Mudd and Vanity

The seasons are fighting each other for dominance once again. Just like the fall dries out the humid summer with its cool and dry breath, and how the even chillier winter winds tug any resilient leaves from their beloved branches, the spring rain is busy chiseling away at the snow and ice which coat this corner of the Earth. Much of the ground has been freed of the deep freeze which crept deeper and deeper into the soil through the bitter weeks of this harsh winter, but most of the ground is still cemented in frost and ice. This rain and relative warmth has left the ground a little like a semi-defrosted steak.

This evening, Tia and I fumbled once again with the logistics of dropping off and picking up cars as we inched towards Portland to pick up our new car! A 1997 Volvo Wagon 850 (all of which makes total sense to me except for the 850 part) now sits in our sloppy driveway with a waterlogged temporary plate drooping from its tail. The vessel marks a new chapter in our lives; excessive debt in the name of vanity. Sure it's not the H2 Hummer I've had my eye on, but we paid more for this vehicle than we did for our last 4 vehicles combined! Seemingly gone are the days of buying $2500 buckets with funky odors and even funkier sounds.

The purchase came with a price which can't be contained by a number. We spent that freedom of haphazardly strapping a canoe or Christmas tree to the roof, staining the exterior with blue paint and pine sap. No more plowing the driveway with my out-of-shape Dodge, no more "storing" recyclables under the seats and trash on the floor. It could be said that this car is a tangible right of passage. It was this very thought that had me staring into the future as we pondered the purchase just the other day, trying desperately for the necessary clairvoyance to see our yet-to-be-born children strapped into the backseat and the inevitable stains of time ingrained in the fibers of the cabin.

Where will that first ketchup-drenched French-fry mark the car's graduation from a shiny new ride to just another one of life's tools? This very question was answered soon after we scared the dogs by pulling the alien vehicle into the driveway this evening. As they danced their "Mommy's Home!"-dance in that muddy mess outside, their typically dry and clean little paws quickly became caked in a coarse and rich mud. The fact of their filth was disguised by a poorly lit driveway (damn those 60 watt bulbs!), until they jumped casually into the wagon for a prance around the backseat. Wretched little mutts! If they weren't so cute, they'd be washing that car themselves!