The Man Chronicles: Matt and Jay

Welcome to The Man Chronicles, a series at THL.  Or more accurately, an "occasional series" because my dating life is very Miranda Hobbes circa her panic attack aka sources for post subjects are scarce.  I really get my flirt on with the Chinese food guy, though.   

Series motto (for now!), methinks: "Do any of you have a completely unremarkable friend or maybe a houseplant I could go to dinner with on Saturday night?"

Check out the first installment over here. 

I regret even saying I was going to include Matt and Jay in this, because... 6 years ago.  I can look back on Matt and laugh, but memories of Jay give me mixed feelings.  My initial reason for including them was that they give little glimpses into juuust how bad I am at navigating things.  Some people might get better at things over the course of six years, but in my case, the awkwardness of 18 year old Charlotte was but a precursor of things to come. 

All that said, this post is kind of short and boring.  (But I'm going to publish another [unrelated to tmc] post later.  So there's that.) 

I had known both Matt and Jay for a while.  One was a cousin of a friend and the other was a friend of a friend.  Both were a little older than me.  When we hit around 16-17, we all fell into the same group of friends.  At some point, crushes started forming in said group.  

Which may or may not have led to sitting on the couch one day, awkwardly reaching for the remote so that - wow, would you look at that, our arms are in prime position for hand-holding.  

That's what Matt was.  Several months of awkwardly trying to show affection toward each other without letting anyone else see.  Looking back now I'll say it was cutesy but it was also weird.  Also I can attest to the fact that my inability to show any sort of public affection hasn't changed.  

(I suppose it wouldn't be fair to not give a description of Matt.  He was around my height, white, with curly dark hair.  He didn't have any then, but I saw him a few years after and he's since developed verynice facial hair.  He was soft spoken but kind of funny and if I remember correctly he was into music.) 

Annnnd Jay.  The more I think about it, the more I feel like he was creepy as hell.  But first a brief description: tall, tan, dark short hair, muscular, and I don't know anything about his personality.  So.  Yeah that crush was all substance and not at all about looks.  Nope. 

Yeah so the flirting went on for a tiny while, and then one night at a party-turned sleepover I basically woke up to him attempting to make a move.  I'm all for guys making the first move.  But I'm not all for it when I'm not awake.  I left and haven't seen him since, though he'd sent me a few messages after and I hadn't responded to any.  He recently said happy birthday and alluded to that night and mentioned wanting to do it again... and just.  No.  I'm glad I don't need to see him.

So yes.  The two most boring stories in the whole thing.  

Next up: Michael, who will be much more interesting to write about/read about.  Promise. 

__

Charlotte    

The Man Chronicles: An Introduction

Welcome to The Man Chronicles, a series at THL.  Or more accurately, an "occasional series" because my dating life is very Miranda Hobbes circa her panic attack aka sources for post subjects are scarce.  I really get my flirt on with the Chinese food guy, though.   

Series motto (for now!), methinks: "Do any of you have a completely unremarkable friend or maybe a houseplant I could go to dinner with on Saturday night?"

There are three things in life that I often wish I enjoyed more: summer, wearing heels, and dating.  

sources sources sources

Rock on, hypothetical Charlotte. 

Unfortunately, I can't go out in the summer without burning, I just can't do high heels, and, to the point of this post, I hate hate hate dating.  I find it so uncomfortably awkward and I'm not into dating for fun.  I kind of wish you could magically be placed smack dab in the middle of a serious relationship and not have to endure (or "enjoy" depending on the amount of liquid in the glass...) dating first.  

But that's not how it works! so I've had to suck it up and now I'm going to go ahead and share these grand experiences with you, all three of my readers.  (That said, not everyone on here will be someone I've dated.  It's "The Man Chronicles" not "The Guys I've Dated Chronicles" so.) 

A Summary of Me 

Yesterday I was playing basketball with my cousins and sisters.  On the court next to us there were a bunch of guys around my age playing a game.  One of the kids missed a pass and our ball was rolling into their court so, without really thinking, I said, 

"Ball!  Ball!  Don't trip and fall!"

Dammit, Char.  DOES EVERYTHING NEED TO RHYME?!

This is one reason I'm single.

Another reason?  I almost never make a move or display interest.  This breaks down like so: 

25% "I'm the girl!  I don't want to make the first move!" / 75% issues with rejection.  

