Vroom vroom.

Guess what we got!!!!.....................

Ok, I will give you a hint:

X-terraaaaaaaaaaaaah

Yep! We got a car-NO-an SUV! We (and by we, I mean Dustin) have been talking about getting a new car FOR-EV-ER but we (and by we, I mean I) didn't want to spend the time to look for it, or spend the money to actually purchase it. You see, I roll in the G-ride '98 Corolla so why would need a new car ? (I may sound sarcastic here, but I will honestly drive that car for the next 150,000 miles if it lets me... I love.) Dustin on the other hand, has been driving a Hyundai for the past five years...and not loving it. He bought it when he began dating me, and had to give up his previous girlfriend: The Jeep.

She was pretty....but she had to go.

I'll let him expand on his 4-wheeling lust if he chooses, but the bottom line was, a Jeep Wrangler is practical for very few things (picking up beach babes non-with-standing) the least of these being the multiple Philly-Cincinnati road trips that took place during the our initial courtship. When you only have a few days to be together, you don't want to have to stop for gas three times just on the way there. So that silver hussy was traded in for a purple Elantra (though Dustin insists, I still deny that it was "midnight grey". It's a shame we never loved her enough to take any pictures!) It may not have been much to look at, but it withstood countless miles (alright, 147,431. we counted), multiple accidents (in his defense, that tree did come out of nowhere!), and at least one bachelor party hood-stomp (leaving a dent that is shaped remarkably similar to one of the Bowden brothers....). It was a quality car, but after the hit and run, and a few hit and It-Still-Runs? the doors didn't quite sound the same (it's fine...just throw your elbow into it...no really get your weight behind it) the trunk bounced more than it latched, and the fender looked a little more....crinkly....than the original model. And besides all that, we were growing weary of jamming boxes of YL t-shirts, hardware supplies, golf clubs and luggage into a sedan. It was time to say goodbye to the ol' Elantra.

But don't be sad. She went to a good home....
Actually, I have no idea where she went. We traded her in and never looked back. Meet our new ruby love:

I can't tell you how excited I am to have a new (to us) car! For the Click and Clacks in the bunch, it's a 2004 Nissan Xterra XE, 5 speed manual, 4WD, 50,000 (ish) miles...

And what a pretty smile! She's pleased to meet you.

We've had her less than a day, and Dustin's already taken her to the hardware store. Something tells me they'll get along just fine.

P.s. For those of you wondering- in my family it is perfectly normal to personify cars. My mom's cars have always had names (I forget her old Izuziu's...but her current ride is the lovely Sombi Hondalulu). In fact, long before our new red road came into our lives, there was Big Red- my parents' 4Runner (actually named by the previous owner- who I remember as a sweet but half crazy old lady- but I may be getting her confused with the woman who took in our terror of a Sharpei...but that is another story for another time.) Big Red has taken a licking in her 16 years (a patch of black ice and I may have sped the aging process along) but she's still with us...and would like to share some of her "rules":

(no lie, this was plastered on every surface of the car when I borrowed it for my high school spring break. embarrassing, but effective.)