Small Talk: The Impala

[rue721]

Agreed. I look forward to coming here and discussing with all you guys... especially after a particularly concerning or frustrating episode. I can always get some more optimistic perspective from someone here to make me feel better.

 

I agree, and love shooting the shit with you guys on here!

 

You're all lucky I hold back and don't actually post everything I want to, though, because the never-ending barrage of pointless stories would probably clog up the board and ruin it. Stories like:  the other day, all these disasters kept happening at this one table at work (and it's TABLE 13! dun Dun DUN) -- someone left his phone, I knocked a glass off the tabletop and it broke spectacularly, etc. So I decided Table 13 had to be cursed and was amusing myself all through brunch service with the idea of the Winchesters coming in to do an "investigation" of the cursed cafe table. BUT SEE I HELD BACK and didn't even mention it! Uh.

 

But anyway, this has gotten me wondering about just who the "optimistic perspectives" are coming from. AwesomO, you're generally pretty optimistic yourself (well, maybe not in this last little stretch of episodes as Sam has been casting about for a plan, but overall), so that's a pretty high bar. And I *know* it's not me in any case! Hmmm, my vote has to go to SueB for "most optimistic" :)

 

I've never tweeted in my life and don't have an account and wouldn't know how *... otherwise I'd send a positive tweet Jared's way. I hope he's okay and/or doing  better. Considering #AlwaysKeepFighting is trending with well-wishes for him, there are plenty who are doing the job anyway.

 

Wait, what? Was he not OK?

Edited May 16, 2015 by rue721

[Diane]

Worrisome tweets.

[GirlyGeek]

Head over here, we're discussing: http://forums.previously.tv/topic/6456-supernormal-public-appearances-tweets-amas-and-other-social-media-of-the-spn-cast/page-14

[AwesomO4000]

But anyway, this has gotten me wondering about just who the "optimistic perspectives" are coming from. AwesomO, you're generally pretty optimistic yourself (well, maybe not in this last little stretch of episodes as Sam has been casting about for a plan, but overall), so that's a pretty high bar. And I *know* it's not me in any case! Hmmm, my vote has to go to SueB for "most optimistic" :)

 

Yes, I remember the good old days (like 4 or 5 episodes ago) when I used to be the optimistic one - heh. These last few episodes have been trying really hard to beat that out of me, though. And also yes, I agree: SueB wins for the most optimistic in my book, however catrox14 really came through for me an episode or two ago as well. I seem to remember DittyDotDot being helpful too, and likely DementedDaisy as well. And I'm sure I'm forgetting some somewhere, but hey, my brain ain't what it used to be at present. While you, yourself might not be a direct source of optimism that I can remember off the top of my head, I definitely get positive vibes bouncing various discussions off of you, even when we disagree ... which isn't too difficult, because I generally disagree with everyone at some point or another. It's just that kind of show, and I seem to like playing the devil's advocate and/or debating the other side sometimes. Besides, sometimes misery / complaining loves company, so a lot of various posters give me at least some positive energy.

 

 

Wait, what? Was he not OK?

 

Apparently Jared left a con? - which I am sure is not usual for him - and yes as dcmjdc2 said there were worrisome tweets. GirlyGeek gave the link to where we're discussing it.

[Demented Daisy]

Yes, I remember the good old days (like 4 or 5 episodes ago) when I used to be the optimistic one - heh. These last few episodes have been trying really hard to beat that out of me, though. And also yes, I agree: SueB wins for the most optimistic in my book, however catrox14 really came through for me an episode or two ago as well. I seem to remember DittyDotDot being helpful too, and likely DementedDaisy as well. And I'm sure I'm forgetting some somewhere, but hey, my brain ain't what it used to be at present. 

 

Wait... what?  I think that's the first time anyone has ever called me optimistic.  ;-)

 

The Hangman thread cheers me up frequently.  It's only a handful of us at the moment (The Ds and a couple of As in AwesomO and Altered Reality), but we tend to amuse each other with our 12 year old humor.  Currently, our puzzles are pop culture reference themed, but we change the theme up periodically.  No rules, just if you solve, be prepared to run the next puzzle!

[Demented Daisy]

Pre-emptive strike!  If Wednesday turns out badly, watch this video.  Repeatedly.  :-)

 

[catrox14]

OMG that is hilarious.  Thank you for that. I am stealing and posting errrywhere.

[Demented Daisy]

If puppies and kittens aren't your thing, here's another that's a little more... mature, shall we say?

 

This is one of the funniest things I have ever seen.  I kid you not.  Tears... streaming down my face... every time I watch.

 

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/e9jqmg/-midnight-thugs-not-hugs---kids-really-do-say-the-darnedest-things

Edited May 18, 2015 by Demented Daisy

[DittyDotDot]

Those Dear Kitten commercials are absolutely priceless! Defiantly day brighteners.

[oliverwendell]

I'm just testing to see if my username change worked.  I used to be fourteenwords, but today a mod told me that "fourteen words" is apparently a Neo-Nazi slogan!!!  I had absolutely NO IDEA about that, and I'm so sorry if I offended anyone.  (I was actually referring to the free speech clause of the First Amendment, which is fourteen words long.)  

 

Anyway, from now on I am oliverwendell.  

[Goldmoon]

Wow Oliver.  Not to take Neo Nazis lightly, but it is a shame that one usage ruins the other.

[catrox14]

Seriously. I don't even understand

[SueB]

Me either ...but oliverwendell it is!

So, I've been living Up In The Air for the last month (seriously, I'm at 30,000ft, enroute to Denver from LA, using United WiFi right now) and I came THIS close to tweeting shade at United for a mean dude in the pre-security line. I think J2 is a bad influence on me. But I resisted. *sigh*. It's after 2014, I wonder if Cas as will start that yoga-orgy therapy soon? I'm in need.

[Altered Reality]

oliverwendell put me in the not understanding camp too.   So, you know, definitely not offended here.

 

SueB congrats on your restraint.  Some folks in those positions are just regular folk, but others are people who don't have control/power in the rest of their lives, so they (ab)use those positions to gain what they need. That said, I think I could use Cass's therapy myself :D I may only have to be at work 3 days a week, but those three days (especially today)!

[Jediknight]

Wow Oliver.  Not to take Neo Nazis lightly, but it is a shame that one usage ruins the other.

 

They also stole Skinhead.

Me either ...but oliverwendell it is!

So, I've been living Up In The Air for the last month (seriously, I'm at 30,000ft, enroute to Denver from LA, using United WiFi right now) and I came THIS close to tweeting shade at United for a mean dude in the pre-security line. I think J2 is a bad influence on me. But I resisted. *sigh*. It's after 2014, I wonder if Cas as will start that yoga-orgy therapy soon? I'm in need.

I've just got to say Up in the Air was screwed, and should have won the Oscar.

[7kstar]

 

oliverwendell put me in the not understanding camp too.   So, you know, definitely not offended here.

Never even knew the slogan.  Words get stolen all the time.  There is a play title that is "Our Hearts are Young and Gay."  I was asked to change the title, which legally I can't.  It was written in the 30's so guess that one is off the books for middle school forever.  Just thought I would help you lighten the load.  To take offense, you would have had to do something or say something to make me upset.

 

Sue B sorry you had it ruff, and maybe we should just start a mediation or yoga group...lol.

 

I wondered if creative people have a higher percent of depression.  I know that pain and a family loss is hitting me harder because of the combination.  No I'm not in trouble...but the dark thoughts are running rampant right now.  Hence maybe why I'm so over acting to a TV show.  I may have to stay with season 1-3 for a bit and ignore the later stages or just give supernatural a break.  I need something that makes me laugh or gives me hope.  Not somethings that adds to the depression.  Not sure if that makes sense.

[catrox14]

So, just needed to kind of whine.

 

We have started the process of selling stuff from my mom's house.  And it's all weird. And I just really miss my mom :(.

[supposebly]

7kstar, I don't know what you normally watch, but I can recommend Leverage or Eureka for a break that is light but not flaky.

 

catrox14, I don't even want to imagine what that's like. Living on another continent, I see my mom only every few years except when we skype but the thought of having to sort through the house puts a huge rock in my stomach. Sending good thoughts! Make sure you keep something that means something to you!

Edited May 23, 2015 by supposebly

[catrox14]

Thanks supposebly. I have a few things I'm keeping so thats good :). 

[7kstar]

7kstar, I don't know what you normally watch, but I can recommend Leverage or Eureka for a break that is light but not flaky.

 

 

I love leverage.  This morning when the pain level came down I realized I need to do something that can make me smile.  Since the weather is lousy, I think some leverage might be what the doctor ordered.  I haven't watched Eureka...looks like another idea.

 

So, just needed to kind of whine.

 

We have started the process of selling stuff from my mom's house.  And it's all weird. And I just really miss my mom :(.