I know no one likes to be rejected, but after an entire childhood of it, I really, really struggle with getting past it.  Sometimes I do, but it takes a lot of effort.  

Also, the lackluster amount of self confidence doesn't help.  Working on it, though.

I'm sure there's more to it, but I think that covers the basics.  Dating just is not my thing.  It comes very easily to some people, I know.  And the amount of people who have told me, "You're young! Have fun!  Go on dates!" probably numbers in the double digits.  

Lest you think I'm a total fun-sucking bore - while the prospect as a whole is almost never thrilling or exciting for me, I do manage to have fun on individual dates.  Worry not. 

"What do you want in a man?"  

I admit I roll my eyes a little when people answer this question with a massive list of perfect qualities.  I mean I get wanting perfection, but... I also don't want to die alone, so, I ditched that idea looong ago.  There are, though, a few things that I guess I look for in a man.  I'd prefer a sense of humor.  I'd like someone who thinks about the world.  I know this is absolutely 100% ridiculous, but I don't think I'd ever consider a serious relationship with a Red Sox fan.    

I know that none of the following things usually come up in the first couple dates, but if we're talking long run:

I wouldn't want to get serious with someone who doesn't care about politics.  I don't mean on a daily basis or someone with a wealth of info on politics  - those things don't matter as much to me.  But if you know about poverty and don't care about it, or if you know about racism and don't care about it I'm not interested.  That basically boils down to caring about other people.  I firmly believe that we're all supposed to see each other as brothers and sisters.  So if a guy only cared about himself and his own friends and family, I wouldn't really be interested.  (I feel the same way toward friends.  All of my closest friends are people who deeply care about other people.)   

I'm Catholic.  I'm okay being with a non-Catholic, but it's important that the guy is okay with that.  

Basic kindness.

I wouldn't get serious-serious with someone who didn't want kids.  I totally respect the decision, but I want them and you can't really compromise between not wanting to bring little humans into the world and very much wanting to bring little humans into the world.

There are other things that come to mind, but those are what stand out most to me.

The Characters so Far

I'm not going to talk about every man I've ever flirted with, but there are seven or so guys that have, for better or for worse, been seared into my memory.  

(Of course, all names have been changed.  BUT I picked names similar in style to their real names because I'm nutty like that.)

I'm going to group Matt and Jay together because neither lasted long and both were around high school/the first year of college.  I never really dated either, but I guess I "talked to" (ugh so annoying) them both and there are awkward but funny stories for each.  I'll share those tomorrow.  

Chuck, my first technical "date."  

Michael, the guy who showed potential but then things got weird and it was awful because not only were we in the same class, but we were on the same team within that class, so there was no avoiding each other. 

Alex, a really nice guy who was my friend but then we had shared interest in each other... but never put a label on it and................... just again things got weird.  But, still friends.  

Jake, a recent/sometimes current man of interest.

and

John, a man I don't really have a crush on.  But sometimes I picture us married. 

Stay tuned. 

__

Charlotte 

Later posts in this series:

The Man Chronicles: Matt and Jay

May into June | 2015

A couple of weeks ago, I decided I no longer wanted to post "Weeklings," the weekly round up of events, great links, and goings-on.  But I knew I didn't want to ditch the concept entirely.  So I'm going to try out a monthly version instead, and hopefully it'll feel less forced to me and just as enjoyable (or not) to my readers.  

So here's what I've been up to lately. 

1. Got my hair cut

It's much, much shorter than I expected and at first I was a little.. eh.  But I don't think it looks terrible, I think it makes me look older, and it's SOOO unbelievably easy to take care of, so I might be a short hair convert. 

2. Gardening

I read things like this or this or this and I want to drop everything right.this.instant and immediately plant a massive vegetable garden and wear overalls and never have to go food shopping (exaggert.) again.  

But the world is a cold, hard place, and you can't be a farmer while you're living with your family.

So we improvise: 

Nothing super special, but it's pretty and it's already producing edible tomatoes and I haven't killed it yet.  This is a vast improvement from last year's attempt: 

P.S. Here's the link for that whole blessed article. 

P.P.S. Ah that led to a little gut-wrench - I miss my old apartment and life in Albany and my friends. 

But yes, so garden I did.  I've also done a little gardening for $.   

I've got some issues with things touching me or weird textures on my hands (makes applying lotion fun) and I hate hate hate dirt under my finger nails, so this was an adjustment.  And I'm sure the water bill is going to go up thanks to many a hand-washing sessions because I'm so anal with it and cannot leave any dirt under my nails AT ALL.  I'm good for the environment. 

