The Sheila Variations

Why a car???

Why a car? Why do people have cars, in general .... Cause .... I want to be mobile and drive places myself?

Anyway, I'm thrilled and I'm so proud of it. I walk around outside and just stare at it, lovingly.

Congratulations!

You with a car at your disposal sounds like a recipe for extraordinary, spontaneous road trips loaded with flickr fodder. Enjoy your new buddy.

Noonz- I will! It's kind of old school - it has MANUAL windows. hee hee! But it's a beauty I think!

congratulations!!! does it have a cd player??

Yes!!

It is awesome, Sheila, and you're gonna love it. More important than having a CD player, does it have a plug for your iPod?

Noonz- Yes!! So I need to go get one of those thingamajigs as soon as possible.

Jackie:

ROAD TRIP! (said in gravelly gritty voice)

Awesome!

I was expecting a cute dog. Congratulations Red, was it the trip out west that triggered this sudden urge for independent mobility?

I can't help but envision a 36 hour nonstop drive in diapers back to New Mexico and Dean Stockwell in your future.

Reno - ha!! No, the car thing has been in the works for some time. I have a birthday coming up - and I wish never to ride Amtrak again. I wish to be mobile and free and able to go to the jersey shore or out to Montauk for the weekend - or drive up to the cape for a 3 day jaunt ... all things in my grasp if I have a car.

I also am thrilled about being able to drive to my grocery store - it's now a 25 minute walk away - so I have to take a cab back with my grocery bags.

It's just going to be great for me, can't wait!!!

ROAD TRIP!

Congrats!!!!

he's a handsome fellow, sheila; what's his name?

it's lovely. congrats.
can't help wondering though, why is there a rack of clothes up on the wall?

My neighbors were having a big moving sale on their patio.

Actually, it would have been funnier to say: "Well, you've heard about the lack of closet space in urban areas ..."

Congrats!

Having grown up in the west and never even been east of the Rockies, it always boggles my mind to realize how many people live without a car. I haven't not owned one since I was 17 and I've never seen a subway.

You'll love your freedom. :)

Congrats, Sheila. Fine looking chap. My sis and her husband sold their cars years ago when they moved to Brooklyn. Given the parking situation for them it makes sense not to own one. Still, that's one of the things that I notice when I visit them...can't just hop in the car when you need or want to. That would be a big adjustment for me. Enjoy!

Dave - Oh man, having a car IN the city has got to be insane ... I don't know how (or why - ha!) people do it!! The main reason I really wanted one is so I can get AWAY when I want to, like you mentioned!! The good thing about where I live is you can park at the street without all the street-cleaning insanity that those in the boroughs have to deal with.

I would love to hop in the car on a saturday morning and be at the beach in 2 hours ... now I can do it!! Yay!!

Diana - It's kinda hard for me to believe I've never actually owned a car either!! I'm OLD to never have owned a vehicle. I mean, I sort of owned cars via boyfriends - but they were never MINE. And for the last 15 years I've lived in cities and haven't needed one (strictly). But now: I am yearning to be able to just take long drives out into the country, and go to the beach, and drive up to visit my parents ... etc.

It's gonna be a big mental adjustment for me - but I'm psyched!!

Excellent! Congratulations - I'm thrilled for you!

This is truly fabulous news!! HOORAAAAY!!

WHY NOT A CAR, is what I say! It's absolutely wonderful. CONGRATULATIONS, SHEILA!!!

I have named it Stockwell.

Just keepin' it real, folks. Just keepin' it real.

Oooh, sleek. Many happy miles!

Yeah, the street-cleaning insanity. I actually sat on their steps one morning with a cup of coffee and studied that.

Ha!!!! That must have been nuts. It's Darwinian, man.

By the way, Dave E. - if you ever come back to visit them, I'd love to grab a brew with you. After all these years frequenting each other's blogs!! :) I can PICK YOU UP AT THE AIRPORT NOW. hahahaha

Hahaha-Yes on the beer, that would be great. And the same goes if you ever make it out here. I don't think I would ask you to pick me up out at JFK though...that seems a bit much. But now it's possible for you to offer that...isn't that awesome!

An aside: My first couple of visits I flew into Newark because sis worked at NJ Transit there and could easily collect me and shepherd me to Brooklyn. The last time though, ended up with me alone at the PA bus terminal about 1:00 a.m. because of flight delays. Try catching a cab to Brooklyn in those circumstances. Finally got one though, for not too bad a price considering.

Ah, Newark. The armpit of the east coast. (Sorry, curly!!) The airport freaks me out, I admit, because of the terrorists who strolled thru there on Sept. 11 ... I never fly out of there that I don't think of them. argh.

I live pretty close to Newark though - so, you know, consider it an option!!!

And when I flew to New Mexico to meet my dear friend Dean Stockwell - I had a 50 minute layover in Minneapolis/St. Paul ... not long enough for a proper meetup, though!!

W-O-W!!! Congratulations, Sheila!!!

Let me tell you that car looks veeeery good! All shiny and new... I covet one myself, haha!! You know, to get rid of those awful commutes...

