Chariots

It’s just an inanimate object. A conglomeration of rubber, pistons, crank shafts, rings, nuts, bolts, cables, wires, leather, cloth, vinyl, and glass, all expertly pieced together to form the perfect form of mobility. But to each of us it’s so much more than just a car, a simple sum of its parts. The relationship between these modern chariots and their owners isn’t something to be taken lightly, just ask Stephen King (Christine). Speak to anyone at length and when the topic eventually rolls around to automobiles, just watch as their eyes light up. Right or wrong, we are defined by what we drive and conversely who we are is expressed in what we choose to be seen in. Everyone has a favorite car they’ve owned, or one they dream about owning someday.

I counted them up, and over the course of my life (so far) I have owned 14 different vehicles. Some of them I scratch my head and wonder what I was thinking, but others were true gems that transported me through wondrous times and ever-lasting memories. I thought I’d tell you the story of four of them today.

Naturally the list has to start off at the beginning. We all remember our first car; it maintains a special place in the heart regardless of how many follow it. For me it was a 1966 green Chevy Van. My uncle worked in the auto shop for Southern Bell in Baton Rouge and was responsible for selling off parts of the fleet that had exceeded mileage limits. He came across this one particular van in excellent shape despite its miles, so he called my Dad and a deal was struck. I took possession of it my sophomore year of high school. When I first laid eyes on it I didn’t see the rust, the dents, and the bland appearance. What I saw was a meek caterpillar, waiting for me to weave a cocoon so it might emerge as a beautiful six-cylinder butterfly. My Dad and I performed the complete makeover together. We carpeted the inside, put in a killer stereo, tinted the windows, and gave it a new coat of paint with stylish pin striping. I learned to drive a standard shift in that van (3 speed with the shifter on the steering column). It was a great first car! That same year the song ‘Chevy Van’ by Sammy Johns played on the radio a lot. Anybody remember it?

The second car on my standout list was the only convertible I owned. It was a red Triumph TR3 two seater (don’t remember the year). That car was so impractical it wasn’t funny, but it was a blast!! The suspension sucked and I was always running out of gas because the gauge kept going on the fritz, but driving the roads on a cool fall day with the top down is a treasured remembrance. I owned the TR3 while I was going to college, but didn’t have it for long. Like I said, impractical.

A 1976 black Trans AM fills the 3rd slot on my list. That car was a monster, and it was FAST!!! It was a four speed (naturally) and had enough horsepower in it even I had a hard time controlling it. My only venture over 100 mph (on a lonely back road) came in that car. Girls were drawn to it and guys drooled over it. The only reason I got rid of it was because I was going back to college full time and I couldn’t afford to keep it. I probably miss that car the most.

The fourth and final car on my list is a 1994 white Ford Mustang. That was the year (1994) of the fourth major redesign of the mustang. Of the 14 cars I have owned, only five of them have been brand new cars. This mustang was one of them. I have always held a special love for the mustangs. The 1966 mustang (the same car driven by Steve McQueen in ‘Bullitt’ or Nicholas Cage in ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’) is my ultimate dream car. When the new body style came out in ’94 and it was a return to the stylish nature of its predecessors, I had to have it. It was a wonderful car that I hand washed every weekend. In the end I had to sell that car to make accommodations for something else precious in my life…the expecting of our 3rd child.

That’s it. Those are my four favorite cars. What about you? What was your favorite car(s)? What made it special to you?

It Never Gets Old

I’m talking about receiving awards, of course.  How can anyone grow tired of them?  Seriously?  Each one is a tiny vote of confidence from a follower, letting the recipient know they’re doing something right.  Just last week in a notification from a fellow blogger she wrote, I know you have a billion of them, but here’s one more anyway.  Be it just one…or a billion and one…each is special and much appreciated.  And it doesn’t matter if I’ve been honored with a specific award already, send it my way anyway if you feel I deserve it.

Be warned though…I’m notorious for breaking the rules that sometimes come attached. 

A new award debuted in the blogosphere in the past several weeks and a whopping nine bloggers all felt I just had to have this award.  It’s the Versatile Blogger award and it was bestowed upon me by Erica Mitchell Spickard @ Chapter by Chapter, Amparo Ortiz @ No Rest for the Lazy, Kelly Dexter @ Nerdville Rhapsody, Clara @ Pinches of Madness…, J. Kaye @ 365 Days of Novel Writing, Peggy Shumway @ Fragrance of Thought, Writing Nut @ Writing in a Nutshell, and Stina Lindenblatt @ Seeing Creative.   Amanda Sablan @ That Unpublished Writer also tapped me for this award…but then she took it back when she noticed one of the others above had already named me for it.  (I’m joking with her here).

Here are the guidelines that come with the award: Share 7 things about yourself ** Give it to 15 people**Let them know in a comment that you have given them this award **.

I’m scratching my head trying to come up with seven things I haven’t discussed on here before, so I apologize if my list seems rather lame.

1.     I just commented on this one at Jen’s blog today, but I have an extreme aversion to watching anyone play with their bellybutton. 

2.     I don’t know how to type (and you call yourself a writer), but I’m the fastest hunt & pecker you’ve ever seen!

3.     The first of many stitches I endured growing up came as a result of me diving head first from our front porch onto the sidewalk.  Why?  I was dared.