3. Rebecca

Rebecca, my 15 year old cousin (I sometimes refer to her as my sister because we grew up together) came up from Georgia and will be here for most of the summer so that's been fun.  

My bball skills, by the way, are nil. I shot probably 6 for 100.  To think I used to be somewhat decent.... 

We saw Pitch Perfect 2.  

It was funny, but it wasn't as good as the first one.  Not even close. 

4. Studying

Oh, man.  Since I'm trying to go back to school, I've been studying physics and math a bit.  I never took physics (I've taken and done at least semi-well in biology, chemistry, environmental science, and exploration of space) and it's been a while since I've done math so........ studying is basically going like this: 

I've got a few books and I'm using Khan Academy.  My hope is that if I stick to it, I'll be able to teach myself a little something before jumping into classes. 

5. Eating better & getting more exercise

I've been eating more vegetables and cutting down on carbs.  I'm not cutting them out entirely because I love them and I think the main cause of my weight gain in the first place was a combo of becoming completely sedentary and eating fast food literally at least once a day.  I don't eat nearly as much crap now and I've done a little switch-a-roo so that instead of taking a heaping helping of pasta or mashed potatoes at meals and a tiny helping of vegetables, I try taking a heaping helping of vegetables and a tiny helping of pasta or mashed potatoes.  It's mostly working.  

I've been doing at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, and while I think I still LOOK fat as hell, I can feel the difference and sort of see it too.  My arms are starting to get less flabby and slightly (again, still overweight) more defined.  It's cool.  

* * * 

Some other mentionables: 

- My health insurance company STILL has not sent me my cards.  They say I haven't paid, even though it's on my bank statement.  So I'm in the process of dealing with that. 

This is how I feel about it.

- I'm getting nervous about the whole school thing.  Nothing is set in stone, and while I've decided it's what I'm doing, I'm worried that things won't work out perfectly and that I won't be able to start when I want to start.  I don't know if this is legitimate foreboding or just me being ridiculous and paranoid. 

- I really want a job.  (Side eye at insurance company)

- I read this post and realized I haven't gone to confession in 17 years and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.  Which means... I'm probably going to need to go to confession soon.  Eek. 

- I'm in the midst of some blog changes.  Nothing major, just trying to make it a bit better.

- I finally got around to watching Interstellar.  I cannot believe I waited so long to see that.  I loved it.  It was amazing.

THAT scene, however, did not help my fear of tidal waves. 

* * * 

Books 

I've read: 

An Enemy of the People (good, not great),

Awaken the Spirit Within (eh..)

Better Than Before (wonderful) 

Hopefully book reviews coming soon. 

* * * 

Links worth looking at

Angst May Be Glamorous, But It Won't Make You Happy - Verily

Lauren Graham's TV Daughters, Alexis Bledel And Mae Whitman, Finally Meet - HuffPo

As Joe Biden Grieves, His Community Unites To Help Him Heal: 'They're Us' - HuffPo

How Growing Up in Poverty Rewires a Child’s Developing Brain

50 ‘I Dos’ You Should Be Able To Commit To Before You Get Married - Elite Daily

The Internet can’t replace libraries: Why they matter more than ever in the age of Google - Salon

37 Questions The “Harry Potter” Movies Need To Answer - Buzzfeed

Rick Santorum wants Pope Francis to leave science to scientists only when it’s convenient for him - The Washington Post

Continued Existence Of Edible Arrangements Disproves Central Tenets Of Capitalism - The Onion

Bagpipes, sainthood, and other passing interests - Daniel Bearman: Acts of Idiot Praise

Saying These 8 Things To Your Kid Every Day Could Change Their Life

MOST IMPORTANTLY Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak’s Massive-Book-Deal-Worthy Relationship: A Timeline - Vulture

Til later. 

__

Charlotte 

Nickname-able

My name, obviously, is Charlotte.  

It's unclear what my full first name is, though.  On some birth-related documents, "Charlotte Patricia" is listed as my first name with "Anne" (with an e ;) as my middle, others have "Charlotte" as my first name with "Patricia Anne" as my middle name.  My family, including my parents, aren't clear on this either.  (How?  I don't know.)  

