Ain’t Nothing Like That New Car Smell

Where have I been, I wonder? The glimmering shards of this blog's discarded existence must surely have led you to ponder that question. If it makes you feel any better, I have been asking that of myself recently. This summer has simply flown by like a runaway freight train going light speed and I am hanging onto the caboose by a hair with my arms and legs flailing off the back, leaving my trials and tribulations in its wake with no documentation to prove that they actually occurred. And now all of a sudden it's mid-September – barely summer (except that it's 90 degrees outside) and you know, it's damn time I muster up the urge to whip this online scrapbook into action again.

Every day is a new day so let's start with this one. This morning I woke up for the first time in my entire life to a brand NEW CAR waiting in my driveway. Oh halleluiah, Lordy lord have you ever seen such a beautiful sight? She is splendid – a 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid. Color: Galaxy Gray, which is a very sexy not-quite-gray, not-quite-dark tan, but instead a resplendent amalgam of taupe-like wonderment that seamlessly blurs the distinction between gray and tan. The car features a high caliber sound system with iPod port and steering wheel controls, a light, roomy interior to fit the whole carpool, cruise control, a working air conditioning which I am always thankful for after surviving five consecutive summers in the sweltering sub-tropical Floridian soup without it, even though my last car had an environmental control system that worked just fine. It goes without saying that the gas mileage savings of this vehicle is insurmountable (surpassed only by its chief competitor – the Toyota Prius, just without that wacky bar in the hatch-back that everyone complains about.) So now I can (and will) say to a world of ubiquitous SUV's that I am proudly part of the new revolution. Hazzah!

I'm a little excited about my new car…can you tell? I should mention that the whole car-buying experience was fascinating. Car salesmen (and women) pose a curious sociological inquiry and should be studied in order to determine if they are in fact real. Their abject phoniness makes me suspect. Nevertheless, I had no choice but to work with those "people" and hope they would not totally screw me. And I am confident that they didn't totally screw me, leaving me only a little screwed. For example, I didn't get as much for my trade-in Mitsubishi Diamante station wagon, despite trying to up its appeal by advocating its obvious chick-magnet potential. Didn't you know, station wagons = chicks!

For some reason they weren't convinced.

Speaking of the wagon or Jivanananda as she was more lovingly referred to, meaning "the Bliss of Wind" in Sanskrit – turning her over before her time rather saddened me. I am a sentimental guy, and she had served me well. Together, we travelled from South Florida to Central Arizona before finding our way home to San Antone a mere 2 ½ years ago. Settling a deal on a new car and turning her over to the dealership felt awfully sudden. Not much time to say farewell to a good and mostly reliable pal. Though she is 12 years old, and struggling with chronic transmission and oil leakage issues, I know that she will make some lucky driver out there incredibly happy. Cheers, Jivanananda! You're a glistening gem, don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

Where was I?

Oh, yes that's right!

Waking up with a new car in the driveway really provides a hankering for adventure. Luckily, I had one planned. My friends Adrienne Cole and Tyler Applegate from Madison, WI were in Austin for the Austin City Limits Music Festival and I took a quick jaunt up to Capitol City to take them for a spin before their festival day of activities began. I know Adrienne and Tyler from my Taliesin days. Back then, Adrienne and Tyler were part of the Spring Green folk/pop quartet Box Elder, the indisputable local favorite whom we all adored. Last week they got hitched and came to Austin for their honeymoon. In case you were paying attention, since leaving Taliesin and starting this blog, I have been blessed to see my favorite Wisconsin band twice – once last summer during the aptly-named Frank Lloyd Wright All-Star Tour, and again further back for New Years 2005. Anyway,sometime between my last two visits to Wisco, the band regrouped as Dear August. They just released a new CD and they were kind enough to provide me with an autographed copy.

I picked up Adrienne and Tyler and we went for a Mexican brunch at El Chile, a restaurant just east of downtown. We caught each other up on gossip, speculated the merits of the upcoming Led Zeppelin reunion which the world can't be more excited about, and discussed the overwhelming similarities between Austin and Madison as capitol cities in mid-American states with highly active local music scenes, political intrigue, and home to their respective state's largest and finest universities.

The newlyweds with my new car!

At some point we said our good-byes. They had a festival to attend, after all. I drove around Austin for a while until I found a nice coffee shop to camp out in for a while. Later, I drove to New Braunfels – a town about a half hour outside of San Antonio, to meet up with Vicki and all our friends to celebrate her birthday. We had dinner at a restaurant we've wanted to try called the Huisache Grill located in their historic and picturesque downtown.

It was a nice place – I bought Vicki the necklace in the photo and made her an origami box to keep it in.

This was supposed to be an angry face group photo, but not everyone in our gang got the memo.

I understand. It's tough to justify even contrived anger when there is so much to be happy about in this world.

Comments

[mom]

good luck with new car did you name her yet i wish you many new adventures did you up your insurance be safe mom

[Shaaaaron]

Mazel tov Ben! She's beautiful! I think next year Honda needs to release the Fit Hybrid. That is my dream vehicle at this moment.
My question is the same as mom: What's her name?

[Daddio]

Yippie!!! GOD is greatd! We are so lucky!