the ocean

After eleven years with our Prius, we traded it in for a new car yesterday. The Prius was a great car and we probably could have kept going with it for a while. The only major service issue I can remember was when a rat got under the hood and ate the coating off some of the wires, which we can hardly blame on the brand. I also dinged it up once on Christmas Eve when I accidentally turned onto 294 and went to O'Hare when I intended to just go to my relatives' place in Texas. Again not the Prius's fault. But honestly, it was really reliable, easy, and pleasant. 

It was, however, the size of a golf cart, and could not fit more than roughly three grocery bags as cargo. Also, I was not able to sit up straight in it, as I've realized I've never really been able to do in any of the cars I've owned my entire life. So my posture cried out for a change, and we ended up with a Honda CR-V, which actually gives me head room to spare. (And it still fits in our garage, although sort of barely.) 

It was not an easy journey. We looked at a number of different vehicles. At one place, they argued with us about what we wanted, tried to put us in a used sedan, and had to jump start the SUV we ultimately test drove. I pretended to have to take a work call and left. At another place, they pretty much ignored us entirely, which I rather enjoyed, but it didn't foster super much confidence in their commitment. But the Honda people were Goldilocksily just right, and we happened to show up just as a new CR-V was arriving off the truck. It had 17 miles on it when we brought it home. 

And now, of course, I'm kind of scared to drive it, but honestly, shit is going to happen. I'm sure rats will find something to feast on here as well, or cats, or bats, or bacteriostats. Such is life! But for now, it's nice to be able to fully extend my spine, even if I don't always choose to.