Of course, Charlotte is what I normally go by.  As a kid I badly wanted a nickname because I'm named after someone, so I was always called "Little Charlotte" or "Baby Charlotte."  Alas, I never had a real nickname.  

That said, there are a lot of names I answer to.    

"Char" and "Charl" are used frequently, but neither are nicknames so much as shortened for ease.  (Like "Em" when addressing an Emily or "Cher" when talking to a Cheryl.) 

"CP" is used occasionally, for Charlotte Patricia.  It was used much more often in my pre-college years.

"Charlotte Patricia" is used by certain friends.  Especially Olivia and Stephanie.  I think they just like the sound of it.  I actually like it, too, but it's so long and cumbersome that I never refer to myself as this.  Stephanie swears I introduced myself as this, but I have no recollection of doing so.  (Maybe I did in an attempt to get away from the "Baby Charlotte" dilemma?)

"Char Patty" was used for a bit while I was in school and... I don't miss it. 

I had an uncle who genuinely thought my name was "Scarlet" and........ no one ever corrected him.

I'm also called "Red" frequently (my hair).  

Olivia calls me "Charlie" a lot.  Others have used it, but she does so consistently.  

"Char Char" is used by two friends, but again, not exclusively.  (As in, they call me Charlotte, but sometimes fondly [I think?] go with this instead.) 

In fifth grade - and I know this because a few years ago I looked at my old yearbook and the notes were almost all addressed with it - I was, apparently, called "Chestnut."  I'm not mad that this moniker didn't last. 

For a while, "Charla" was huuuuge.  I'm indifferent to it, but no one really calls me this anymore.

*Edited to add* "Sippee" - Liz read this post and decided she's calling me "Sippee," like for "CP."  She then asked me if I get it, so I'm assuming she wants to know if you, dear reader, also get it?  C-P, Si-ppee.  

And because everyone's got a sense of humor, I'm called "Annie" from time to time: 

Source

Rant: There are different shades of red hair and mine is not the same as orphan Annie's and, STOP CALLING ME THIS. 

Also, I get called "Red Headed Step Child" too often for my liking and while it's fine now, as a kid I hated it because, uh, I was a red headed step child.  So. 

BUT those are the main variations of Charlotte and Charlotte Patricia that people have used for me.

Other nicknames I've heard used for Charlotte are Lottie, Harley, Arlo (in the trend of using boy nicks for girls), and Carla/Carly.  Of those, I like "Lottie" best.

I'm always a fan of hearing new nicknames!

__

Charlotte 

Drink Coke

I have a list of blog post ideas but it's late and my body hurts and it's been a rough week (illness) so instead of writing a post while I'm falling asleep, have some pics:

You're welcome for the heavy, thoughtful post. 

__

Charlotte

On Memorial Day

It seems that there's a struggle on Memorial Day, at least within my social circle.  How can we honor service members without glorifying war?  Can we thank a soldier while protesting the war he fought in?  

I think we can.

America is my home and I love this country, even when I hate everything about her institutions.  I get goosebumps when I hear the national anthem and I tear up when I watch a parade of veterans.  That's all true.  

But it's also true that I'm disgusted by the military industrial complex.  I detest the fact that America's leaders are willing to send men and women (and often 18 year old kids) into war to kill and be killed so that they may profit, so that they may acquire land, so that they may reap the benefits.  

And yet I feel a deep gratitude to the people who are sent to war.  I've never met a marine who doesn't want to serve.  I've never met a sailor who wouldn't give everything to uphold our values.  I've seen airmen and coast guardsmen and soldiers stand up for what's right again and again.  

When they sign up, it's never with ill intentions.  It's always to serve America.  

When they come back, they often demand that their fellow Americans are not denied their rights.  

Like this.

Or this.  

Sometimes veterans themselves protest wars, insisting that their brothers and sisters should not be put in harm's way unless absolutely necessary.  

Yes, politicians and weapons manufactures start unjust wars.  

But the men and women who have died in those wars died intending to protect us, to protect freedom, and to protect each other while in combat.  I think those are honorable and admirable actions, and I don't think we should take their sacrifice lightly.  

When I have kids I plan on teaching them that service members are heroes, that the kind of sacrifice fallen soldiers, marines, airmen, coast guardsmen, and sailors have made are examples of bravery and love that most of us can only strive for.  I plan on celebrating with flags and parades.  But the best way, I think, to celebrate Memorial Day is to offer a prayer for those who have died, tend to their families, and to fight for a world where small children don't need to spend the day visiting the graves of their fathers.

