Friday, January 25, 2008

Cars with Names

I'm not sure why people name cars. I've mentioned Steve's Expedition - the Yeti - and Cat's Expedition - Sully. I've only named two cars in my life. The first car I ever named was the first car, okay, truck, that I drove. It was a 1963 red step-sided, short-bed Ford pickup. (I'm pretty sure the truck caught Eric's eye and that I just came with it).

I called that pickup Oscar Redfred. I can't remember how that name came about, but, oh, I loved that truck. My big brother drove it for two years, then handed it down to me. I drove it for a couple years till my Dad's buddy gave me his old 1965 Ford Galaxy. I didn't want to give up the truck, but I did. My parents kept it though, and a few years later I started driving it again. Eric and I were in Colorado during the summer of '78 and a friend of ours drove the truck out to me. We used it that whole year, then when we moved back to Washington, we piled it high with all our belongings and towed Eric's 1967 Volkswagon squareback, also filled to the brim, on a week long journey home. My parents said we looked like we came straight out of The Grapes of Wrath when we drove up. We had the truck a while, then in fine family tradition, when my little brother turned 16, passed it on to him. When my sister turned 16, she didn't want anything to do with the truck. It came back to us for a few more years before our family finally gave it up. I wish we had kept it - it was a treasure.

The only other car (in a long series of them) that we have named was a beat up old diesel Volvo sedan. We live up a long, long hill and it always struggled to make it up. Web and Riley started calling it the Slo-vo and it stuck.

By now, you are probably wondering where this post is going...well, we bought a new car on December 30. The only other car I've loved almost as much as Oscar Redfred was our Honda Element. It is the car for me - a perfect fit. We started tossing around the idea of getting a new one several months ago, but it took a while for Eric to check out all the options. I kept telling him I either wanted to keep the 2003 Element or get a new one, but I did not want anything else. I also specified I wanted a green one. Interest rates finally dropped, Eric was finally convinced it was the best buy for us and we got our car.

Still wondering where it is going? Well, Jenny announced last weekend that she had the perfect name for our car: Kermit, Kermie for short. I made the mistake of saying "no way!" Of course, Rob, Steve and Cat were all there and that was all the incentive they needed. They spread the word and everyone is now referring to our car as Kermie. Riley burned a cd of Kermit the frog and someone singing "It isn't easy being green" and left it in the cd player for me as a surprise. Another friend mentioned that it could have been called Pickle and that really convinced me that Kermie isn't so bad. Kermie it is.


My favorite part is this - the car matches my phone (indicative of a true princess)!

22 comments:

Journey to a Centum said...

We didn't actually get a new Element. The old one just started growing moss on it.

Wes said...

Kermie! LOL!! Pickle?! That's to die for :-) Have a great weekend!

Anne said...

Hey, the name fits! I actually like the color. Very outdoorsy, like you guys.

Unknown said...

Hey! What's the fun in calling your Element names if you're going to give in and go with the flow. I like it when you protest much better.

Darrell said...

How funny. There's a green Honda Elemet driving around our town with vanity plates that read "Kirmit", much better than pickle I agree.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the new ride. We own 4 Hondas in our fleet.

Anonymous said...

My husband is so jealous - living in Chicago we only have one car but he really wants an element!
BTW, growing up we always named our cars - current car is without a name.

Sunshine said...

Nice car, nice naming! Your brand-new one already has enough endearing quality to earn having a name. (And why let the auto-maker choose the name for your wheels?)

Adelyn said...

Congrats on kermie :) I think its pretty cute! I think that the rule is cars with real character get names. I've never named my car, but my mom's (beat up previa) was christianed with a name during its last few years :)

Sarah said...

Awww...its not easy being green. : ) I've never named a car but I can look back on most of them fondly. Especially the early ones.

Anonymous said...

Since you are a princess, shouldn't you change the name of your car to Pea. . . You know, The Princess and the Pea? OK, I like Kermie a lot better. At least your little frog - I mean car - will feel loved by all. :) I have to admit, I've never named a car. I guess I need to branch out!

Irene said...

Love the Kermie!

Hey, I want a car to match my cell phone, too! LOL!

Thomas said...

Thanks for you recent encouragement, Michelle. Jogging the ultra as a very long training run has indeed crossed my mind. That's one of the reasons why I don't want to switch the distance down to the marathon - I know I would try and race that one.

shawn said...

Great post. When I was really young, my dad's buddy (also my XC coach) had an old-school Chevy Suburban called the "Pig Truck" and then my dad got a newer version of the same which was called "Son of Pig."

Gotta go...I've got a song to download that's now stuck in my head :)

lizzie lee said...

Hey neighbor.. I hope you had great Holidays... I am back but still catching up.

Anonymous said...

Ha! That is so funny... my father's name is Kermit :).
He would be proud.
(I, however, am more impressed by the matching cell.)

Jenny, Maniac #401 said...

Gotta love it! And yes, the matching phone only adds to the need for the name!
Jenny

Anonymous said...

kermie, how cute! and a matching phone!

i currently drive "dory" as in dory from nemo (ash named the blue car when we first bought it).

prior to dory, i drove kirk the champagne-colored nissan truck (i LOVED kirk). growing up, my favorite car was "da'boat", a big yellow boat of a car :)

Jenn said...

Oh my! LOL and LOL some more!
I love that shade of green. I have never named a car. Although my first car (Datsun B210) was white with Red, Blue and Gold stripes!!! When I went to college with that car, my roommates called me WonderWoman, but the car never got named.
Congrats on the new vehicle, can't wait to see it and you in person!

Dana said...

Cool car. Love how you coordinated it w/ your phone1..lol..

Dori said...

What a coincidence that we both recently said goodbye to a car that we loved. I hope you have many happy trips in your new Kermie. I looked at the Element, but decided we needed a pick-up. My truck is a Honda. :-)

Dori said...

What a coincidence that we both recently said goodbye to a car that we loved. I hope you have many happy trips in your new Kermie. I looked at the Element, but decided we needed a pick-up. My truck is a Honda. :-)