We’ve been talking about getting a new car for a little while now. Last week Christopher gave me a list of acceptable cars and told me to go on each website to learn more about each car. He asked if I know about car buying to which I replied that it is not my forte. I may have also said something along the lines of not knowing whether 12 or 72 horsepower is better. What can I say? I have simple car buying criteria: 

* nice color, preferably blue
* good blinker (None of this clickclickclickclick stuff. I prefer click pause click pause click pause.)
* must have a regular key that goes in the ignition (Apparently that makes me very old fashioned.)
* no little screen that pops up when the car is put in reverse (I was taught to look in the direction in which I am driving so it makes no sense to look forward at the screen when I’m traveling backwards.)

I went on each website and really tried to be more objective than rating the cars according to cuteness, but one website was lacking in pictures so I was thoroughly confused. This told me absolutely nothing about the car. 

What is this variable cylinder management of which you speak? 

Last Saturday we went out test driving. Naturally I fought the urge to giggle the entire time because that’s what I do in situations where I should seem grown up. We were driving one car when Will the salesman piped up from the backseat, “Can you feel how the gears don’t shift? It’s all one smooth motion.” I hadn’t noticed. I was trying to figure out if the car came with seat warmers and how big the glove compartment was. Christopher deals with the mechanical specifications and I take care of the frilly details. It’s a system that’s worked well so far.

After test driving a whopping one vehicle, we went back Wednesday to buy it. (For inquisitive minds, we got a Nissan Rogue. The name makes me feel wild and adventuresome.) It does have the reverse monitor, but it’s easy enough to ignore. Buying cars really is hardly something I do every day, so I didn’t know that sometimes you need to be prepared to spend three hours of your day in the dealership waiting for papers to process. At least Will provided fresh cookies and water to make our stay more pleasurable. I needed something to comfort me after Christopher pointed out to me, Will, AND the insurance lady on the phone that I had two new gray hairs. He’s just the sweetest. 


While the car will belong to both of us, technically it is more mine than Christopher’s because we still have his car. As proud owner, I will have more power in matters of importance such as what we name it and any outer decor. I was also told I can have whatever I want on the license plate. I’m thinking of a picture of Jimmy Stewart in one corner and a picture of Dick Van Dyke in the other. Maybe a third of Harrison Ford just to round things out.