[edevlin]

I got to thinking when I was responding to another thread about car damage, how my teenage son has provided me with two cars that I otherwise likely never gotten. Up until a few years ago, I have always driven very practical inexpensive "family" cars.

My son provided me with my first all-wheel drive vehicle when he was messing around with the Ford Windstar in the driveway. He 14-years old at the time and was backing up the driveway with the door open, just for fun, and pretty much tore the door off when he caught it on a tree. I tried patching the door and make due for a while, but we finally traded the Winstar in for a new Suburu Forester which I like a lot. That was car one.

My wife drove (note the "drove") a pretty new Toyota Corolla, which she loved. Shortly after my son got his license, he totaled it while taking a curve too fast. It was at night, he was going 45 mph and did not see the 25 mph curve warning sign.

He was on a trip to the vet and had our cat and dog with him. He had his seatbelt on, but the animals didnt and they went flying when he slid off the road into an embankment. Nobody got hurt, but it was a big wakeup call for him, and he appears to be a reasonable careful driver these days. That was the start of car number two.

The family got by with just the Forester for a little over a year and then last summer Cyndy started making noises about getting a second car, probably another Corolla or a hybrid of some sort.

That's when I struck and became a owner of my 2000 Boxster. I say struck, because if I did not act quickly, and against the wishes of "she-who-must-be-obeyed" we would have a Forester and Corolla sitting in the driveway instead of the Boxster. Funny how things work out, I guess my son has provided me with my first all-wheel drive vehicle and sports car. What a strange trip we are all on.....

Ed

:dance: