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September 29, 2004
happy 150K, Spice!
i've been toying with the idea of buying a new car lately, but i've been remarkably reluctant to actually do anything about it. i've test-driven a few replacements, but for some reason i'm just not that excited about them. the Mini was hot & sexy, but with its terrible maintenance record and cost of replacing parts, that crush was short-lived. the Scion xA was zippy and fun, but what i liked most about it was it felt like my current car. see, while i pretend that my main consideration in choosing a new set of wheels is gas economy/size and reliability, the real watermark is: how much is it like Spice?
Spice, or the SpiceMobile, is my beloved little blue-green '93 hatchback Honda Civic. she's a replacement car herself -- I had to buy her while wearing a neck brace, with the insurance check from my first Civic that got utterly totalled by a speeding van. she had 48,000 miles on her at the time. i was a broke out-of-college kid who was substitute teaching junior high to pay bills and was trying to get jobs in the crazy world of film & television. but as with most broke out-of-college kids, i didn't realise i was that destitute, really -- eating spaghetti sauce on pieces of bakery outlet bread tossed in the ToastMaster and calling it pizza was just a way of life. besides, i was having a blast being young and crazy and adventurous and creative along with my roommates; who, like me, were trying to chase our dreams, figure out our lives, have fun, and still pay rent on time.
life moved along, and Spice stayed with me, faithful and gas-sipping. when she was about to turn 100,000 i tied silver ribbons on her antenna in preparation. i was at the 57/91 interchange on my way to meet friends for dinner at Felix's. my splendid sister Erin, whom i unabashedly adore, was with me, and we screamed and cheered and shouted and honked wildly when the odometer rolled over. it was a heartfelt celebration. i remember thinking how different things were now: i wasn't a broke, out-of-college kid anymore. i had just moved into a new apartment, and my career was taking off, thanks be to God's faithfulness. it was now "normal" for me to spend multiple months out of the country on various television shoots, and besides sailing around the world, i'd just completed trips to South Africa and Japan. the following week, i would be hiking Half Dome in Yosemite. and plus, i'd just said yes to dating a very cute boy. life seemed even more full of possibility and adventure than it did at 48,000 miles.
this last week my Spice turned 150,000 miles. i never really thought she'd take me this far, but hey, i never thought my life would quite look like it does now either. there were no silver ribbons this time, as the odometer birthday crept up on me by surprise. i honked happily and cheered by myself as the numbers rolled over. this time, i was leaving work (yes, still television) heading south on the 710 to my wonderful, supportive boyfriend's house (yes, that cute boy lasted 50,000 miles!) so we could go surfing, and the next week i would be leaving for Italy and New York (yes, still travelling). life is still big and adventurous and full of possibility. God is still faithful. i am still blessed. and i'm not ashamed to say that i love my wee car.
happy 150K, little Spice. now i don't know if i can replace you.
Posted by hadashi at September 29, 2004 2:44 PM
Comments
Hooray Erika! Glad to be hearing about your adventures and reading your site. I'm jealous you're going to Italy -- John and I are learning Italian in preparation for next year's trip -- and we've progressed to lesson 16 (Pimsleur's) where we know at least how to order red wine and tell someone we don't understand what they are saying. Have fun over there and say hello to all the wonderful art. many hugs and have a great time, Laurel W
Posted by: Laurel W at October 1, 2004 1:14 PM
Just because you're traipsing around the globe, lounging in Milan, drinking Sienese wine (or would that be Sienian? Sienish?), or staying up late in Manhattan, it DOESN'T mean you can get away without filling us in on your adventures, you know.
It leaves us at the mercy of our own imaginations and, as you know better than most, that can be a bad, bad thing for all of us.
Posted by: Zippy the Troll at October 26, 2004 10:51 AM
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