"Florence" is beyond any doubt, the name of my car.
I'm not sure how I could ever have thought of any other.
She has the personality of a little old lady.
She's slow to start out, slow to stop.
She takes her time, and never rushes.
And she has already made many of her likes and dislikes quite clear.
I'm not saying she's a complainer, she just lets you know what she's thinking, without beating around the bush.
For instance, Florence likes waiting a minute before rushing out in the morning.
Florence also likes to go down hill... FAST!
Florence doesn't like to go up hill fast.
And Florence does not like her doors to be locked or unlocked EVER!
Today, was my first day of actually driving Miss. Florence, and she is everything I remember driving an old car to be, for good and bad. But it's funny how the two mix in your memory. One thing is certain, driving an old car always leaves a chance for an exciting day everyday. You never really know if you're going to make it to and from your destination. I've yet to build much confidence in the old girl, but that will come. The more you drive it, the more you trust it. But she may not have much confidence in me yet either. That's probably why she keeps on locking me out. "Help! Save me from this girl who doesn't know what she's doing!!!"
Everything is exactly how I remember it, pumping the gas and revving the engine a little before starting out when the engine is cold. Taking the corners slow, breaking before you actually need to stop, speeding up nice and easy, it's surprising how quickly those things came back. It's a good thing I'm not an impatient driver. She's not the car for an impatient driver. We're a good fit for each other in that way, neither of us care much when we get someplace, it's more about how we get there.
But the thing I think I like best about her is the fit of the steering wheel, and signal light. It's not one of those bulky, fat, chunky, plastic things. It's slight, slender, sleek and large. It turns smoothly with precision, and it fits my long-slender fingers perfectly. And I can just flick that tiny little wire signal light over with my tiny little finger.
...thing I like least? THE BLOODY DOORS WON'T LOCK! And when I finally get it locked, it's even harder to unlock. (However, I did get some "Lock Ease" for the locks and at least the passenger side works pretty slick now.) I seriously thought I was locked out of it this afternoon, and then I realized I had been turning the key the wrong direction. *sigh* I obviously still have much to learn about Florence.
Well, tomorrow is going to be a busy day! I've got to call about insurance and take a trip to the DMV. This is the not-so-fun part of buying a car. But I'm excited to see what the next couple of weeks have in store for me.
Will Florence break down on the side of the road leaving me stranded to walk home? Or will she continue being constant, reliable and running smooth as silk?
In truth, I'm guess the future will consist of both.
Cheers!
T
Clark Kent on top of the building?
2 days ago
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