well it seems to be a theme [however minor it may be] that i put a picture of the whip that i currently roll in. i thus follow suit to that which the past precludes. first the golf, then the tt and now... the grandest step up of them all... the van. such a luxury automobile... best in it's '97 class never outdone by another vehicle twice its age and half its power, 225,000 miles to the test barely wears thin old age packed with experience. why the frame on this van has withstood the test of time, a variety of driving abilities and extremes of hot and cold... however definitely mostly cold. the engine now quivers like a scared kitten in a hailstorm as the engine runs in the balmy kc weather. yep, this engine is most assuredly authoritative as it makes me obey its every command. in fact, it reminds me of that on a daily basis as it never starts on the first go around. as i turn the key to ignite the spark of life into this dragon mobile it declares nay and denies the life i so anxiously try to give it. start? wtf is start? the van defies as i am forced to ironically take a 'back seat' and succumb to its will. as it runs up in years and miles and down in energy it also accumulates the will to declare itself independent. well, if it wants to start on its own freakin time then i say it can drive itself [with me in the passenger seat of course] to my destination. boy wouldn't that be pleasant? well freakin hell it isn't. it's rickety steel innards seem to gravitate cold throughout. it is as if the engine runs as a refrigerator to the inside, making sure that the thermostat dare not encroach 50. for that threshold temperature begins to alleviate the chill of the outside. no, comfort is not a convenience afforded to me by the van... except however for the seats. the seats wrap around you as if to say 'hey, it's alright... relax... recline... sleep in my arms of furry comfort'. this is most assuredly splendid except for the fact that it is a car and one usually tries NOT to sleep while in a moving vehicle... at least most of the time. the inside with its multitude of shades of brown, reminiscent of a phrase such as: 'i'm trying to make a classic look in the late 90's' - type of color... drab and 'glib' [as my order writing abilities were once called by an attending when i was a medical student]. the brown that says no one will dear come near this car... this mobile feculent torpedo [slowest darn torpedo i've ever seen... ok so i guess i have never acctually seen any live and mobile torpedos... but nonetheless... slow and oddly shaped]. brown... the calming color of bark... the color that resembles that color seen after killing a deer, skinning it,beating and tanning its hide... on the underside of the fur. although my vehicle is not furry on the outside, it is furry within... cozy and snuggly if you will.
until recently this beast of a van... held together by the finest rust that snow and salt can produce... had not been cleansed from the soilent particulate matter that decorated its oxidized exterior. well, today [actually sunday] was the day, my friend where all this non-washing gets turned around... it was a glorious day where that ginormous flaming ball that traverses the blue sky decided to do a little energizing / melting action of the snow. streets were clear of being clean [i.e. dirty] and motivation was in the air. fed up with not being able to see clearly enough the myriad of imperfections that adorn my vehicle, i decided a cleansing was in order... a baptism to the minivan of sorts... at least as far as kc is concerned.
upon entering the car wash on on rainbow, it was apparent that i was not the only one with this epiphenous idea... i could not believe it... i mean, who else would actually think of washing your car on a nice day? it seemed novel to me at the time, but perhaps it was not so unique after all. thus, i entered the lengthy line that extended well down the block. the car was eventually cleaned... the whole time through which i actually began singing 'car wash' in my head... although appropriate i thoroughly annoyed myself and wished my head would at least get some variety in song because this was a long wait to sing one song over and over and over and over gain...
well, that being done did... the next course of events becomes all to predictable. you see, after i was my car, i become the weather man... able to predict either rain or snow within the next two days. well my minivan almanac held steadfast and true once again. as sure as the sun goes down... rain came the next day... and if that wasn't enough, snow came the day after that [i.e. today] and the temperature dropped a smidgebit... all which rained [and snowed] on my parade.
well, at least it good for a moment... which is why i share this memory... the memory of my clean car. for as much as i wish it to remain true... the clean car is only but a memory, to be strived for yet again another day... another very warm and toasty day [without rain in the forecast]...
to those who read this...
love you all!,
g