Someone's car is worse than mine!
In case you didn't know, I am the proud driver of a minivan, the interior of which is... well, let's just say it's seen better days. This has not, unfortunately, escaped the notice of my extended family; the other day, when I told my son he needed to keep the cap ON the bubbles before getting into car, my charming father said, "But why? It's soap. It can only help."
Har, har, har.
At any rate, as you can imagine, car detailing has been rather low on the list the last several months, behind things like organizing my spice cabinet, doing tons of laundry, blogging, and writing, oh, say, three books in just over a year.
But I do try. Every Friday I lug out the collection of papers and shoes and clothes and as many intact goldfish as I can find. (The upside of all this is that if we were ever stranded somewhere, we'd have pretzels and raisins and goldfish to last us for weeks.)
Nevertheless, I am still a bit sensitive about it.
Which is why my discovery at the Westbank Library today was so marvelous.
It was an older Japanese car, probably from the late 80s, but it wasn't the exterior that caught my attention. It was the interior, the contents of which included (a) an antique magazine rack filled with sun-bleached papers, (b) a wooden arrow, complete with three scraggly feathers, and (c) a hubcap -- that's right, a hubcap, right there on the back seat -- that made it so delightful.
Of course, I didn't want to stare, so I just did a quick visual inventory. But on the way back out, I paused and looked again. There were also seashells, sand, several sunglasses cases, an assortment of books and magazines, a McDonald's bag, two umbrellas, and what might have once been an apple.
It was so satisfying.
How about you? Are you a car neatnik, or more like me?
P.S. I wrote 1600 words today. And am drinking (literarily, anyway) margaritas on the Riverwalk in San Antonio now.
posted by Karen MacInerney @ 5:58 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Karen,
Have you ever heard that besides eating chocolate, laughing a lot is good for your health? I decided today that I added a few years to my lifespan while caring for my little 18 month old Jesse because all I did was laugh at his antics and his funny faces. Then I came home and read your last two blogs -- and laughed so much that I think I might even live long enough to finish my mystery and get it published... They are wonderful stories that you told-- Your writing does resemble Erma Bombeck's, but I also see some of EB White in your very astute observations.
Judy
(By the way, re: the corned beef...so surprised with all who write to you that you remembered what I had said about it!-- We had unexpected company that night and no left-over corned beef. So Hubby went out and bought another-- Can't wait to have it again. HE can't wait to make Ruben sandwiches out of it. Have you ever done that?)
My car gets cleaned religiously on those rare occasions that my mother comes to visit. Other than that, it's usually chock full of Starbucks cups, assorted papers, mapquest directions to shows I did last week, last month, last year...
I've been terrible about writing. I think I am about 37,000 words right now.
I cleaned out my car, washed it and detailed it just recently. "Recently" being a relative term meaning, in this case, um, six months ago. In reality there's always an interesting collection of things to be found in the passenger seat, which I then have to shuttle to the trunk whenever I have an actual passenger. Every so often I'll grab all the fast-food bags and coffee cups and whatever else there is on the floor of the passenger seat ("You weren't hoping to put your feet down, were you?") when I sense that the volume of trash is beyond some sort of acceptable threshhold. "Acceptable" being a relative term....
Your father's soap comment is priceless. :D
Judy,
Wow. Bombeck AND E.B. White? Can I quote you on that? :)
Sounds like you had a fabulous day. Spending time with kiddos (who don't have the niggling worries the rest of us do -- they're mainly concerned with getting as much candy as possible, at least around here) is very refreshing. For a few hours, anyway. Then you start suffering facial tics and narcolepsy, at least in my case. (I don't think I spelled narcolepsy right, but am too lazy to google it.) Jesse appears to be one lucky toddler, by the way.
And when you're craving a particular food and the guests have the nerve to EAT all of it before you can use it as you planned, I feel it's completely understandable to go and restock.
This coming from a woman whose fridge is so stuffed you need a hardhat to open it...
Thanks for the sweet comment, Judy. Made my day!
Laura,
Great pic! But I didn't expect you to be so... furry! (Seriously, though -- very, very cute.)
And I'm so glad I'm in such good company. The Starbucks cups do tend to be a problem, particularly if (like me) you put milk in your coffee. And it always takes me at least a day to figure it out.
You know, maybe my dad had a point after all. :)
Oh -- and don't worry so much about the writing. 37K is halfway there. You'll be done before you know it; this may just be a fallow time. Hang in there!
John,
I knew you'd understand.
The funny thing is, I never notice how bad it is until someone else is about to get into the car. I guess we just have more important things to do.
And who needs places to put their feet, anyway? If everyone just meditated while sitting, they'd be fine.
And 'priceless' is one word... I can think of a few others. :)
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