In memoriam of the red car...

It's just a car.  A hunk of metal.  A form of transportation.  To some, that's how they see their car and other's cars as well.  No fault of theirs and everyone sees things differently.  This is a moment to reflect on my car.  A car that meant more to me than just a means of transportation.  A car that has so many memories, I couldn't possibly list them all here.  A car that was my dream car since my mid-20's and one that I paid on...and paid off...on my own.  Red car, this one is for you.

In my early 20s I found my dream car.  It was the Mitsubishi Eclipse.  At the time, it was a much older body style.  My good friend Mark, who I worked with at the time at GE, had a daily calendar (the ones where you rip off a page each day) with a car theme.  One day my Eclipse came up.  He tore it off and gave it to me.  Like I said, it was an older model but was the current model of that year.  I took that page of his calendar and taped it to the monitor of my very first personal desktop computer at my first house.  That was my goal.  I wanted that car.

Through the years, the body style continued to change.  In 2001, the body style was beautiful and it was offered as a convertible as well.  That became my ultimate dream car and my goal.  I searched and searched - including online when eBay was still pretty new - for my car.  I found two online that peaked my interest and almost opened my checkbook until my stepdad talked some sense into me.  You really should SEE the car before purchasing and, who is going to drive or fly me from Kentucky to Texas to pick it up??

I looked at dealerships across town for my car.  I couldn't really purchase new but would be completely happy with used.  Then it happened.  I was heading to the gym while it was still dark out (before the sun even came up).  My gym happened to be located directly across the street from one of the largest dealerships in Louisville.  And there she was.  She sat on a grassy mound under a street light - almost as if there was a halo around her.  I almost slammed into the car in front of me as I gazed lovingly and longingly at MY car.  I knew I would have her. 

I called the sales rep that we dealt with at that dealership before the sun was even over the horizon.  I left a message and told him not to allow that car to go ANYWHERE until I had a chance to take a look at it.  After looking at it, driving it and, after a great report back from a non-biased mechanic, she was mine.  I am guessing it was around September of 2002.  I was 30 years old and a proud owner of a car that I had coveted since my mid-20's.

In October, at the age of 30, I contracted chicken pox.  I was so upset because the weather was so incredibly nice.  It was perfect weather for me to try out my car with the top down.  But I was quarantined to the house until I wasn't contagious.  That was about a week (at least).  Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.  I picked up my stepmom and we drove to Otter Creek with the top down.  Although the wind made my pox itch even more, I was in hog heaven with my beautiful car. 

Some of my favorite "stand out" memories of my car:
> Lisa and I with our boas flying in the breeze with the top down on a warm fall day!  We were shopping for the BEST Christmas party Axxis ever had!
> Driving her to North Carolina, then South Carolina (to Charleston - my birthplace) and then to Palm Coast, Florida with Bruce.  Top down most of the time - I think I got most of my tan on the drive!  Sitting under the overpass while stuck in traffic so we wouldn't burn!
> Same trip - red car put her toes in the sand on Daytona beach.  A little smoke and a little drink action while cruising and people watching
> Using the backseat as a pick up truck bed while toting around AV equipment, lighting gels, etc.
> Top down with heater on when the days were cool but I couldn't resist
> Top down with the air on - this happened more in AZ
> She really stretched her legs on the drive across the country
> The many trips home from happy hour - she took care of me
> A trip to Atlanta and Gatlinburg where there was a steep mountain with snow
> My brand new top that T gave me for Xmas last year - beautiful black top that he installed.  She looked radiant.


There are so many memories.  Too many for a blog entry.  She will always be like family - not a hunk of metal.  Seven years and now she is sitting at an auction wondering where her next home will be.  It kills me to think that she could possibly be sold for parts or could be abused by a stupid teenager.  But it's just a car, right?  No.  It is a sign that my life will never be the same...

2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT Spyder Convertible 5-speed
My "red car": September 2002 - September 2009