Article: 111380 of alt.peeves
From: emr@idiom.com (Elaine Richards)
Newsgroups: alt.peeves
Subject: The FurMobile
Date: 13 Aug 2000 00:15:16 -0700
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Every so often, in my somewhat orderly life, I have an epiphany.
I suddenly realize that I have neglected an aspect of my life
to an almost criminal degree.

Last weekend, I knew I needed to squire around a couple of out of
town visitors. I approached the car to see if it needed gasoline
and realized that one tire was not only bald, it had started to wear
through the layer with the tread to the next one. I managed to
get up at some ungodly hour, drive to a tire shop and get the tire
replaced. I was relieved that I did that, but then looked, really
looked at the interior of the car. Sure, I wash the car. I have
even been known to polish it. But, I realized I was looking at
the fur of five different cats, one rabbit, a dog, and numerous
iterations of my own hair color.

The car, in short, was disgusting.

Fortunately, my guests were too distracted by chatter and sightseeing
to notice the condition of the vehicle.

I decided that, after 14 years, it was time to clean the interior of
the car.

I grabbed a box and filled it with all the detritus one gets in a car.
I had gas receipts, parking chits, maps in various states of decay,
corroded pennies, cat food, cat litter, twist ties, and little plastic
bits that have been falling off the interior of my car. Three weeks
ago, the front of the glove box fell onto the floor, for example.
I filled the box. So, I wheeled up the trash can. I opened the trunk.
Gym clothes, shoes, sketchbooks, pine mulch, mold, maps, maps, maps,
a laminated calendar that I thought protected the carpet in the trunk,
and pine needles, meadow grass seeds, sand....

I spent 1 1/2 hours vacuuming the interior of the car. I patted myself
on the back for at least having the foresight to get mats to protect the
carpets from wear. I glued the glove box and broken rear view mirror.
I wiped off the dash and instruments. I vacuumed the trunk. I noticed
that the spare had a little tire cosy on it. I took that off to clean
it and discovered something I had never seen before, even though I have
been the sole owner of the car. The Volvo people had tucked a little 
courtesy toolkit into the pocket of the tire cosy. I was touched, delighted,
and saddened that now that Ford owns Volvo, we'll never see something as
classy as that again.

SOme of the things (art supplies, maps, emergency road things) are back
in the car. The interior is clean, except for the dog nose prints.

But there is one unescapable fact. It's still a 14 year old beater.

But it's a clean one, and that's good.

E "And I am going to glue some more chrome fish on it tomorrow" R