Ten-Finger Exercises

Robert Red Ford

My car is home where he belongs, with a nice new bumper ready to do battle with whatever telephone pole jumps into his path.

While he was supposed to be getting fixed the first time, the time when the body shop ordered the wrong part, I had a snazzy little red Mazda to drive. Yesterday I had a Cobalt, with, would you believe it, crank-up windows. I didn't even know they still made the things! It required a regular key in the lock to open too. Wow, I guess I'm really spoiled.

The Cobalt did have an interesting feature though. On the steering wheel there was a button marked 'Info,' which, when clicked, gave a readout beside the odometer. The info it had included the outside temperature, how hot the coolant was, how old the oil, how many miles to the gallon you were getting, and your fuel range, plus some things I've forgotten. I love the fuel range one. I would no longer have to wonder if I could get home where the gas is cheaper before filling up. The best mileage I saw on it was 25.7, but that wasn't really out on the highway, so that's pretty good. I must say, I enjoyed driving a smaller car again, especially when backing up in a crowded lot.

The heat is back to the mid-nineties again, and we're invited to an outdoor birthday party tonight. Ugh. It's one of those hot days where I'm glad the new patient I just saw for the first time happened to be somewhat religious. Otherwise, his answer to my question, What gives meaning to your life? might have been, "A cold beer!"