Going topless
It's hot. I love summer, and I love living in Atlanta, and I even love summer in Atlanta, but it's hot. Unusually hot. When it's a hundred degrees during the day, you can count on it being in the high seventies at night. Of course that's fine by me; hot summer nights are my favorite time to go topless in my del Sol.
(The magnetic number on the side is from a road rally we did back in July. No Speed Racer illusions here.)
Last night I was driving back from a friend's house at about eleven at night. Dark country roads, half moon on a cloudy night, a warm breeze as I cruise my way home. It sounds cliche, but every time I take the top of that car it makes me smile. We've had Sunny for most of eight years now, and the novelty still hasn't worn off.
I always wanted a convertible, even when I was a kid. As it happens, I never got to ride in one until my first date with my wife. We've driven Sunny to Miami and back, to our hotel the night of our wedding, down the Blue Ridge Parkway, and on countless road trips through the Georgia mountains. She's eleven years old, has almost a hundred and sixty thousand miles, and is still going strong.
I auditioned to be a contestant on "Jeopardy!" a few months ago. A friend warned me that I'd be asked what I'd do with the money should I win. Of course, knowing me, I'll pay off debt and be responsible, but that's not a good interview answer. When the time came, I told the story of our del Sol, and that I'd like to use the money to repaint and reupholster and restore her. The interviewer asked why we wouldn't just buy a new car. It's obvious he's never been in love with an automobile.
I see del Sols fairly frequently around Atlanta. In fact, there's another one here in our apartment complex. It could just be that it's a distinct looking car, and therefore you tend to remember one when you spot one. I probably saw a hundred Celicas today; I don't remember any one of them. When the newest del Sols are now ten years old, however, seeing them so readily speaks to the loyalty they inspire. We get offers from people wanting to buy Sunny from us on the order of once a month. And while some people may think our average condition 1996 Honda del Sol is worth a couple of grand at best, in my heart Sunny's priceless.