Cars

When I was in college, I had a Pontiac Sunbird.  We called it the Sunturd, but it was a pretty good first car.  I had some trouble with it right after I took it to college the first time, but after a few hundred dollars, it was working fine again.  A few years later, it started doing some really strange things.  First, every time I started the car, the windshield wipers would wipe the windshield 1 time.  And if I used them in the rain, I had to get them to a very specific point between off and on to turn them off.  If you actually put them in the OFF position, they would go REALLY fast...faster than the "fast" setting when they were on.  One day, I noticed to odomoter was going backwards very quickly.  When I stepped on the brake, just to slow down a bit, it stopped and began going forward at a normal pace.  I actually drove from Nashville to Memphis and back one time and ended up with 3 miles less on the odometer than when I started out.  Crazy car!  I learned how to change the oil and change a distributor cap on that car.  Dad labeled the spark plugs for me and showed me what to do so I would not screw up the engine.  I went to some auto store to get a "Cap and Rotor".  When I asked for a "cap and rotor", the guy looked at me like I had 3 heads...I actually had to say, (slowly) "Distributor Cap and Rotor" before he understood what I needed.  Maybe he was just surprised that a girl was asking for parts to fix her own car. 

My current car is a 2002 VW Passat.  I love this model of this car.  It's just the right size and has a lot of electronics in it.  However, the electronics are becoming an issue.  My sunroof can either open wide or tilt up.  Occasionally, it will tilt up on its own.  I'll be driving down the interstate and hear it open.  I have to turn the knob to open it, then close it to get it to close.  Yesterday, it was REALLY hot as I left work.  I got in the car and started my journey to pick up Benjamin.  I realized that the AC wasn't cooling.  I looked at the console and saw it said "-- C*" where it normally says the temp (105 F*).  UGH!  The electronics are starting to malfunction.  I drove to get Benjamin and turned the car off.  I waited about 10 seconds and turned the car back on - still no air.  I grabbed a pair of shorts and tank top I just happened to have in the car, preparing for a HOT ride home.  I changed clothes and B and I got into the car.  I told him to go ahead and take his shirt, shoes and socks off because it was going to get hot.  When I started the car, the AC kicked on!  WOO HOO!  We had a nice, comfortable, clothed ride home yesterday.  Hopefully, the electronics will calm down and I can keep this car for a bit longer.  It has just over 101,000 miles on it.  Just turned over 100,000 miles a week and 1/2 ago!  (Yeah, I drive a lot of miles every day)