeared mysteriously in our Seattle driveway some years ago? And the cause of one of our most 'heated discussions' to date?)
Well, poor Zippy's been through the wringer lately.
It's so sad to watch an auto lose its luster over time and use. Lots of use.
And just when she was starting to look good after finally replacing the cracked and pitted windshield, CAM turned her left flank into the fence gate and I put her front bumper into a trailer hitch on the truck in front of me that didn't merge correctly. (Yeah, totally not my fault. Bah.)
We're actually much better drivers than that.
Cosmetics aside, up until about a few months ago, she was dependable.
CAM was on his way to the Epic London Track Find in Cottage Grove with all the casting material (Cliff tells it well) when she decided to throw a rod and leave him stranded along the highway at dusk.
Unbeknownst to us (and maybe our local dealership), but certainly not Subaru of America, that particular make and model was flawed.
Many dollars and a new engine block later we had a fix and a letter from the head office offering us a grand off our next new purchase as compensation for our time and trouble.
How very kind of them!
If that wasn't insulting enough, not a few months after that she was back in the shop for the brake light switch sensor, which prohibited engaging the gear shift.
This development especially pissed me off to discover while in the Oakway Center's parking lot.
Subaru lost 2 brand loyalists that year.
So when the topic came up recently as to the fate of our transportation, it was decided to fuck Subaru and find an alternative.
I really wanted to like them forever and for the most part, always thought Zippy Zelda and Ney Ney Hibiscus (named by Nellis, RIP) had served us well.
(Nevermind that little story of the xcountry trip that almost stranded 4 members of my family and cost me $$. A decade later we were informed it hadn't needed a new transmission after all: it'd only just needed flushed. Grrrr.)
I'd been curious about the Prius ever since its release, but wasn't serious until now.
Gas is probably one of our biggest expenses due to driving in and out of the city daily, despite decent mileage with what we're using now.
We went round and again about our options and decided to keep Z since she was all paid off and just add a trailer for work loads, even though I was keen for a Dodge Ram, mainly for macho reasons.
But redneck-cred notwithstanding, trucks are squirrelly out here; the roads wet more often than not, so tailspins are likely.
We know this car's capability and could tempt fate by ending up with a lemon.
Therefore, it's become the new Squatch Mobile and remains dog friendly.
As
for the Forester, we'd planned to be philanthropic by donating it to a
local charity- they advertise they'll p/u *any*thing, but it didn't feel
right essentially using them as a junkyard, so it's now the official
Parker since the other 2 cars are in drivable condition for the resident
2 drivers.
Take that ruse, thieves!
Thursday evening back in April, just when the weather starts to clear for the season, we were taking advantage by dining outside.
CAM mentioned that his office mate's husband had come in for a visit.
Adam works for the local Subaru dealership and has been most helpful this year with all our vehicle tragedies.
Conversations led to that his franchise and the one across the road were embattled in a Prius price war and if CAM was truly interested, this was the time to pursue it.
(His wife Courtney has one as do 3 others in the company.)
I gave him my to blessing look into it the following day after work.
(Mind you, this was at the height of my as yet undiagnosed acute bronchitis, wherein I was in and out of a feverish state of consciousness.)
JUST talk; don't be showing up with a brand new ride again! (At least I had the wherewithal to make that clear.)
He asked that Friday night, "Will you be well enough for a test drive tomorrow afternoon? Because my credit rating is off the hook, yo! And the deal is too saweeet to pass up!"
(Mind you, this was at the height of my as yet undiagnosed acute bronchitis, wherein I was in and out of a feverish state of consciousness.)
JUST talk; don't be showing up with a brand new ride again! (At least I had the wherewithal to make that clear.)
He asked that Friday night, "Will you be well enough for a test drive tomorrow afternoon? Because my credit rating is off the hook, yo! And the deal is too saweeet to pass up!"
(Yeah, he really talks like that.)
We went into town Saturday, but I remember very little.
In fact later, I had to practice handling the car in the driveway as I had no recollection of driving whatsoever.
My face was on fire- I felt like Mary Ingalls- and even worse, was the fact that CAM's BOSS and her husband had shown up to do the exact same thing!
Normally she finds me terribly charming and engaging, but it's all I could do to keep from passing out.
I think we were there for only 2 hours, but it seemed like an eternity.
I vaguely remember actually buying the car, but here's a picture of CAM with the paperwork, so I'm sure that's what happened.
What a bummer not to fully enjoy the experience- I've never acquired a shinybrandnewcar! before.
We went into town Saturday, but I remember very little.
In fact later, I had to practice handling the car in the driveway as I had no recollection of driving whatsoever.
My face was on fire- I felt like Mary Ingalls- and even worse, was the fact that CAM's BOSS and her husband had shown up to do the exact same thing!
Normally she finds me terribly charming and engaging, but it's all I could do to keep from passing out.
I think we were there for only 2 hours, but it seemed like an eternity.
 |
| It was all him; I signed nothing |
What a bummer not to fully enjoy the experience- I've never acquired a shinybrandnewcar! before.
There was a bit of a fuss over some minute scratch in the hood. Our
seller insisted we only have a perfect product, so were told to
schedule an appointment to buff the blemish out.
This
seemingly simple task did not go according to plan, and we ended up with
a (sub-par, read: gas powered) loner for a few days while the damage was repaired.I couldn't tell then and I certainly can't now, but am happy all is dandy.
Sunday (Mother's Day) CAM had enough and insisted I go to Urgent Care. (Good call.)
I do vaguely remember cruising some backroads on the way home with the sun shining onto the sabermetrics-projecting, spaceship-like dashboard bouncing into my face, which was lovely. (As were the RX starting to kick in, offering some much needed relief for my condition.)
The goal is to keep Pru as pristine as possible; I was reluctant to even collect my 7 year old niece from the airport recently.
But pride and practicality won out (and she wasn't all that dirty or in the car too long.)
The no-dog rule was broken on our Iron Anniversary trip down to Awesome Ashland OR.
It
just didn't make sense to leave the hybrid behind just because Stanky
would be in the back for >8 hrs. (She went on 'vaca' down there,
too.)
It did mean I was unable to paint up the windows as before with colorful self-promotion.
And if you're wondering, yes.
The answer is a huge, resounding YES!
We are terribly self-righteous and smug tooling around in this remarkable machine.
The answer is a huge, resounding YES!
We are terribly self-righteous and smug tooling around in this remarkable machine.
Passing gas-guzzling SUVs we call out. "It's OK, we've got a PRIUS! We'll save the Earth for you since you are not. You're welcome."
And thanks to *you*, Prudence!Welcome to the family.
Ney Ney loaded down w/ PO bio-hazards
Dump Dog gets goodies
 |
| I got such a rush doing this for our honeymoon, I now try to relive that feeling at every occasion (BTW, that's Mt. Hood, in case you didn't notice.) |
 |
| It would appear I knew what I was doing, but in reality have no memory of it at all |
 |
| That's me blowing sickness into my jacket strangely giving me a posture identical to my mother's |
 |
HY-BRID! HY-BRID! Get a load of this! (Seafoam Pearl) |
 |
| Hens eyeball the sub-par temporary loaner |
Poor Zabriskie in Prudence's trunk after being collected from the dog kennel in Ashland OR.
As a first time boarder, it did not go well, having barked herself hoarse. Shortly after these pics, we assuaged our guilt with copious treats, a trip to a fine dog park followed by a canine-friendly lunch at the most awesome place ever!
No comments:
Post a Comment
What say you?