May 09, 2005

Observations on a ride to town

This morning I had to go to KMart (sales, you know), so I took the back roads in order to avoid some road construction, and to hustle into the small neighboring town to fuel up. (Husband was home with Daughter.)

So, on said drive through wooded acres, I made a few observations, some of which are carry-overs from our drive yesterday. One thing that puzzles me, whether I'm in this area or other areas of the country, are abandoned houses. Just yesterday there was an enormous house, set high on a hill, with all the windows knocked out, wood siding all falling off...the barn was falling in too. I commented to Husband what a shame that was, at one time that house was someone's pride and joy and now look at it. Truly, in its day it must have been beautiful, I could tell just from the outside. How does this happen? Families don't want it, so it just fall into disrepair for generations? Husband said that that just may happen to our house someday.

Keep in mind that I'm reading the "Little House" series...that may have influenced what I said, but my feelings on abandoned houses are the same no matter what, it is a terrible shame.

I move on to cars. Now, I know we've all had to get rid of cars in our lifetimes, but I have a special fondness for Buick Regals...especially the mid-80's models. Landau roofs, those looooong doors...when I was a senior in college my parents got me an '84 Regal; I was going to be student teaching and needed something to drive. Oh, that car was gorgeous, a deep burgundy with the same color interior, landau roof...I loved that car. It looked even more awesome when my step-father polished up a set of mags and put those on, and boosted the rear with gasmatic shocks. Oh, I turned some heads. I loved that car. And, dare I say it, the thing smelled like an ashtray from all the sssssmokin' I did in it. I drove it until the day it "died," a day I still remember with sadness.

So, I'm driving along and I spot a Regal, white and green, but still, it looks almost identical to the one I had. I almost hurt when I saw that poor car sitting there in the weeds.

I know, "It's only a car, Vic," but still. I tend to get attached to cars. I love 'em. My mother has an '87 Regal Limited, and I always said I wanted to take that and restore it back to its glory. But I probably won't....but both my mom and I still drool over Grand Nationals.

Weird, I know, but I notice stuff, I have to. It keeps me from getting car sick when I'm the passenger...

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