Enjoy your new friendship!!! :)

(Sorry for all the exclamation marks!)

Just a week ago it was talk and conjecture - now it's a reality! I'm just delighted for you, Sheila! I know you'll derive a great deal of joy from Stockwell; may this one be as animated and sexy at the age of 71 as the OTHER one was! - Love S

Didn't mean to come off sounding condescending. It's just when you live in a place with piss poor public transport, you're more than a little jealous of people who can read books and people watch on the way to work. But, having finally broken down and sold my 13 year old Accord and now am driving something sweet smelling and new, I say, welcome to the breeze/sound/dream machine!

Haha, I love that..."when I flew to New Mexico to meet my dear friend Dean Stockwell...".

Not to mention the staggering news that MSP is a portal to said Dean Stockwell. I had no idea.

southernbosox - I will most DEFINITELY continue my passive commute into the city when I need to ... Driving into that mayhem on a daily basis would be just insane and I don't understand people who do it!! I love that half hour where I can just sit back with Ye Olde Ipod, and read and zone out.

But then to have the ability to get away!! ahhhhh, twill be very sweet.

And yes, isn't there just something great about the sweet smell of a new car??

Dave - yeah, Northwest flies to Albuquerque via Minneapolis. Rather annoying ... but that just seemed to be the way it works out! That airport is HUGE. Thankfully, when I had to switch gates it was usually close by ... but my impression of it is that it is enormous. Like O'Hare enormous. I could be wrong ... I was rather disoriented while I was there.

Also, have to say: Minnesota from the air is one of the most beautiful states EVER.

It's one of my favorite states anyway on the ground ... but to see it - and the farmland and all the lakes from above - is just spectacular!

Stevie - may we ALL be as sexy and virile at 71 as Mr. Stockwell is!!

Look at my car, bro! Isn't it awesome?

Awesome!!!! Beautiful. Sexy. Yummm!!!

No offense taken with the Newark comment. Hell, I avoid it like the plague. Well, actually, I'll be going there quite a bit this year since my beloved NJ Devils will be playing at a new arena there. You up for a Bruins/Devils game?!

And congrats on the car! Next time I see you, I'll have to give you some change to throw on the floor for good luck. And um, if you ever need a navigator to the Jersey Shore, I'll gladly volunteer my services.

Wait till it gets really dirty and full of all your fabulous crap, and then you go to the car wash for the first time.

It RULES!!!!!!!!

I had a 50 minute layover in Minneapolis/St. Paul ... not long enough for a proper meetup, though!!

But...

but...but...

:-(

I mean, it's like ten minutes from my house AND my office...

Ah, well. Give my regards to Dean-o.

Yours from the place that enables all access to Stockwell,

MB

Heh...that was my first thought also Mitch, but I think Sheila is right. Last time I was there you couldn't get past security unless you had a ticket, and that means Sheila would have had to schlep all the way out and then go back through security again. With a less than an hour layover that would be tough to do let alone plan on with potential flight delays.

MSP isn't as big as ORD, Sheila, but it has some loooong walks/conveyors to some of the gates that makes it seem that way. And it is a pretty splendid view as you land or depart MSP. Like a little kid, if the flight comes in or leaves to the NW I always try to see my house. Heheh.

Okay, boys, so next time I go visit Stockwell and I have a 50 minute layover - you can come and meet me at my gate and walk me to my next gate. And we can cram in a lifetime of "hi, how are you??" in that time. Sound okay??

They don't let non-passengers meet you at the gate, though, right? I can't keep up with the regulations.

and yes, there were all of these intensely long moving walkways ... I thought they would never end!! 50 minutes is NOT a long time when you factor in the 15 minutes it takes to just get off the plane!

"but I think Sheila is right"

:)

Nah, Sheila's right, of course.

It occurs to me that I USED to meet relatives and friends at MSP over layovers all the time - it was a significant part of my social life at one point - but it hasn't happened since 9/11.

Blah.

Well, you need a bigger layover, dagnabbit!

You bought a car.

Yet. . .

you still have no television.

I am THISCLOSE to flying out there and buying you one myself. Is there a Wiz between the Newark airport and your apartment? Good lord, woman.

;)

Lisa - hahahahahahahahahaha I know. It makes NO SENSE.

There's a Best Buy conveniently located right in between, Lisa. I'll give you directions. ;)

Congrats on the wheels, Sheila!

Re: layovers... the worst airport for that sort of thing has got to be Atlanta. The airport has four zip codes, it's confusing, there are escalators everywhere - that plus all the duty-free shops make it feel like a mall with airplanes. I had to layover there once, and I accidentally found myself at baggage claim, and had to go back through security to catch my outbound flight.

I much prefer the airport on New Providence, where they hand you tasty beverage after you get through customs, and you don't care where your luggage is. =)

They don't let non-passengers meet you at the gate, though, right?

You bring your cell, I'll bring mine. Dave and I'll wave from the trayf concourse.

i am so proud of you and happy for you. Stockwell. Swoon.