I'm lucky in that both my parents are alive, although I closer to my dad than my mom.  I can only imagine...but when I lost my uncle who I was very close, I did get the issues of seeing something that would bring the pain.  So I suspect the emotions will be off the charts and some will make you laugh and other stuff not so much. 

 

One thing I did with my grandmother because I wasn't there in person when she left us, so I wrote a letter and said all the things I needed to say and then I burned the letter in a ceremony.  Sorry you're dealing with the weirdness, but when it makes you smile cherish that moment before you move on to the next item.  HUGS.

[SueB]

Catrox, it always help me if I think that what will gather dust in a corner in my house might be very well loved and cared for elsewhere. Kind of like spreading goodness via well loved goods.

Edited May 23, 2015 by SueB

[Jediknight]

7kstar, I don't know what you normally watch, but I can recommend Leverage or Eureka for a break that is light but not flaky.

I never saw Leverage, but I agree completely with Eureka.  I'd also recommend Warehouse 13, and if you're looking for new shows, The Flash.

 

Catrox, hugs to you.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Jediknight

[Demented Daisy]

I recommend Haven to everyone I know.  It's loosely based on a Stephen King novella called The Colorado Kid -- and when I say loosely, I mean it.  It's a great mix of fun, mystery, mythology, and... well, you can't call them Monsters of The Week.  They're Troubles of the Week.

 

The best part is that the angst is kept at very low levels, especially in comparison to Supernatural.  Duke and Nathan have the kind of relationship that Sam and Dean used to have, even though they're not brothers.  Growing up in a small town in Maine, though, they might as well be.

 

I take it back.  The best part is the scenery porn.  It's filmed in Nova Scotia and it is gorgeous,

 

[Mick Lady]

Great show Daisy! My family has a house in Maine, which we don't get to often since we retired to Idaho, and this show makes me so home-sick! And yes, Daisy, you are the most optimistic! Plus I have the humor of a twelve year old too...

 

rue721,AwesomO4000, SueB, DittyDotDot and especially catrox14 intimidate the hell out of me! But I like it because you make me think in a different way, and that's valuable, and fun!  I feel like I know amensisterfriend from posting on another thread. That's what I love most about this place, the variety of people that all come together to lynch the writers of this show. I'll bring the rope.

 

 

I'm so sorry so many of you are going through such tough times right now. I've only been here a short while but I feel I know you all personally, and my heart aches for you. Mick and I are at that "certain age" where are problems are few and far between, but I know what you all are experiencing, and I wish you peace. Just remember, you have some kick ass people here that truly do care!

 

Plus, the lynchings are a wonderful way to let off steam. Just sayin'.

[rue721]

catrox, that sounds so difficult and painful. I'm sorry. Wish I could at least hug you and make you a home cooked meal.

 

7kstar, I'm watching Royal Pains on Netflix, and it is the sweetest, most lighthearted show. All the characters are genuinely kind, and there's always a happy ending. I love it. Oh, and it's also about two brothers (and their business partner)! Their relationship is angst-free, though (yayyyy).

 

Altered Reality, I am down for being included in the yoga. Am on the fence about the orgy part, though. And am definitely NOT OK with the meditation. Tried it once and it freaked me out so much!

 

oliverwendell, I had no idea about the "fourteen words" thing, either. No offense taken *at all.*

 

Mick Lady, that is very sweet. And I really enjoy reading everyone else's perspectives on everything, too. It makes me watch this show in a different way, and it's just *fun.*

 

So, for some reason, it was Rich People Night at work tonight. There was even a teenage kid having a big argument with his mother because he was bored with all their exotic vacation destinations and didn't want to go to Johannesburg or Paris (or a whole bunch of other places he listed) AGAIN. His mother tried to get a detente by saying that he'd never been to Amsterdam at least, they could go there, and the kid did have to be like, "touche." It wasn't just those customers, though, it was practically everyone. And then when I was walking to my car, I went past this house where the guy hadn't sufficiently closed his living room shudders before turning on all the lights, and I couldn't help but see that this older gentleman was sitting there in his carefully appointed living room watching TV while WEARING A SPORTS COAT AND ASCOT I KID YOU NOT. That was literally his relaxation wear. TBH, I don't even know what to think of that!

Edited May 24, 2015 by rue721

[AwesomO4000]

It's good to be back home. Is it you SueB who travels a lot? If so, I don't know how you do it.