* * *

In the quiet sanctuaries of our own hearts, let us call on the name of God whose power over us is great and gentle, firm and forgiving, holy and healing…

You who created us, who sustain us, who call us to live in peace, hear our prayer this day.

Hear our prayer for all who have died, whose hearts and hopes are known to you alone…

Hear our prayer for those who put the welfare of others ahead of their own: give us hearts as generous as theirs…

Hear our prayers for those who give their lives in the service of others, and accept the gift of their sacrifice…

Help us to shape and make a world where we will put down the arms of war and live in the harvest of justice and peace…

Comfort those who grieve the loss of their loved ones: in our hearts let your healing be our hope.

Hear our prayer this day and in your mercy answer us in the name of all that is holy.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

by Fr. Austin Fleming of Concord, MA, 2008

__
Charlotte 

Struggles of Car Ownership

Today, because I have literally no clue what to do with my life at the moment and am very, very bored, I'm going to chronicle my latest adventure of cleaning and washing my car.  WOW are you in for a treat! 

I keep the inside of my car mostly clean.  My policy toward the exterior has basically been something like, "nature will handle it."  It's rained plenty, and each time it totally counts as a washing.  I'm right, you're wrong.  Ahem.  

Get on track, Charlotte. 

Okay so really I think I've washed the car once.  Sometime last year, I believe.  But a few days ago I looked at my car and was astonished because it was a totally different color than it normally is and I decided that I couldn't maintain my laissez faire attitude toward pollen any longer.  "I'm a grown ass woman,"  I reminded myself.  "I need to keep my car clean." 

And so wash I did.  I mean, I didn't do it well.  I tried!  I really did.  But I think it's safe to say I did not miss my calling by not washing cars.  I have actually no clue how professionals get cars so sparkly and wonderful.  But yes, it was washed and beautiful and back to its normal color.  And because it's the second worst (or hey! third best!) season of the year, it looked like this no more than two hours later:

the hood

the windshield

a window

Effing terrific, so glad I just washed you, beautiful car.  Nature: 1 Charlotte: 0

But let's get to the real fun: cleaning the inside of the car.  

I don't know if I'm just a little deficient in the cleaning department (add it to my repertoire of deficiencies, bebe) or if dust in cars is a universal terror but good God I was basically swishing around dirt instead of actually picking it up.  I'm talking here specifically about the dashboard.  Now really, I'm not a Dirty Gerty.  I wave the duster thing across the dash around once a month.  But somehow it always looks dusty!

I busted out the big guns - handy dandy Mr. Clean (if it's all purpose for a house it should also be all purpose for a car, too, right?  Right?!) and gave it an actual scrub and I swear, I'm convinced dust is actually a permanent fixture in the car.  I kid you not, there was a moment when I scrubbed with all my might and upon lifting the washcloth saw lingering dust and I sat back in my seat and wondered if I was a total nutter and it was just the material of the car.  I mean, this is 20-fifteen, baby, there can be a plastic-rug hybrid material!  

Alas, it's just plain old plastic and it has a strong attraction to dust.  It looks better now, but it's still not perfect and I'm learning to gtfover it.  

Moving onward and upward!  Not literally. 

I usually put any garbage I may make in the compartment-thing (fancy. wordsmith.) on the door and that's what I cleaned after swishing around dirt on cleaning the dash.  This whole process should have taken maybe an hour EXCEPT

Some of that garbage in the door is crinkled up receipts.  Which means... I had to come face to face with the realization that I've visited KFC an ungodly amount of times in the last month.  

Answer: Often

So my hour long car-washing process bitterly turned into a much longer process as I had what can only be called an existential crisis.  I pondered consumerism, depression, eating habits, my own happiness, and mortality.  I accepted that the only thing I currently had a grip on was the handle of the stupid Mr. Clean bottle - and not, indeed, on my life.  

But joy cometh in the morning and I recovered, once again committed in my mission of cleaning this damn car.  

Next came the fun, fun middle of the car - you know, with the gears and the cup holders and the completely random lines/cracks that serve no purpose other than hosting dirt. 

No matter how much you try, it's damn near impossible to get the dirt out of all those crevices.  I HATE this and I really need to take my car to a professional one day when I have money because they must have surgeon-level-skilled hands and teeny tiny cleaning tools that allow them to remove all that shit.  Just look that the mirror controller.  WHY does that require so many rectangular houses of dirt?  The buttons needed company or something?  The person who designed this car (and the designers of most cars) clearly did not have cleanliness on the mind.  

