Due to an accident I was in recently, we have had to purchase another vehicle. As we have been looking at dealers websites on-line and while slowly driving past dealerships around town, I have had time to think back on all the cars I have driven in the past 24 years. I am revealing my driving history - please be kind. None of these are pictures of the actual vehicles, mind you. They are simply meant to be representative of the magnificent vehicles I have known. And now, for your viewing pleasure, I give you: My Car History.(this is a long one...)
1980? Dodge Van, gray
I actually learned to drive in this behemoth! My dad bought it from a locksmith and it didn't have any windows on the sides (I know, the creepy van we're told to stay away from because that's the one kidnappers use). The inside didn't initially have seats, and then it took a while before the seats bought for it were bolted down. It was suffocatingly hot in the back, but we all wanted to sit there anyway.
1980 Ford Fiesta, red
I remember when my dad brought this beauty home. He piled all 9 of us in it (don't ask how - it's clown magic), and we drove around the neighborhood. I drove it from Rock Springs, WY to Layton, UT when our family moved in 1988...I had had my drivers license for about 1 month. We listened to Tiffany. A lot. I drove it my junior and senior years of high school. It often smelled of chlorine and had towels in the back seat. This little car's time with our family ended when a sweet old lady ran a stop sign and T-boned me. I was not wearing a seat-belt (don't judge), and my head hit the wind-shield. I was our family's biggest proponent of seat-belt wearing after that! At the time, I had a bike rack and a friends bike on the top of the car. When the police arrived, they wanted to know where the biker was. I was thoroughly confused. Apparently the force of the impact threw the bike out of the bike rack and onto the road. Not sure what happened to it when I left for my first year at Ricks, but I believe it was replaced with a white one that I drove in the summer.
1974 Dodge Dart, baby blue
Ever considerate, my dad bought this from a former HS classmate. He thought I should have a car my second year at Ricks, I'd proved that I was responsible. This car drove on railroad tracks; transported many strangers around Rexburg, and to Utah; survived those cold Idaho winters. Speaking of which, one day in mid-January, I was on my way from Rexburg to Idaho Falls where I worked as a lifeguard. I was in shorts and flipflops (job uniform, duh). The car slid on some black ice and I ended up crashing through the fence on the side of the Highway and into a farmers field. Being the responsible female I am, I thought I would just drive on the frozen ground to the exit about a 1/2 mile away, near the farm house. Well, long story short, I got stuck, walked to the farm house, interrupted the nice farming family in the middle of their breakfast and asked for some help. The patient farmer used his tractor and pulled me out. Car was totaled; my dad finagled some deal with the salvage yard and got it back, and I continued to drive it for the rest of the school year.
1988 Hyundai Excel, gray
I bought this car from a co-worker at the Bountiful Bubble (Used to look similar to this pool) who was selling it to go on his mission. I'm sure it had its' share of adventures, but I can't recall any of them. This car followed my family up to Washington when they moved while I was on my mission.
1980 Volvo 240 DL, brown
I bought this sassy beauty when I returned from my mission. In case you're wondering, the DL stands for "devoid of luxuries". Or, at least, that is what I decided it meant. I did buy a stereo, but it only played tapes. They were stored, of course, in the glove box. I drove it to Utah when I moved there for school. One morning I was on my way to Weber State when I was rear-ended. While it was in the shop, my sister Dyan (with whom I was living at the time) would drop me off at a friends house at 5 am, and I would sleep on their couch until it was time to go to school at about 7:30. A few months later, I was again rear-ended, but that accident did the poor girl in. She was totaled, and I lived a while car-less.
1997 VW Jetta, blue
From the accident mentioned above, I received some money with which I purchased a VW Jetta. Dave and I were dating at the time, and he came with me looking for cars. I wanted green, he thought blue. I'm happy I chose blue! When we test drove "Judith", she only had 17 miles on her. 15 years later, she has 198025! She went to Virginia and back, driven most of Hwy 101 in Cali., multiple road trips, and has seen her fair share of accidents: running over a dead deer in Montana; backing into a cement pole at a gas station (that was Dave); hitting the front panel on a parking garage structure. She has had at least 3 alternators, and 2 windshields replaced. But she is still going strong. My hope is that Caleb and Abby can run this great car into the ground.
2004 Saturn Vue, gray
When Dave returned from his first deployment, we realized that we would need another car. This fit the bill for our growing family. Caleb was 3 and we knew there would be more. This car also had it's share of accidents: rear-ended by a teenage driver; rear-ended in an Albertson's parking lot; hit a car while on 167 as the kids and I were going to the Puyallup Fair. I called my folks (Dave was in Virginia for Army training), who picked the 3 of us up at a gas station where they brought me one of their cars to borrow and we went to the fair as planned! The day after it was "repaired", the kids and I were flying to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with Dave. We spent the night at my folks house in Auburn, and got an early start to the airport with my dad driving. Right away, something didn't seem right. It didn't start right. Once we got on the freeway, the heater stopped working, the radio and light started going out. For those of you familiar with the SeaTac area, we made it to the intersection of 405 & 99 and it completely died. We didn't even make it to a shoulder, it stopped right in the triangle area where the 2 roads merge. I was freaking out...we're supposed to get to the airport for a flight, and the car dies. My dad (in his pajamas and slippers, mind you), gets out and tries to wave down a cab, but not a single one stopped...I'm sure because it wasn't safe! I called my mom to come rescue my dad, and a really nice cabbie finally stops and explains that it's illegal for them to stop in the middle of the freeway (!), but takes the kids and I to the airport (for only $10) and we left my dad in the middle of the road waiting for my mom. We traded it in shortly after Dave returned from his training.
2006 Ford Freestyle, black
I love this car. It was perfect for our family. Just enough room for the 4 of us, and big enough to pile some extra kids, or camping gear in the back. I am so sad we no longer have it. For those that don't know, I pulled out of an Albertson's parking lot to turn left, and somehow missed seeing a little blue car that ran right into me. She hit the drivers side tire straight on. My airbags deployed, but hers did not. I had a bruise on my collarbone from the seat-belt (lesson learned above), and a small burn on my left hand from the airbag. And that leads us to my newest ride.
2004 Toyota Sienna, burgundy
This is by far the most swank-ified car we have ever owned. I never thought we'd own a mini-van, but it will work well for our family. As my brother Craig sang in his fantastic song, we've got a great GGG - grocery-go-getter!
Whew, still here? Thanks for sticking with me through this walk down memory lane. - April