 

I am sorry to hear of your difficult times, catrox14. I hope in time the memories and mementos will become more of a comfort than a hurt.

 

7kstar - I wish that I could be helpful in recommending something lighthearted to watch, but my television watching tends to be somewhat twisted at times. When I want to laugh, I tend to watch something like South Park (well, duh - see my posting name). It generally offends almost everyone at some time, but often I find it so funny that I don't care. (For example, one of my favorite episodes of all time makes total fun of efforts to save the rainforest - which is something I would entirely support generally - but I found it so damn funny, I couldn't care.) But sadly for me, the era of sitcoms that I enjoy has gone by. I just don't have one recently that can replace shows for me like Friends or Seinfeld or even Will & Grace. But what else cheers me up - Jimmy Fallon. He just so much seems to love his job, and his various skits - and what he can talk other stars into doing - never cease to make me smile.

 

Also uplifting for me - the end of "The Shawshank Redemption" and the entirety of "The Princess Bride."

 

 

rue721,AwesomO4000, SueB, DittyDotDot and especially catrox14 intimidate the hell out of me! But I like it because you make me think in a different way, and that's valuable, and fun!  I feel like I know amensisterfriend from posting on another thread. That's what I love most about this place, the variety of people that all come together to lynch the writers of this show. I'll bring the rope.

 

I don't mean to be intimidating. I'm generally fairly benign if a little bit wordy.  Me getting ranty generally happens most when I'm on a tear about something. Which unfortunately lately I  sort of have been. I tend to be a little protective of Sam and get perturbed when I think his character is getting the short end of the stick. Which I sadly think has been happening way more than usual in the Carver era.

 

As for wanting to lynch the writers - that too tends to be more of a Carver era thing for me. If anything, many would accuse me of being too nice to Sera Gamble. I generally think she was underappreciated as a show runner - and maybe as a writer, too -  and I for one mostly really enjoyed what she did with season 7, and thought she ended her run leaving more potential than she inherited. It wasn't her fault very little was done with that potential (in my opinion, anyway).

 

So see, I can be nice. ::Smiles innocently::

[Mick Lady]

Oh AwesomO4000, I didn't mean it that way. I like when you go on a tear, and the rest of this insane group!

 

I'm a retired professor of Mathematics, and analyzing the deeper meanings of literature is something beyond me. I like having my mind stretched and being forced to think about underlining themes. I find this here, and I love it!

 

Plus it gives me something to argue about with Mick. We're still discussing SueB's post  breaking down the writers! rue721's comment above says it all!

 

And that innocent smile isn't fooling anyone!

Edited May 25, 2015 by Mick Lady

[AwesomO4000]

Heh - rats - yeah, I just can't do the Sam Winchester smile of innocence.

 

And good, because I don't think I could stop with the analysis if I tried. It's what I do... And here is my favorite place to do it.

 

I can sympathize with the mathematics mind though. While I'm passable with math, I tend to look at things scientifically, so I can't help but analyze it when similar situations are treated differently on the show and/or end in different results. I just have to look at that kind of thing and ask why? And of course sometimes trying to apply scientific leanings to a literary medium isn't always going to work either and is likely doomed to frustration at times. But my brain just has to try... and since I tend to latch on to one television show to obsess over - Supernatural is the most recent - it's what I do. I limit myself to one show at a time though. maybe the scary question is, when this show is over... what the heck am I going to replace it with? : ( .

 

Edited to add:

We're still discussing SueB's post  breaking down the writers!

 

Did I miss a post about the writers by SueB? I'm not remembering this and I'm usually pretty good at at least remembering something about something like that. ::Pouts::

Edited May 25, 2015 by AwesomO4000

[Mick Lady]

Sue's post is on page 6 of the writers and directors thread. Well worth the read!

 

God, I'm so glad to find someone who thinks like I do! I tend to try to quantify everything, and I feel like I've missed something doing just that my entire life.

 

No other show has grabbed me more than Supernatural. We watch Vikings, which is a solid show. (See that guy in my avatar? That's really is Mick, my husband.), and I love Bates Motel, but Mick, not so much. But I wish you would try Bates, I'd love to know what you think!

[oliverwendell]

I'm just going to put in a vote here for 12 Monkeys, a random little sci fi show that finished its first season on SyFy not long ago.  Twisty, smart and time-travelly, but definitely way angsty.  It, too, has a pair of friends who are more like brothers whose relationship gets way complicated by the events of the show.  

 

(And I'm so glad I didn't offend anyone here by inadvertently referencing a Neo-Nazi slogan in my username!!)

