My Lulu

I have named my new (to me) car, Lulu.  In the past, my cars have all had cute names, like Betsy.  But the Century isn’t nearly as dainty as my previous cars, so I needed something a little more substantial.  (Why name my cars at all, one might ask?  Well, it has been my experience that my cars run better if I talk to them, and it is so much more informal when I can actually call them by name.  I know that some of my readers are rolling their eyes at this, but, my car, my idiosyncrasies.  HA!)

There are things we take for granted with newer cars, that I didn’t even realize.  The first thing that I missed?  A cup holder.  And not just ANY cup holder…I carry a water bottle with me nearly everywhere I go.  It’s bigger than most cups – so I need some place to hold it safely.  There isn’t ONE CUP HOLDER in the entire car.  That is quite a change from my Odyssey – if I am counting correctly there were fourteen cup holders – an average of two per seat. 

Another thing I find amusing is that there is no CD player.  I do have a cassette player, but I haven’t tried it out yet.  I’ll have to go look for a cassette to play.  It’s been a long time since I’ve played a cassette tape – but at least it isn’t an 8-Track tape!

I have this weird seat belt in the middle of the front seat.  HUH?  Oh wait, the front seat isn’t bucket seats – it is a split bench seat.  And there is a seatbelt in the middle, just in case someone decides to sit there.  I do need to do a little work on this, though – the belt seems to be hooked under the passenger seat somehow. 

The thing I will probably miss the most, though, is remote entry.  Yep, I have to UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH MY KEY.  And this is an old-fashioned key set – square key for the ignition, round key for the doors and trunk.  It’s been a long time since I had to try to remember which key to use.  I am so afraid that I will push the button to lock the doors, and leave my keys in the car.  Right now, we only have one set of keys (I hope to remedy that this weekend).  I am making a conscious effort to have the keys in my hand when I lock the door.  You can be sure I will blog about it if (when) I do lock my keys inside!

Having said all of this, though, I must say that I think Lulu and I are going to be good friends.  She runs like a dream.  Her body doesn’t have a scratch or a dent.  The interior needs a good vacuuming, but is otherwise pristine.  I can live with her minor flaws, if she can live with mine. 

So, last night I decided to “trick out” my car.  OK, OK – that term conjures images of lights under her carriage, spinner wheels, custom paint jobs, and loud mufflers.  While I WISH I could do some of that (especially the cool lights everywhere), my budget only allowed me to purchase a few inexpensive accessories.  First, I got a console organizer.  This is a soft side square that will fit either on the floor between the front seats or on the seat beside me.  There are pockets that will serve as cup holders, a place for my sunglasses, and various and sundry other pockets.  I bought a windshield reflector that has pretty flowers on it (she needs some feminine accessories, after all).  And I bought air fresheners – both a stand-alone (which fits beautifully in one of the console pockets) and small fresheners that clip on the vents. 

Sometimes, the older things in life are good things.  Lulu doesn’t have the bells and whistles I could get on a newer car, but she is dependable and sturdy.  She will get me from Point A to Point B.  I hope we have a long and happy life together.