Function over Form
I've just been informed by my father that the car I have been borrowing for the last several months is now mine if I want it. There's a story behind this. Earlier this year my mom decided it was time for a new car (her old one was a 1992) and they planned to sell the old one if my brother didn't want it. Well, brother was interested because it was a good car for a cheap price (most likely free to him) but he was dragging his feet on getting it. Meanwhile, Rob has a little fender bender in his truck that rendered it undriveable without repairs. We couldn't afford repairs. My dad graciously offered me the use of the old car until my brother was ready for it. Worked for me, even though this is car is the epitome of uncoolness. It's a Ford Tempo, white with a beige interior which is by far my most hated color combination for a vehicle. In addition to not having a single cup holder, it has those damn automatic shoulder belts that have you pinned to the seat even if you are just sitting in a parking lot listening to the radio. Just the radio, mind you, because it has a cassette player and I haven't listened to cassette tapes in a car in a coon's age. And then there are the finishing touches like the Jesus fish decal on the trunk, the peeling window tint and the handicapped license plates. Yeah, I'm really styling when I drive this thing. But hey, it's wheels. There's a long list of things I don't like about this car. It's made for short people, the shoulder belt grabs my purse every time I get out of it, the side view mirrors are useless, etc. BUT... it handles like dream. The air conditioning will freeze your ass off and the heater will set your shoes on fire. It starts every day without fail. And the flat truck lid makes the perfect table for dog treats and what-have-you for training sessions in the back parking lot where I work. Okay, so that's just a plus for my boss, but I still think it's kind of a cool thing. I'm actually considering buying this thing from my dad now that my brother has decided he doesn't want it. Yes, I said buying even though I mentioned earlier that it would most likely be free to my brother. It's not that my brother gets stuff for free and I don't, it's that I don't let my folks cheat themselves in the cash department on my account. And for that matter neither does my brother which probably played a big role in why he hasn't claimed the car for himself. He knows he can't pay for it. I'm not sure how I will pay for it either, but you can bet that I WILL if I decide to keep it. However, there's the matter of Rob's little truck. For what I pay my folks for the Tempo, we might be able to fix the truck, though we wouldn't have the handy "payment plan" on the truck repairs. Decisions, decisions... argh.