[catrox14]

Well garsh... I'm alternately flattered and horrified that I am intimadating;) :(.

[DittyDotDot]

Well, I have to say I don't mean to be intimidating...but maybe I like being thought of as such. Mwah, ha, ha! ;)

 

It seems like I should be able to take over the world now, doesn't it?

[SueB]

Sue's post is on page 6 of the writers and directors thread. Well worth the read!

think!

...what the hell did I write? ....*goes off to figure it out*

 

And yes, I'm the traveler.  I slept in seven different beds in 7 days.  And not in the sexy times way.  I felt like a freaking hobo.

[Mick Lady]

What I meant was you all have such great insights that would never have occurred to me! I'm always reading your posts along with  posts from rue721,AwesomO4000, DittyDotDot and especially catrox14 to Mick. You guys have started some very lively discussions between us (and caused a few arguments), and have sent us back to watch several past episodes. Our enjoyment of the show has increased several times over because of this, and it's brought some fun back to the show.

 

This and Breaking Bad are the only two shows we fell in love with together. That makes Supernatural sentimental for me. Silly I know.

 

And now I have to worry about DittyDotDot taking over the world! A Supernatural sequel? Well, why not? You could all get together and write the scripts!

[Mick Lady]

https://myspace.com/noresman/photos

 

Don't know if this will work, but this is my Mick. From his earlier harder rock stuff. Thought you should see who I talk about so much! I'll add his Blues stuff as soon as I figure out how. (Read: rope in his bass player to do it for me!) Cause I'm sure you're all fascinated! Right?

Edited June 5, 2015 by Mick Lady

[rue721]

LOL in my family we had

The Green Hornet (old Ford Galaxy 500)

The Hindenburg (my favorite name to date. HUGE Plymouth Fury  we thought for sure would blow up one day)

The Ladybug (orange VW bug)

The Death Mobile (a station wagon so big it was practically a hearse)

The Blueberry Bomb - used 4 door chevelle that someone painted blue with flat wall paint.  Seriously. LOL

my 68 Mustang ---- My first Baby.  But I didn't buy her new. Got her used for like 500 bucks umpteen years later. I regret EVER selling that car...:(. But she went to a good home

 

Oh wow catrox, you guys had some fantastic cars! What was your station wagon? Please say an Oldsmobile.

 

Growing up, we had at least two neighbors who had Oldsmobile station wagons -- but unfortunately, those cars are apparently very easy to steal?! This one poor neighbor, their station wagon got stolen out of their driveway twice just in one month. The first time, it turned up in a parking lot somewhere after about a week, nothing wrong with it at all afaik. But then it got stolen AGAIN very soon after and just disappeared.

 

All the young guys in the neighborhood were gaga over their cars, and you knew it was really summer when Saturday would roll around and they'd all be outside washing their cars, with the doors open and their stereos playing. Also, for some reason, the city poured tar lines all over the roads, and another sign of summer was when those tar lines became squishy again. You knew it was REALLY summer when the asphalt itself became too hot to walk on and you started trying to get across the street by staying just on the squishy tar lines. :P

 

The maddest I ever saw my friends' older brother was one day, when all of us kids were just hanging out on the sidewalk, and this one other kid came racing down the street trying to get away from someone, and ran RIGHT OVER TOP of my friends' older brother's car. Every footstep left a dent! There were footstep-dents running all the way up the hood and over the roof! Matt came TEARING out of the house and started chasing Marcus down, too. It was hilarious. Though uh. Not to Matt. (Or probably, to Marcus). LOL. Cracks me up just thinking about it, though. It was like in a freaking cartoon.

 

Anyway, I love my car. I've relied on it so much, and really, it's always come through for me! How can you not love something that always comes through? That car moved me to California by myself and with everything I owned in the trunk, before I'd ever been to the west coast. And it moved me back, over the Rockies even, despite it being a sub-compact only able to go about 35 mph on a lot of those steep roads (it could also only go about 35 mph for stretches in the southwest, too -- when it would be something like 120F outside, and I'd have to blast the AC). It's a little Toyota, so not cool at all, but I want to keep it forever if possible.

