This week's Round Robin Photo Challenge, My Vehicle Of Choice, was suggested by Suzanne of Suzyq421's Photo Blog. I'm not going to write much about fantasy vehicles I'd like to own. Frankly, my appreciation of cars hasn't advanced all that far from when I was 6 years old. Back then I believed that there were two kinds of cars, Ford and Rambler. These days, I could wish for something newer and more environmentally benign, but have only a vague idea what that might be (a Prius? a Tesla?). Surely whatever vehicle we actually drive, unless it was a gift(!), is the vehicle we chose.
Here's mine: a 1994 Eagle Vision Tsi. I got it several years ago, after a kid in a 1965 Ford truck totaled my 1997 Saturn. Before I bought this car, I knew the make "Eagle" only as a word in the advertising phrase, "See your Jeep Eagle dealer." Yet this is what I chose to buy, because it was the best car my Saturn dealer had on the lot for the money I had to spend, which was less than the replacement cost of a 1997 Saturn. Besides, it was pretty.
Having been in the punishing climates of Arizona and before that, Florida (according to Car Fax) for all these years, my poor old Eagle has lots of mostly cosmetic imperfections these days. The finish is going on the teal-colored exterior, to the point where there's little or no paint left in spots.
Inside, the panel covering the air bags is sun-warped, and I admit I've let the Arizona dust take over a bit.
I can't even get out of the car without rolling down the driver's side window, which is itself barely functional. The interior door handle broke off months ago, and the window goes up all the way only if you push against the glass with one hand while operating the window's motor with the other.
But I still like this car a lot, for two reasons. One: it seems the perfect size for a woman and two rambunctious dogs...
...one of which likes to ride shotgun. One advantage of not having a pristine car is I don't worry about the dogs messing it up, scrabbling and scratching and licking and jumping around. It's already a mess.
And two: it has the most entertaining, most useful silly accessory for a car in Arizona: a temperature gauge. I don't swear that it's completely accurate, or know precisely where it takes its readings from. But I take a perverse glee in being able to report that it's 109 degrees at midafternoon, or 92 degrees at 8 PM, well after dusk. Okay, so the car stereo no longer works, but at least I get to gripe about the heat!
When I was in college the first time, my first car was a 1967 Dodge Coronet wagon, a hand-me-down from my mom. I loved the thing, but my friend Howard used to tease me about it, repeating back my own defensive words, "But it's a good car!" Eventually the Syracuse winters took their toll, and the hinges holding the hood of the Dodge rusted into dust, sending the hood sailing over my head one day at 55 mph. That was pretty much the end of that car. The Eagle, so far, has no problems sufficient to end its usefulness. May that be true for a while yet!
Now let's go see everyone else's vehicles of choice:
Suzanne R - Posted!
SuzyQ421's Photo Blog
http://suzyq421sphotoblog.blogspot.com
Carly - Posted!
Ellipsis
http://ellipsissuddenlycarly.blogspot.com
Betty - Posted!
A Corgi In Southern California
http://acorgiinsoutherncalifornia.blogspot.com
Monica - Posted!
Shutterly Happy
http://monica-frameofmind.blogspot.com
Jen
Phun with Photography
http://phunwithphotography.blogspot.com
J.R. **Welcome New Member**
Eskimo Blue Boy's Deviant Art
http://eskimoblueboy.diviantart/gallery
Chrissie
Chrissea's Corner
http://chrisseascorner.blogspot.com
Martha - Posted!
Menagerie
http://meandering-martha.blogspot.com
boliyou
Endomental
http://www.endomental.com
Karen - Posted!
Outpost Mâvarin
http://outmavarin.blogspot.com
Linda - Posted!
Mommy's Treasures
http://mommytreasures.blogspot.com
Molly Mavis - Posted!
Visual Dialogues
http://visualdialogues.wordpress.com
Sherrie - Posted!
Sherrie's Stuff
http://sherrie-plummer.blogspot.com
Gattina - Posted!
Keyhole Pictures
http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.com
Lin **Welcome New Member** - Posted!
Ups and Downs With Anastasia
http://ups-and-downs-with-anastasia.blogspot.com
Betty - Posted!
A Glimpse Into Midlife
http://glimpseintomidlife.blogspot.com
Maria**Welcome New Member** -Posted!
Everything Can Be Green
http://alltkangronska.blogspot.com/
And a little programming note, because I'm woefully behind: please see the entry below this one for the Weekend Assignment, and watch for my Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot entry later today. See you then!
Karen
10 comments:
I like your car; like me, it is functional and paid for and well loved by the furry creatures in your live
thanks for sharing! enjoy the day
betty
Enjoy your car....thanks for sharing your wheels with us. I'm certain your dogs love riding with you as well.
Have a good weekend.
Hi!
Great car! Even if somethings don't work right it gets you where your going and you like it. Love that temp gauge. Have a great day!
Sherrie
http://sherrie-plummer.blogspot.com/2009/07/round-robin-photo-challenge.html
Hi Karen :)
I have always liked the temp gauge in your car. Goodness, 95 in the evening hours. I wouldn't last long. LOL.
-Carly
That temp gage would entertain me too! I don't have fancy cars either, ours have always been used cars that we paid cash for (I HATE car payments with a passion) and the vehicles als get used by our furry friends too - Toby LOVES car rides which means going to the park. :-)
Very interesting car -- functional and tells you more than I would personally want to know if I lived in those temperatures. LOL! I hope you have good A/C! Personally, I haven't figured out how to use my air conditioning yet. Like I said, there are lots of buttons I have yet to learn now to use. LOL!
I should add that I have learned how to cool the temperature down on a hot day, but in a rather wimpy way. LOL!
I love Arizona, but that sun and heat is really hard on the vehicles! My daughter and I were smiling over the pics of your dogs. We both are dog lovers, too. Our dog, Xena, loves to ride shotgun, too! She sits like a human, rarely hanging her head out the window. She loves the car rides!
Honnestly I love more the pictures of your dogs, lol ! As you I am not a car fan at all, for me a car has to have 4 wheels, brakes and a steering wheel.
I like the color and as long as it runs that's the most important thing!
Funny you mentioned an old yellow Mustang in your comment to me - my friend back in the 70's also had a bright Yellow Mach 1 - that's the Mustang I fell in love with and why I love the throw back models today :-)
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