4.     I used to own the same model Trans-Am Burt Reynolds drove in Smokey & the Bandit. My younger followers are probably asking who Burt Reynolds is. J

5.     I lived in Atlanta for 9 years and at times my commute to work took an hour, each way.  My commute now…five minutes.

6.     I once wrote an article for my high school newspaper entitled, The Art of Skipping Class.  Everybody hated me for months after that.  The administration because I wouldn’t reveal my sources, and my classmates because I spilled all their tricks.

7.     I was busted once by the LSU campus police for public disturbance.  I had propped my stereo speakers in the window of our 7^th floor dormitory room and was blaring “Freebird” for everyone’s enjoyment.

Phew…glad that’s over…now it’s time to re-gift.  Instead of selecting 15 deserving bloggers to impart this to (I told you I wasn’t much for rules), I’m choosing those bloggers that went above and beyond the call of duty with regard to my Blogging Buddies Around the Globe quest (I’m still five states short).  These kind souls took the time to use their blog to spread the word for me and subsequently brought me ever so close to my goal.  They are:

Jemi @ Just Jemi

Jen @ Unedited

Justine Dell

Liz @ Cleverly Inked

Natalie Bahm @ Wife…Mother…Writer

E. Elle @ The Writers Funhouse

L. Diane Wolfe @ Spunk on a Stick

If you made a mention about my quest on your blog, or specifically sent one of your followers to my site, then please let me know so I can include you in this list.

I received two other awards that I need to recognize, but I only have time today for one.  I’ll save the award that’s more involved for next time and instead focus on the Sugar Doll award presented to me by Erica Mitchell-Spickard.

Personally, I think Erica just laid this one on me because she enjoyed seeing a dude squirm with such a pink, frilly award.  But I laugh defiantly at her assumption and instead embrace the Sugar Doll and all its fabulousness!  :)  There are no rules or hoops to jump through for this award, so I’m simply going to pass it along to six lovely ladies who are most deserving.

Ashley @ Our journey Begins, As The Kings -  I just started following Ashley but I’m already impressed with her vitality and heart.

Nicole @ One Significant Moment at a Time – Nicole is away in France right now and this is my way of letting her know we haven’t forgotten about her.

Carol @ Carol’s Prints – Beauty, brains, and a comical wit that tickles me every time.  I never miss one of her post.

Laura @ Wavy Lines – Not only do I learn a lot at her blog, but she is one of my ‘Like Minded’ that always leaves insightful comments for me.

Tiana Smith – I’ve known Tiana a long time (in blog years) and I’m still enamored by her blog as much as that very first visit.

Lydia @ The Word Is My Oyster – She is proof that blog friends can help each other out in the real world too.

Finally, I wanted to let everyone know about a contest my good friend Kristi Chestnutt is having over at her blog right now.  It’s a real easy contest celebrating…well…really nothing in particular…but she’s giving away some great prizes.  I’m not really sure how long it’s running, so you better hop over there right now.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Group Hug

I'm feeling the blog love especially strong today, so I say a group hug is in order.  Everybody who feels the same should join in below.  Old friend, new friend, east coast, west coast, northern or southern hemisphere, contribute in whatever fashion suits you best.

My wish is that we could do this for real...someday.

I feed off of your energy and grow stronger everday.  You people ROCK!

(((HUG)))

The Safest Place in the World.....

.....has always been right here, next to him.

I love you Dad!  Happy Fathers Day!

Blogging Buddies around the Globe – Epic Fail?

It’s now been six weeks since I started on my quest and it appears that I’m going to come up considerably short. I’ve only picked up a couple new states since my last update and it appears this mission will end up dying on the branch. I knew that obtaining linkage with fellow bloggers in other countries was an extreme long-shot, but I thought for sure I could wrangle representation from within the US. It looks like I’m close to receiving my very first rejection, without even sending a query letter. I’m not giving up yet though, there’s one more push left in me, but I need your help.

I have comments from people representing fourty-three US states and sixteen countries. Overall I amassed 101 responses. Lots of you offered to be counted twice (or more than that) based on where you called home compared to where you lived now, but I was determined to play fair and only use locations where people are currently located. Here’s the final list of states I DO NOT HAVE represented:

Hawaii, Maryland, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

If a follower of yours resides in one of these states, could you give them a shout-out for me?

As far as the countries go, it’s still easier to just list the ones I DO HAVE:

Australia, Canada, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, New Zeland, Norway, Serbia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States.

I’m sure that if I turned to Google Analytics to analyze my site hits, I would see traffic from each of the 50 states. That’s not what I’m after. What can you learn from a site hit? Nothing. Somebody could have been searching for a cheap cruise, or researching the average cruising altitude for jet airplanes and stumbled across my blog accidentally. I desire interaction, active participation, feedback about the words I’m tacking up on this electronic bulletin board. I get that in spades from a significant portion of the ‘Like Minded’ that follow me regularly, but I’m greedy, I want more. A nudge in my direction is all I’m after, I’ll do the rest.

I’ve decided to give this effort another two weeks and then let the sun set. If it doesn’t work out, oh well. Live and learn. I’m won’t be deterred by this setback.

You’ll never be an astronaut unless you look to the stars.