MMMM...

You know what smell I love? NEW CAR smell!

That’s right – I am the proud new owner of a Volkswagen Jetta!

This is my first “brand new” car in almost 11 years. Like, I got to pick the color and everything (graphite blue metallic with charcoal interior – very cool, if I do say so).

And it’s MINE.

Not mine after someone else drove it for 18,000 miles.

Not mine after someone else had it parked in her driveway.

Not mine after someone else neglected to have it washed.

She's mine. FIRST.

As I waved good-bye to Neil The Sales Guy and drove her off the lot, I made the same promises (that I would break) to my Jetta that every new car owner makes:

1. I promise I will take you in for oil changes every 5,000 miles religiously. No matter what. (Neil actually tried to help me with this one, forcing me to make my first oil change appointment before he would give me the car. Like, how am I supposed to know what I’m doing Saturday, March 1, 2008???)

2. I promise I will NOT eat in you. Unless I’m driving to Boston, in which case I HAVE to get McDonald’s (one cheeseburger, a small fry and a medium Coke with lots of ice) because it’s tradition. Oh, and tea and iced coffee don’t count. Neither do water bottles.

3. I promise I will take you to the car wash the minute I see a speck of dirt of blob of bird poop on you. (Of course I didn’t promise to actually wash her myself – I KNOW that’s not going to happen)

4. I promise I will not allow sandy beach chairs, bags and coolers to touch your interior.

5. I promise that Vito can only ride in you in his new (soon-to-be-purchased-for-Christmas) carseat to avoid getting hair and scratch marks everywhere.

So it’s Day 3, and I haven’t broken any promises. Yet.

Our life together so far...

SATURDAY

So, her first trip was to the mall, where I think the entire state of Connecticut was shopping. The stores were packed (really? Twenty seven people in line and only two registers open?); I couldn’t find any pants that fit (still need that treadmill!); and they were playing Christmas music (seriously, I don’t even know what I’m cooking for Thanksgiving, let alone know what I’m getting everyone for Christmas).

I’m still in I-have-a-new-car-so-I’m-going-to-park-really-far-away-from-every-other-
car mode. This is especially hard for me to stick to because I pride myself on being an excellent parking spot finder. I partially attribute my talent to the many years I worked at the mall during the holidays and had to fight the anxious shoppers for a spot (there was no way in hell I was parking super far away to let the shoppers be close – will THEY have to walk to their car all alone in the dark when they get out of work at 2am? I don’t think so).

SUNDAY

I treated my new girl to a ride around town. We hit all of my hot spots – Target, the grocery store, CVS and TJ Maxx. Each time she was parked a little closer to the building – except at the grocery store…I don’t trust those runaway carts! (One time when I was little, my mother and I were sitting in the car at the grocery store hoping to wait out the rain and we watched the wind take a cart across the parking lot – at a decent speed – into a parked car. We laughed our asses off, too)

MONDAY

What I loved most about her on my cold ride to work this morning: heated seats! (Call me HM, but I would NOT give up heated seats! And I’m slowly getting over the fact that I no longer have steering wheel controls for the radio – something that probably makes the people who ride WITH me very happy)

Oh, and I have a trunk! I went from an SUV to a wagon, so I haven’t had the luxury of hiding valuable items out of sight for over 10 years. I would always have hide my laptop or leather jacket on the floor of the backseat covered up with Vito's hairy blanket (typical thief: "I wonder what that lump is on the floor behind the driver's seat. Oh wait, it's covered up by a blanket...must be nothing.").

BOTTOM LINE

I.Got.A.New.Car!