The Ultimate Man Toy

Often times throughout life we make decisions not based entirely on need, but instead heavily influenced by what we want.  We made a recent purchase that was based on this particular notion, and despite my husbands protest, I like to call the purchase the ultimate man toy.

There are an infinite number of differences between living in New York City and living in an undeniably smaller town in South Carolina.  Then again, there are an infinite number of differences between living in New York City and living anywhere else in the U.S.  Either way, there is one major difference in way of life that warranted an immediate change when we moved, and that is owning a car.

When we first moved from New York, we knew there would be a mad rush to find a car and fast.  Where before public transportation was a way of life and great convenience living in a big city, we were now living in a place where public transportation was not an option.  We would need a car.  After three days, one rental car and a painful process with the dealership, we purchased our ride: a purple (more like amethyst) mid-sized SUV.  A used Chevy Equinox - the purple-people-eater.

Over the course of the past ten months we have lived in South Carolina, Eric and I have shared the ride.  Any time we would reveal this bit of information about our current situation to a new person, the response was unwavering.  "I had to share a car with my wife one time when her car was in the shop... how on earth do you do it!" Or, "Wow, that must be really something to have to share a way of getting around".  It seems this sharing transportation notion invoked flashbacks of bad carpools from the past to many people.  To us, it was fine.  I mean we live together, now we work together, it seemed natural to be sharing a car.  It felt this way for the majority of the past ten months until one day, as I was dutifully driving back across town from our apartment to work to pick up Eric who was patiently waiting, I happened to notice the odometer... we had put 150 miles on the car in one day... and we had stayed in town.  Time to get a second car.

We decided that the purple-people-eater would be "my car" and he would pick out a second vehicle.  Something "beat up", "worn", something just to get around town from Point A to Point B.  Naturally, this meant getting a truck.

Now I have known people with Trucks.  I even expressed to my significant other that I liked Ford F-150s in particular - yeah, I liked how they looked and they seemed like a great truck.  We proceeded for the next month to spot trucks on the side of the road in varying degrees of distress.  Many with For Sale signs tacked onto their side or scribbled in white chalk across the windshield.  And often I would think why would anyone want to buy THAT thing.  Of course when this thought appeared in my head, it usually meant before long I found myself pulled over on the side of the truck, peering into the vehicle to see it's condition.  Then the remark: "This doesn't look that bad... what do you think?".  At that point, I would smile and nod.

We would scour the web for cars on sale, and he would methodically call out to the sellers asking all kinds of questions about said trucks - what kind of engine, is it 4 wheel drive, how is the clutch?  I listened, thinking - maybe I dont know so much about trucks...

Then one night I was called over to look at one he found on a website.  It was white, it was a truck, it was exactly what he had been looking for.  Instead of the numbers 150, on it's side were the numbers 250 which frankly I didn't understand... "What do you think?" he asked.  My reply: "I think it looks great.  If it's everything you are looking for, it sounds good to me."

So we went.  We drove the 3 1/2 hours to go see the truck.  As we passed through the fourth small mountainside town in Georgia, we both looked at each other and without having to speak communicated that we sure hoped this was "the one".  We pulled up to the dealership, and were immediately approached by the salesman.  "I got the keys for you right here, lemme show you the truck!"  He was excited... I was curious and I'll admit, a bit nervous.  We walked up to the truck and I think my jaw dropped.  It was the largest thing I had ever seen... A monster.  He started it up and it growled and sputtered and then transitioned to a hefty idling noise.  I could tell, Eric seemed a bit apprehensive about such a bit purchase - and it wasn't the money for the beat up thing... it was a physically BIG purchase.

Then it was decision time.  And you know, it was one of those great times when you find yourself looking at the intended item thinking:  Did we really need that kind of car... no.  Would it be better if we got the truck?... probably didn't matter.  Would it be fun?... most definitely.  And sometimes, you make decisions because you want to and not because you need to.

So we drove off the lot with the monster, me following in the purple-people-eater.  I watched as car after car would move out of the truck's way - dwarfed in it's looming shadow.  When we safely arrived back home we looked at each other and nervously laughed at our somewhat crazy purchase.

"You do know what this is, don't you?" I asked.  "It's the ultimate man toy - let's go for a ride."

My Southern Living Exposure

I've been a terrible blogger lately.  I'm trying to break my silence today with a feeble attempt at an entry.  So bear with me.  It's not that I have something profound to say or a story that will make you think, wow, that's amazing.  It's just that I like to write and I haven't been doing it.  So as the ever-popular saying goes - I'm getting back on the horse.

For a girl that had only been to "The South" but once or twice before taking up residence in one of the deepest parts, I would say that of late, I'm becoming quite acquainted with it.  This past weekend we took a trip up to Atlanta, GA where we indulged in a fabulous performance by Zac Brown Band.  Now, if you don't know who this band is, they are kind of a cross between country and Dave Matthews or jam-band type music.  I suppose that generally they are considered a country group but as I found out this weekend in talking to some "true" southerners, there are bands that fit the country grain way more than Zac Brown Band.

We sat and enjoyed the concert at a beautiful (but cold) outdoor amphitheater and listened to Zac and his band sing their hearts out with songs like "Chicken Fried", "Highway 20 Ride" and "Sick 'em on a Chicken".  Now I at first thought "Sick 'em on a Chicken" was called "Sick OF Mamma's Chicken"... boy was I wrong! Case in point, I'm learning new things every day.  Apparently the song was not at all about Bad Chicken, but rather how they Sick the Dog on the chicken and then proceed to fry the bird...


The concert was wonderful, the songs were great and once I actually got the words right, I felt really a part of this southern thing.  As we were driving back home to South Carolina from Atlanta, my husband asked me a quite pointed question: "Sooo, what do you like better, South Carolina or Georgia?" I have to confess the look I gave him was somewhat of a blank one... well, gosh, I had never really thought about it until he posed the question.  After a few moments in thought as I looked out the window down Highway 20 at the seemingly endless road lined by a mass of beautiful green trees.  It is in those moments, it's hard to imagine cultures and areas more different than California, New York, and South Carolina.  I suppose I'll have to ponder that one for another day and keep exploring the many things the two states have to offer...

I've been pleasantly surprised living in our town in South Carolina at the amount of festivals and events they have going on almost every week.  There are live bands that play each week outdoors this time of year, and there seems to be a rotating festival featuring some kind of Southern delicacy or tradition every time I turn around.  Sadly, we missed the Crawfish Festival two weeks ago due to work, but hey, maybe we'll catch the BBQ event going on Saturday - they say they'll have 40 different kinds of barbecue... I wasn't even aware there were more than two kinds!

One last Southern Moment to share before I sign off for the day, victorious that at least I've completed a blog.  We live in a great apartment complex that is built right by a river and canal.  It's a wonderful thing living by water, especially for a California girl like me that has an unprecedented love for the ocean. While taking a sunset stroll just a few weeks ago, we stopped at the railing to peer down into the canal (I guess from that far away I was hoping for a gator sighting... yes, gator).  Well most lucky for us, it wasn't a gator, but a water rat.  Yes, a water rat.  If you haven't ever seen one, it looks just as it sounds.  A rat that swims.  It seems the rat, which we affectionately have named Frank, has a home in that canal outside our apartment.  We've seen him four or five times since the first sighting, swimming back and forth from his home - I guess he must be doing errands.  So as you can see, I'm embracing my life in the south.  Learning songs like "Sick 'em on a Chicken" and looking out for my neighbors like Frank.  Until next time, bye y'all :-)