 

Our car when I was growing up was a 1988 Ford Festiva. It was practically a member of the family. The passenger side door handle came off really early, and we would try to glue it back on for the state inspections, but it was inevitably off again in about a day. There were all these scrapes on the side that my parents put some kind of house paint or something on, that became these rough blobs that were bright red even after the rest of the car's coat faded (but I guess they protected against rust?). Some kids from next door kept keying it, which we didn't bother trying to fix. Etc. But we had it for a LONG time. That's the car I learned to drive on (when I was 21, too -- so it was already ooooold). Oh, and it was a stick, but after a while, it wouldn't go into second gear. You had to try and jump from first to third if you were coming out of a parking lot or coming up a steep hill. I took my driving test in that car and I failed twice, but I sort of feel that one of those isn't my fault (ok ok, one really was), because stuff like, "how to avoid the gear that's broken for some reason" was a big part of my "driving lessons." LOL. Anyway, it died not all that long afterward, and sat dead in my parents' driveway for a long time (years). Eventually, my dad met some guy down at the gas station (don't ask me why he was even AT the gas station) who he got to chatting about the Festiva with, and the guy sounded like he really liked it, so my dad offered to give it to him. That started a whole other thing, where the guy would just come by and look at the car FOR WEEKS without actually taking it. I finally yelled at him that he needed to get it out of there by the next day or I'd call someone else to come take it away as a donation or scrap or something, which finally got rid of it. But then that poor Festiva just sat all dead in a gas station parking lot near my parents, for at least another year. I haven't ever seen it on the road, so I guess it just never got fixed, poor thing.

 

Otherwise, they have a Ford Focus hatchback now, which has been a mess forever and that nobody is especially attached to. Idk, things just didn't ever gel with that one, I guess.

 

Anyway, I know nothing about cars, don't even do oil changes myself, but I just kind of love them in general. LA was a cornucopia of eye candy on the roads, but even around here, there are occasionally pretty (usually old) cars. Back in high school, I went out on a date with this guy, and it didn't go that well -- but on that date, I found out that he drove this ridiculously tricked out car, which I LOVED. So I went out on a couple more dates with him mostly for the chance to ride in it some more :P.

 

Out of the cars on the show, I actually really like Cas's. But that is probably just because I really do have the soul of an old man.

Edited June 5, 2015 by rue721

[Demented Daisy]

Sorry for the confusion!

Edited June 5, 2015 by Demented Daisy

[rue721]

nvm

Edited June 5, 2015 by rue721

[DittyDotDot]

Well, if we're sharing car stories...

 

We had a few interesting vehicles while I was growing up. It was a farm, after all. But the vehicle I remember most is the one I learned to drive with when I was 9-years-old. It was a bright orange Mazda GLC and we had that thing for about six years. My mom used to call it "Good Little Car", but my siblings and I nicknamed it "the orange crate". We were both right; it was a good little car in the sense it got us where we needed to go with little up-keep and decent gas mileage; and it also could crate a whole gob of teenagers when needed. I imagine it looked a lot like a clown car at times.

 

Ahh, the good old days!

Edited June 7, 2015 by DittyDotDot

[Altered Reality]

All this talk of car names is making me feel like I missed something.  No one named any of our cars, odd considering my Dad's tendency for renaming things.  Usually with a bad pun included.

 

catrox14 I'm pretty sure I know exactly what sort of station wagon you're referring to.  We had a series of these and at one point our parents had a mattress custom made for the back storage area and we kids would just hang out back there while we traveled (luggage was stored on the back seat). Which we did, a lot.  Apparently after one very long trip, the state of that back area proved too much for the border guards and customs agents.  When presented with the sight, they just waved us on through, even though they had been checking every vehicle prior to us. 

 

After the station wagons, Dad (an engineer~that may be relevant) got a thing for Mercedes Benz and has driven one pretty much since.  There are very few stories, funny or otherwise, to tell about those vehicles. Except to say, I was never allowed to drive them.  Odd ball that I am, I didn't get a drivers permit until I was 23 and expecting my second child (one kid on the bus is okay, 2? NO THANK YOU!).

[SueB]

So I would be the opposite of Altered Reality. I was driving a car (sans license? At about age 14. Because that's how my neighborhood rolled.

First car I drove: Opal. Stick shift.

First car that was 'mine' : 'Supertank'. 1972 Dodge Polara. 3900 lbs roaring down the street with an 8 cylinder engine. Got into a fair amount of mischief with it. Loved that car. Had to changing out the spark plugs and distributor cap out on some lake sand dunes one time. But it was a great car.

[catrox14]

O.M.G. Guys, I just remembered that the Death Mobile was......a white Chevy Impala station wagon...I can't remember the year but late 60s early 70s seems right. I bought it used *coughty* years later.

