Ella Pearl

... is my car. 2001 black Toyota Corolla LE, to be exact. Nothing fancy, nothing flashy. Just old enough to have a cassette tape deck instead of a CD player. But: oh, so reliable. And comfy, maneuverable, fuel efficient... I love my car. She's taken me from Seattle to LA and back, more than once, and from the Pacific to the Sierras and the Mojave, and countless trips to the Redwoods.

Probably I am most affectionate towards this inanimate - yes, I admit that - machine because she is my First. First new car, ever. I got her two weeks after my previous car (a brown Chevy station wagon named Gracie) conked out coming home from the Women's Weekend at Westminster Woods, in the left lane of 19th Avenue in SF. (Oh, that was fun.) Dad helped with did all the negotiations, and went with me to sign the papers after church.

That was eight years ago yesterday. It was a drizzly day, and the first thing I did was drive to T.'s place and we went for a little ride around SF. I expected, back then, to have her for a long time. (She is not giving me any indication that my expectations will not be met.) I pictured myself driving around with a grandbaby in the back seat - so far that has not come to pass, but there is still time! It was a grand day when I mailed off my last payment. (I am so happy I don't have a car payment to pay these days!)

Thanks, Ella - you're a pearl!
(Yeah, I'm working on getting new bumperstickers for the post-Bush era!)