Tina, you will be missed - but Tina-II will drive on

I don't know that I've ever told the story of my car Tina. I traded her in today for a younger model, so wanted to write it down before it got lost in my memory.

We ordered a Prius in June of 2008 when gas prices went through the roof. it took two months to get it in and when it finally arrived, she had earned her name.

Back in 2008, a hurricane named Ike was headed for the Texas coast. Galveston had not seen a hurricane in many, many years, but this one appeared to be headed straight for it. We got a phone call one morning telling us that the car was being delivered that afternoon. The ship had landed in the Houston shipping channel that morning and rather than waiting a day or two like normal, all cars were being transferred to Dallas to avoid the storm.

So I named the new car Tina. Because she ran away from Ike.

Get it - Ike and Tina (Turner)? It still makes me smile.

This was long before the llama-kamas...but the name Tina goes with them very well...Napoleon Dynamite's llama was named Tina. Tina now has her own license plates, thanks in part to Thumper - 2lamas.

3.5 years later, Tina has been a faithful companion. I've run her out of gas twice. Left her running for nine hours and she a) wasn't stolen, and b) hardly used any gas. She's stowed a bass drum (the anchor bass), a smoker, a large duffle bag, a suitcase, a laptop bag, and two people (all at once. Her navigation skills are excellent. She's got new headlights and new tires, and 90,000 miles. She's still a pretty shiny red. While she had that much more in her, now was the best time to let her go.

Tina-II ... Or maybe Tina ver. 2.0? ... Arrives in a few days from Houston. She'll carry the same plates - 2Lamas. But like all 2nd wives, she's definitely got some upgrades. Moonroof with a solar array that cools the car - when it's off. Leather seats. Navigation. IPod dock. Internet. Only a single CD player, but I only have one CD - Tina Turner's Greatest Hits, which was the very first thing I purchased after driving Tina off the lot back in 2008.

Fitting, I think. Here's looking forward to 90,000+ miles with Tina-II.

People Warching

It's no secret that I've been married since I was "but a wee lass." this alsoeams that I've been the wife of a Dallas Fireman for 25+ years. When we were first married, I would visit whatever station Larry was assigned to, and they would ask me if I was there to visit my dad. Someone, I think my mother-in-law, suggested that I join the Ladies Auxillary as a way to meet people - but I thought then that those ladies were OLD (oh how vain we are at 17, lol).

Today, I'm watching my two boys, Matt (16 about to be 17), and Streven (15), compete in the 10th Annual Fire Games hosted by Dallas Fire Rescue, as Dallas Fire Rescue Explorers. A month or so ago, they helped with the annual Easter Egg Hunt, hosed the the DFR Ladies Auxillary.

Something occurred to me today, while I was watching the boys and observing the parents and instructors around me. These are my kind of people. There are many different Explorer Posts represented today - approximately 200 kids between 14 and 21. Parents, firemen, wives and girlfriends, other siblings. There's even a CPAP course going on at the same time (future rookies training to be rookies with DFR). And not once have I thought someone was dressed inappropriately, or acting like a floozy, or even thought of anyone as just rude. I've talked to several different people, from all walks of life, and haven't felt that way once.

This is important to me. I've been told that I'm old and bitter, or jealous and bitchy. And I don't think that I am, but when I was told this, I took it to heart because of the circumstances in which it was said and by who said it, and it has caused me to question my entire character.

I'm not old and bitter, or jealous and bitchy - I'm "mature" and outspoken, and I have low tolerance for posers, as my kids would say. Web people try to be something they're not, I tend to get irritable about it. Be who you are - don't try to be something you're not. Say what you mean - because otherwise you're only playing games. This doesn't mean you have to be mean or rude - and I'm learning that by being outspoken about how I feel can and will lead to hurt feelings, because people aren't always ready to be as honest with themselves as I might be.

But when I around "people like me" - people that have the same ideals and who have grown up with others who felt the same - I'm normal. This is good for my spirit.