So Taylor started 10th grade today. 10th grade! I was in 10th grade when i met Taylor's father (who was my 1st serious boyfriend for all of high school). In 10th grade i was able to drive to school and I remember taking my mom's white mini-van to pick up my friend Mary Ellen and we would hang out at the mall on weekends and skip church on sundays by leaving sunday school and sitting in the car listening to music (sorry mom).
Where has the time gone? So many things have changed! Somewhere between then and now, i had a kid (kinda hard to miss), finished college, med school, and residency, and now am in year 3 of 3 of fellowship (!!!). And my little girl is in high school, is thinking about colleges, her future career (not going to be a doctor) and is growing up in front of my eyes.
What has NOT changed is this:
The blue machine.
The 1993 Volvo 850 that my parents bought in 1996 and that most of the Lamberts drove. I had it for 12th grade, i think Paul (my brother) drove it for a year or two, and then i got it back for my 2nd-4th years of college, and then my 1st 2 years of med school. When the air conditioning died in 2005, i stopped driving it. I mean, hello! I live in Charleston. It is sooo hot here. And i bought my SUV that i have now. But never fear, the blue machine was still used. It did sit more times than not in my parent's garage, but it did take infrequent trips around town.
When i realized that Taylor would be starting school this week, and more than that, could DRIVE to school (and to tutoring and baby-sitting jobs after school), i started crunching numbers. Unfortunately with my financial situation (lots-o-bills), there was no way we could get a 2nd car for her to drive. :(
Luckily my mom was nice enough to dust off the blue machine, charged the battery, and ta-da! It was sitting at my house yesterday, being cleaned and vacuumed (thank you!!), ready for Taylor to drive to school today. And i thought that was what was going to happen- until we realized the air conditioning didn't work and really? Should a teenager (who thinks looks are sooo important right now) drive a car to school that has no AC in August in Charleston? I think not. Actually, if i was in her shoes, i would not be a happy camper. Sooo..... I have a 5-7 minute drive to work and i leave early enough that the sun isn't even up yet.....and even though Tay said she wouldn't mind driving the volvo and she could just "sweat" on the way home after the car had been sitting in the parking lot of her school all day, I decided i would drive it. So i fired up the blue machine this morning and drove it in to work......just like old times.
Now i will admit that i am quite use to my SUV (and love it) and driving the volvo makes me laugh because i something that use to be so familiar just isn't anymore. The car that i would drive up and down I-95 between Duke and Charleston to see my family, and Duke and Charlottesville so that Taylor could see her dad, doesn't feel like my car. It is awkward driving it. I feel LOW and very close to the road. And it makes noises after you get above 40 mph. And when you go over bumps on the road, you really feel it. And let's just face it- its boxy physique isn't attractive. And the ceiling is being held up with staples. And the AC doesn't work (you already know that), but the radio doesn't work either. And neither does the clock. But the odometer does- 193k miles. WOW!
Although i do have other options to get to work, i have a feeling i will be driving the blue machine much more than Tay will (at least during school days). And i don't see my financial situation changing anytime soon (remember the lots-o-bills? lawyers, IRS, and credit cards, oh my!), so the blue machine and i are going to have to get re-acquainted.... which isn't such a bad thing. Who says you can't go back?
Happy Hump day!
:)
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