 

It was literally the first car I ever bought with my own money that I earned working a summer job.  I paid $10 for it LOL.  Seriously.  It was such a terrible car, The dashboard was literally falling apart. The driver's side door would not open.  I bought it from someone that had owned it who had lived in a tiny creepy little mountain town in Colorado and I suspect that there were nefarious things being transported in that beast. 

 

I was just so damn proud of that POS LOL. 

[Mick Lady]

Sorry catrox14, I've got ya beat! My first car was a Ford Pinto. You know, the one that exploded if it was rear ended? Paid 200 bucks for the privilege! My Dad was horrified, so he gave me a Vista Cruiser station wagon when he traded up. I loved that car, but ended up trading it for a La Manns Station wagon. Everyone called it the "Beaver Wagon" I thought because it had wood on the sides. Turns out the guys just called it that because my girlfriends and I followed The Grateful Dead across country one summer in it!

Now I have boring stuff! A Mitsubishi Montero called "The Mom Mobile" of all things!

 

At least Mick's Harley is named "Bucephalus". Now that's cool! I liked the one he had before better though, he called her "Mother Abigail"

[Altered Reality]

Heh, Mick Lady the ex had a Ford Pinto when I met him.  I never did drive that car, probably a good thing. He had to get rid of it when we moved to Quebec, as it didn't pass inspection there (bit of a racket that, cars bought and sold in province were never inspected, only ones coming in from elsewhere, guess how many didn't pass). The car he bought to replace it was even older and in worse shape (we were dead broke), but it was "in province"...!  And I hear you on the "Mom Mobile".  Actually mine's worse, it's a "Grandma Car" so called because I bought it from a Grandma~my Mom :D

 

catrox14 sounds like your station wagon was an even earlier vintage than the ones I'm thinking of.  But of course it was an Impala :D

[DittyDotDot]

Speaking of Impalas and mom mobiles...I was taking pictures at a car event over the weekend and this on got me thinking of Sam and Dean...

 

 

 

 

It's a 1962 Impala--made me think how different the show would have to be for Sam and Dean to be driving around the countryside in what appears to be a wholesome family car of it's time. I was also considering the size of that trunk. ;)

[SueB]

My husband rented a 2014 Chevy Impala (black) this weekend while we were in Atlanta.  According to my daughter you can still fit a body in the trunk. It was a nice ride.

[Mick Lady]

My husband rented a 2014 Chevy Impala (black) this weekend while we were in Atlanta.  According to my daughter you can still fit a body in the trunk. It was a nice ride.

 

STILL?! Why does this sound like you and your daughter have some experience in the matter? Fess up! Unless of course, the statute of limitations hasn't run out.

[AwesomO4000]

Odd ball that I am, I didn't get a drivers permit until I was 23 and expecting my second child (one kid on the bus is okay, 2? NO THANK YOU!).

 

Don't feel too bad. I don't drive at all. My Grampa tried to teach me when I was about 13 with a big black Cadillac. I hated it. He yelled at me constantly and made it a completely miserable experience. I took driver's Ed. Hated that too. Got my learner's permit and drove with that for a little while. I was not good at it and I still hated it, and so decided driving wasn't for me. Everyone said "enh, you'll do it eventually." My Nana didn't get her license until she was 29, so they figured I'd be the same. They underestimated how stubborn I would be. Never got it, and don't intend to.

 

Every once in a while it's a minor problem, but in general, I don't regret it at all. Most places we lived before Georgia had wonderful public transportation, and I biked or walked a lot as well (kept me in shape). Here we don't have public transportation, but I manage. I can walk to a lot of places. Work I go with hubby after lunch (he comes home for lunch - saves us a lot of money) or I can work from home (my work gives me a lot of flexibility), and I have built in transportation half the year anyway (we give my mom a place to stay - her own "mother-in-law suite" in the basement - rent and utility free, so an occasional ride isn't too much to ask). And speaking of Ford Festivas, my mom had one of those for years and loved that thing.

 

This discussion has made me think though, and thinking about it, the weird thing is that I pick out hubby's and my vehicles - which considering I don't drive is interesting. Also hubby generally researches many electronics he buys, but for some reason not the cars. When we dated in college, he had the car he came with... this dark brown Chevy Nova with a sagging roof liner with air conditioning that wouldn't work and a power window that wouldn't go down on his side - in Florida. I used to stick my arm on the open window ledge and the other across the seat back to direct the wind from the open window over to hubby. Not surprisingly that car was called the "Brown turd." When we left Gainesville 8 or so  years later, we passed it on to someone else - and the thing was still running as far as we knew a year or two later.

