a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

My "New" Car

Due to unforeseen or probably could have guessed circumstances, I have a different car.  It's not new because long ago I decided no vehicle is as valuable as the new sticker price quotes.  My oldest sister, Marcy, is a part owner too, since I drive her to a lot of doctor's appointments.

We have trouble climbing into trucks and if the vehicle is straddling a low spot forget getting in with out a stool or maybe a ladder.

My PT Cruiser is now driven by oldest daughter and another Buick is driven by youngest daughter (since the guy who caused her wreck had no insurance, yep, we bought another old car). The guys have trucks.  BIG trucks.  I have no problem borrowing one when I have some treasure to haul or if the snow is bad enough for four wheel drive...well, I don't drive in snow but I have some one drive me in snow.

You who have known me a while know I lose my vehicle quite often especially in the WalMart parking lot.  So now instead of a reddish Cruiser I have a car color that is almost invisible in the yard! What was I thinking?  It does have one of those gadgets that honks and tells you where it is but you have to know the general direction before you can make it honk.

Yesterday when I went to get groceries in town there was no one in my row.  When I came out a car the same color was parked right beside mine!  I'm thinking, Which one is mine?  Fortunately my license plate begins with the same three numbers of my home address so I knew which one was mine...this time.

I have thought much on how I can make this car stand out because, quite frankly, I don't trust the beeper key...and I could get arrested for entering a car that's not mine.  I placed an air freshener necklace on the mirror, which NEVER had a smell, and is not boldly visible. Can't see it through the tinted glass.

I also considered the ideal of a tennis ball on the antenna. I have a valid fear about that because of a story I read in childhood.  A person had captured a leprechaun and, by rights, had earned the leprechaun's pot of gold.   This leprechaun, naturally full of blarney, convinced the person if he was released he would tie a yellow ribbon on the tree where his treasure lay.  The next morning as the person took his shovel happily into the woods he soon discovered leprechauns could not be trusted especially when it came to their pots of gold.  A yellow ribbon was tied around every tree as far as the eye could see.  And that is why I have issues with tennis balls on the antenna. If I have the tennis ball, when I leave the store there will be hundreds of vehicles with tennis balls on their antennas.

I thought about hanging a Confederate flag on my antenna but it just doesn't look the same as it does flying from a jacked up pickup truck.

I have run out of ideas but I'm sure I will find a solution sooner or later.

Oh, by the way, do you know where I parked my car?

23 comments:

StitchinByTheLake said...

Gail I have a friend who always parks in the same row at WalMart, no matter how far away from the store she has to park. Maybe you could do that - if your WalMart has poles with a letter of the alphabet on it then pick a letter. If not pick the first row and park a mile away but always on the first row. I'm like you, but I not only find there are a million beige cars but there are also a few hundred of the very same model I drive! blessings, marlene

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Get a really wicked paint job on the hood. Then you'll know it's your car.
Or you could tie one of your dead flip flops to the antenna. I bet no one else does that.

eileeninmd said...

Good morning, Gail! I like your new car. What surprises me is that the price of a brand new car goes down as soon as your drive it off their lot. That is a good reason not to buy new! Hubby and I have used the honk gadget to find our car. I think Marlene in the comment above has a good idea to always use the same spot, some extra walking can be considered exercise too. Have a happy day!

MadSnapper said...

it really is pretty and silver is my favorite color on cars.. white is my least favorite, but white is what i drive. we see flowers and tennis balls, and bows ties on antennas. i always park in the same spot, or close to it at WM and if you think yur car is common, try driving a white SUV,,,, and they all look alike, twice i tried to unlock with my remote what i thought was my Kia and wondered why it did not open. i have even seen little American flags on some. i have never lost mine YET... but then i rarely go anywhere to lose it. congrats on your new car. and thanks for the vision of a parking lot full of tennis balls.

Farm Girl said...

That is a very nice car. Okay, I know you don't like tennis balls, but I have used customized jack balls. You know from Jack in the box? Do you have that fast food place there? Anyway, mine would be customized for what season it was, you know my Halloween one was a pumpkin. That has helped. Now I just park at the complete back of the parking lot and hike.
I hope you can come up with a solution. That is a beautiful car and I do love that color.

Sandy Livesay said...

Gail,

Love the new car!!!! I've actually walked up to a truck that looked like mine and tried to open it. When the truck wouldn't open, I finally looked in the windows and realized it wasn't my truck. I placed a specific storm catcher which stands out because of the color on my mirror inside to help identify my truck quickly.

Debbie said...

Good luck, it's beautiful....and you are right about those sticker prices!!

LindaG said...

While a flag might not look good, get a confederate flag plate and put that on your vehicle. We got one at a military surplus store when we were in Florida.

A small version of your "at the farm" on the back.. brain went blank; but by the back windshield would be undoubtedly yours.