Finally, I tackled the bane of my car ownership: the space where dwells the emergency brake. 

HOW DOES ONE CLEAN THAT? 

I've owned other cars.  They do not all have such horrid emergency brake situations.  I do not know who designed this, but I do not like him.  

It's basically impossible to reach the dust in there.  I did try, and totally tried using the washcloth, but when it couldn't fit right, I instead tried using a napkin (likely from KFC) and since the napkin was wet (Mr. Clean), a piece of it tore off, leading to a truly epic episode of paranoia that went something like, 

Oh my God, how do I get it out of there?  

If I can't reach it and I turn the car back on is it going to explode?! 

It's a napkin!  WHAT IF IT CATCHES FIRE? 

Is this space somehow connected to the engine?  Is this going to travel and stop the car from working? 

Who in the fuck designed this?  He should come clean this for me.

But I was able to retrieve the napkin-miscreant and all was well.

I'm smarter than I sound, I swear. 

Tragedy avoided, I sat back and contemplated banning food or anything else that can create a need to clean for .2 seconds, got over myself, buckled up, and started the car.  I laughed for a hot sec when I put the air on and remaining Mr. Clean shot out of the vents all over me.  

I promptly stopped laughing when my eyelashes failed me and some of that shit got in my eye. 

Ah, to be the owner of a car. 

* * *

I don't want to sound like an ungrateful B, so let me just make it clear that I'm so glad I'm able to own this car.

Around a year and a half ago, I suddenly found myself in need of a car.  Which is fine, except I believe my bank account balance was something like $300.  Excellent!  It couldn't really be a knock-around car because my job required between two and four hours of travel a day.  So it really needed to be a safe car.  Well, happenings happened and doings were done and even though I couldn't afford it and I'm still paying someone back for helping me with the deposit, things turned out okay.  It just so happened that the car with the right price and mileage was a green Subaru Impreza Outback.  I've long loved Subaru Outbacks and Foresters, and green is my favorite color, so that was a nice coincidence.  Literally every time I look at my car I feel happy about it.

Within the first couple months of owning it, the car was broken into (nothing was taken - I guess they didn't want my One Direction cd???) and was crashed into by someone who decided against leaving a note.  So that cost a pretty penny to fix.  But I got over it pretty quickly and mostly handled it like a pro.

Welllllllllll, just weeks after my old insurance policy ended and a new one with a fresh (and higher!) deductible started, someone hit into it again!  And declined to leave a note - again!  This has been slightly more stressful for me because while it hasn't affected the function of the car, I don't have the money to fix the dent.  Usually I have such a laid back attitude about scratches and dents - a friend of mine once backed into my car and I just laughed and called him an ahole and told him not to worry about it - a few little dings add character!  But.  But!  I think it's straight up rude to do significant damage to someone's car and just drive away.  That ain't right.  So sometimes when I see the dent it puts me in a pissy mood for about one and a half minutes and then I remember I'm driving a beautiful green Subaru and I try and get over it.    

I'm going to skip right over the part about the brakes needing fixing (brakes?  brake pads??  I don't know, the car makes noises and feels weird when I step on the brake...) and also over the part about the check engine light going on for an O2 sensor.  Totally a minor problem, but a $200 minor problem when you're in the midst of trying to go back to school and request transcripts and SAT scores is something that is kind of hard to stomach.

But - really, I love having the car.  I have a few friends who loathe owning a car.  It does get pricey and maintenance isn't the easiest thing in the world and it needs oil changes and fluids and air filters and omg it's a travelling metal death trap but HEY IT'S A GREEN SUBARU AND I LOVE IT.  

And I've worked pretty hard to stay on top of all the things.  Except for once (right around surgery time), the oil is changed like clock work.  I keep it mostly clean.  It always has a healthy amount of washer fluid and of course, I always keep the radio/cd player happy by only putting the very best of music on - lately the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, Glee Season 1, Michael Jackson, and a mix cd I made titled "Let Me Clear My Throat" which features a host of goodies from DJ Kool, DMX, and Outkast.  Refined taste.  Oh and I stuck a lovely "Tax the Rich" bumper sticker on it.  Which makes me love it even more, though I wouldn't have thought that possible.

Behold!

  

__

Charlotte