Ghia squee

I promise, this is not going to become one of those things where all I write about is my car and my car doing this and my car getting a bath. But permit me this minor bit of Ghia squee.

I'm fully comfortable with putting the car in reverse. Some of you may remember that I had a fear of sorts of getting an old VW into reverse (it's down and then to the left...). Between backing in and out of the garage for space and then, today, removing myself from a parallel-parking position (I parked where there were two spots and then someone parked--nicely--behind me), I've gotten darn good at the reverse thing.

I got the car 98% legal today. All that's left is inspection. I'll be putting in a call to a garage just outside of Chestnut Hill.

I drove the Ghia all around the Northwest this morning while getting her legal. I stalled once, embarrassingly close to home, but I managed.

The original color was a soft blue. I'm contemplating that as the eventual paint job I pursue. Can you imagine, my blue eyes in a blue car?

I put gas in the Ghia this morning. Not monumental, in the least. But, I had to find the gas release. It's under the dash and above the after-market speakers.

I drove her out to Mike's work. I switched cars with Mike because I am not comfortable leaving the Ghia outside of my library and Mike's heading home around 1:30, so the car can go in the garage lickety-split.

The masons that are working on the concrete across the street amused me to no end this morning. As I searched frantically for the VIN (the dash pad covers the VIN and the other VIN locations are either not raised--making an etching impossible--or are so painted-over that any etching would look like the VIN is 0O0O0O0O), I listened to these guys yell back and forth to each other about the car's heritage. One genius said, "I know a European car when I sees one." Way to narrow down the field, there, Grape Ape. They were eventually all certain the car was Italian, so when one of them finally asked me the make and model, they were visibly disappointed. When I then told them the car was of an Italian design, it blew their minds. Except for the one guy. He said, "I told you guys I knew European cars!"

The floorboards definitely need to be replaced sooner than soon. But we expected that.

Conversations with Mike

Ring, ring; I call over to Mike at work.

"Hello?"
"Hi!"
"There's something wrong with the car."
"What!?"
"Yeah, the one tail light is on and it won't go off. We've been trying to figure it out..."
"Well, is the light knob pushed in all the way?"
"Yeah..."
"And there's nothing interfering with the brake pedal?"
"Nope..."
"Well, then, I don't know..."

Later, I've Got Mail.
He writes, "There's nothing wrong with the car--it was just the way the sunlight was hitting the tail light..."

I reply, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."

For effect, I reply again, "HA."