With your artistic and creative skills, you can come up with some way to 'mark the car' to make it yours. Glad you found a good one!

How is your daughter doing?

God bless you all. :-)

C-ingspots said...

I just hate it when our cars find it amusing to hide from us in those parking lots!!! Cars these days!!!

M.E. Masterson said...

Oh yes, sometimes I swear my FJ just up and moves itself!! Herbie The FJ with it's own brain!!
You could have a strip of bright sticker across the very top of your windshield ...one wouldn't lose their car then!
I wondered about the bows on car antennas... hadn't thought about ID for lost cars.
I too, have lost were I parked in the lot...once I figure out the direction then I can spot the FJ across the lot! Really gets interesting when Mtn Man takes me to the Big W! I only thought I was lost!!
By the by, I was entertained by your post and loved reading the comments! Had a great laugh!!

Cynthia said...

I don't have any solutions to your problem. My car is the same color and I get a lot of exercise looking for it in parking lots. Usually it's an upper body workout too as I'm mostly pushing a shopping cart that needs to have it wheels oiled and aligned. If I see you, I'll wave! ;-)

Anonymous said...

My Focus is my very first new car. Probably my last, too. Bill got it so he knew I would be fully covered and safe, since I am alone.
Years ago I used to have a red bow on my antennae. It was part of an anti-drug campaign and I left it. As long as you don't listen to leprechauns, you should be okay.

Arkansas Patti said...

It is kind of pavement colored isn't it? My vehicle is old and won't honk to let me know where it is. I always park in the same spot near a cart return. The walk does me good and when I am through, I don't have to go far to put the buggy up. Of course that only works for local stores. Walking up and down the rows with a bewildered look in a strange town is also good exercise.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Heeehehehe!!! It's right where you parked it sister. :o)

Once when we traded cars in the Christmas season, I put a big old Christmas bow atop my antenna so I could spot the unknown vehicle at the Mall in the city. Daughter threw a fit but I didn't lose the new car once that day.

My last car was that color and it blends in with the millions of them the same color.

New car Red with a sparkle topcoat. It's kinda hard to lose. It's so dang smart 'don't know iffin' it would let me. Heeehehehe!

You'll bond and it'll call to you before ya know it. :o)

Martha said...

Hahaha...I had such a good laugh with this! Your car is playing hide and seek with you. Can't blame it. It's kind of boring sitting in a parking lot; it's gotta do something :)

janetld said...

Guess what? Today, we got a new car - a little silver Kia Soul. I was thinking something similar: eek, the car color matches the color of the roads, not to mention WalMart's concrete parking lot! (I really wanted a different color, but long story).

Thanks for sharing - enjoyed!

Far Side of Fifty said...

I lose mine too. I have a Loon to put on my antennae...it is on my desk. I lost my husband and my car one night in Wisconsin. I wandered up and down a dark parking lot pushing that button...finally started to cry and went inside and waited by the door...my hubby walks by and says oh you are waiting for me? Duh...and the car was where we left it... he got a bit excited when I told him someone stole it and Chance who was inside:)

LilliStJohn said...

Nice looking new wheels - I always park about the same spot or close to the end of that particular line, cause everyone else is parking close. That's how I always know where my car is. On my olde PT Cruiser, I had a Canadian Flag flying, so easy to spot. Enjoy your new vehicle and congrats to M on Doctors report.

gld said...

Beautiful car! My problem is I sometimes forget what I'm driving for a few seconds/minutes. Looking for the truck and then spot the car......

I like to park by the cart returns too. I also try to remember the row number if they are marked.

I see people all the time (yes, usually it is a woman)walking over the lot with that panicked
look on her face.
Been there and done that!

Unknown said...

That car looks good, Gail! I understand your dilemma with it, because it's really difficult to figure out in a parking lot which one is yours when there are many cars that resemble yours. Now I understand why others choose to customize theirs, and that’s because they want their cars to be easily seen from a distance wherever they park them. Haha! I'm glad you're coming up with ideas to solve this problem of, and I guess remembering your plate number would help a lot too.

Diana Hayes @ Baldwin Subaru

Lynne said...

Looks beautiful . . . great car.
Get a decal, significant only to you, one no one else would think about having. Place it at the back of the car, maybe near the trunk. How about I find one for you . . . Loved your post!

Unknown said...

That can be a problem. There are many ways to make your car stand out, and they can be something unique to you that no one would want to copy, like a decal or pattern you like. As for mistaking other cars in the parking lot as your own, I can relate to that quite a bit, as it has happened to me a few times, especially when the car is relatively new. Haha!

Micheal Miller @ Butler Kia Fishers

Elna Avery said...

I love your new car! My husband is buying me a new one cause mine is getting really old and it complains a lot. Cars are such a god sent. They make our lives so much easier and we are blessed to have them. Thank you again for sharing this information with us. Keep up the hard work thank you.

Elna Avery @ Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport

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