 

Our next car was a red Chevy S10 (I don't remember who chose that one, but I had saved up for the down payment while hubby finished grad school). Manual windows to avoid that problem. We had that for a few years until one day it just up and died, so I started researching extensively before we bought the next one... a Toyota Tacoma access cab - great gas mileage for a pickup with extra seats in the back and a half door, but still the ability to haul dirt, mulch, or a dead turkey or deer in the back (hubby is a turkey and deer hunter). That vehicle served us well, until one rainy afternoon trek home from a long Christmas jaunt. We made it two hours from home and spun out getting on an on ramp (one of those ones that has an off ramp nearby so you have to speed up fast to avoid cars exiting). Even though we weren't hurt and the air bags didn't even deploy, the insurance company said that the damage total wasn't worth the fixing (hubby had never had an accident before so we had accident forgiveness as well) *, so the pay off went to the next vehicle... My favorite yet. After much consideration, I chose a Subaru Forrester. We've had it for over a year now and we love it. The no frills model - no moon roof to avoid potential leaking - but with the removable all weather floor mats, so hubby can still throw a dead turkey in the back and we can haul my mulch and humus for the garden.

 

We like taking long trips in it - hubby drives, I navigate for any new adventures, so all he has to do is follow my directions and not have to think about the turns or exits. It has great gas mileage for a small SUV. Funny that once the people at work saw our car, a few people got one for themselves - heh.

 

* That poor truck. It had only been a few weeks since it's second parking lot accident - twice people had run into it while it was just sitting there minding its own business in the parking lot. The first one was pretty bad and probably in retrospect didn't help its aerodynamics much in spite of it being fixed at the Toyota dealership. We were eating dinner and there was an announcement that there had been an accident in the parking lot... and I just knew it was our poor truck. I didn't even go out there because I knew I'd be angry. An older lady supposedly went to park and hit the accelerator instead of the break - she tried to blame that Toyota spontaneous accelerating thing, but the angle she hit at didn't look like she would've made the spot even at a crawl. Poor truck's bed was whacked out of alignment and partially crunched - and ours was just the one bounced off of by the primary vehicle hit, so you can imagine what shape that poor car had been in (i.e. totaled).

 

Wow, considering I don't drive, I had a lot to say about cars.

[miles2go]

My husband rented a 2014 Chevy Impala (black) this weekend while we were in Atlanta.  According to my daughter you can still fit a body in the trunk. It was a nice ride.

 

A couple of years ago I was looking for a new car, and was very tempted by a black 2013 Impala.  As it happens, the first car I drove on a regular basis was also an Impala, a 67 or 68, a discard of my parents (not black, though).  Nice car, although something of a gas guzzler and the dashboard clock never kept proper time.

 

I didn't buy the black Impala.  Ended up with something a bit more practical. I may regret it if I ever need to put a body in the trunk.

[Omegamom]

My very first car was a teeny tiny navy blue Honda Civic. Three cylinders. I paid $300 for it. The exhaust system fell off when my boyfriend was demonstrating how to back into a parking space and tapped the exhaust pipe against the curb. Second was a used baby-blue Datsun 240Z, which I adored.

My third was a silver Subaru Justy (also three cylinders), only 9,000 miles on it when I bought it. It lasted forever and got an amazing, at the time, 40mpg. My husband and I took that thing into some crazy places; one time we were camping in the Arrastra Mountains and some USDA guys pulled up on their 4WD ATV asking us if we needed help. They thought we were stuck. Hah! Little did they know how amazing the Trusty Justy was! We sold it to someone for $50 when we moved to Alaska...

I didn't get my license until I was 23-24. Grew up in Chicago, and got everywhere either by bus, the El, or walking. My dad had Triumphs when I got into driver's ed, so I hardly practiced (terrified I'd hurt his precious car!), flunked the driving test, and shrugged my shoulders. No biggie. But around 23, my job moved from the Loop out to the 'burbs, and getting there via public transit was a bitch--take the El into the Loop, transfer to a different line all the way out to the end of the line, then wait for a bus. Ugh! After a few months I gave up, bought the Civic, and pestered my boyfriend to teach me to drive.

Now I drive a ten-year-old mommobile, a Ford Freestyle, and hubby has a Subaru Outback Sport. I'm eyeing a Prius or Elantra, something that gets better mileage.