Rag Doll by Aerosmith

I am not the greatest driver and I have no problem admitting this.  I got a late start and in general, I do not have the best attention span or attention to detail that driving requires.  I also seem to have a poor sense of spatial awareness and depth.  Add to that the fact that I really do not care about cars and you have a fair driver, at best.  I have never caused a major accident and I get to where I need to go.  I have driven in several of the large cities, including Chicago, San Francisco, and New York City (Queens Borough) without incident and even with a fair amount of confidence.  Driving is something I can do, but I don't love it.

My dad purchased a 1967 Mustang for me and my sister when we were in high school with high hopes that we would love tinkering with it.  My sister did, but me, not so much.  I didn't get my license until half way through my Senior year and then it was off to college in Berkeley which did not require a car.  I didn't get a car until 2000 when I moved to Daly City.  I purchased my aunt's Taurus (can't remember the year or even the color) for $2,000.  It was an enormous sedan and the least cool car on the planet.  It lasted for 1 year and then the transmission died.  I bought my very first car in late 2001.  My dad suggested the Hyundai Elantra because of its 10 year/100,000 mile warranty.  I thought that sounded fine and more importantly, it required no thought or research on my part.  I almost let him talk me into a color I didn't like and I did let him talk me out of getting a CD player installed.  I bought the car in about 30 minutes, didn't even try to negotiate price.  My dad had panicked and left at this point because he couldn't believe I could make a $15,000 purchase so quickly.  I felt like a winner though because this was in the days when the sales tax was based on the zip code where you bought it, not where you garaged it, so I saved about $1,000.  I drove off in my brand new, BLACK, 2002 Hyundai Elantra, happy as a clam. 

For a couple years I even took really good care of it.  I religiously changed the oil and got it serviced, right on schedule.  I also kept it looking good and washed it frequently, inside and out.  There was a car wash in Daly City on John Daly Ave that I liked to frequent, but it was often busy.  I would bring a book and crank up the tunes while waiting for the car wash.  Rag Doll was one of the songs I would crank up (in my Discman with adaptor since I didn't get that CD player installed until 2003).  I loved the intro with the thumping bass line.  It made me feel rebellious because I remembered the scandalous music video.  The next time I get a car wash, I'll have to blast it for old times sake.