Happily Ever Laughter: The end of an era, goodbye little white civic

This is an ode to my 1999 Honda Civic. I have owned five cars in my life, just a few weeks ago I purchased my fifth car. If you are doing the math that means I have had on average one car every three years I could drive, but averages aren't always accurate.

My first car was a maroon 1984 Chevrolet Celebrity, or the POH (piece of hud) as we liked to call it. It always smelled of gas, the windows didn't roll up straight and it was like two sofas on wheels, but it was mine. I was always thankful for a car, I have to admit that going to Alta where kids drove brand new hummers, BMW's and Mercedes did make driving a car that was so old a bit awkward, but I never fit in in high school, so why should my car. I drove the POH for ten months until I decided that I could afford a new car. We sold the POH for $500 and I had my down payment on my 1989 Mercury Topaz.

Ahh....the Topaz. We always said Topaz more like Toepathz (think severe speech impediment when you say it). The Topaz was two doors, had a spoiler and automatic everything - I thought I was living large when I bought it. My $500 down payment didn't quite cover the cost so I took out my first car loan. I remember when my Opa co-signed on the loan he said, "I will take it out of your hide if you don't make the payments." It made me laugh out loud, as I knew he would say that before he said it. The Topaz payments were $90 a month. I drove the Topaz my junior and senior years of high school. On my very first day of college it wouldn't start. We had a neighbor/mechanic take a look at it and we couldn't figure out the problem so I decided I would buy my very first brand new car - enter the 1998 Ford Escort.

When I test drove the Escort I realized I had never learned how to drive a stick - so my mom, who is part race car driver, test drove it for me. I stalled the car four times trying to leave the dealership, all the salesmen stood and laughed. For some strange reason (most likely because despite what most people think I am extremely frugal) I thought that buying a car without air conditioning would be a wise and prudent decision. I drove the green escort for two years before I spotted my dream car - a two door Honda Civic with a spoiler.

I drove by the 1999 White Honda Civic for weeks. I knew I had to have it. My dad and I went to look at it, but they wanted too much so we walked out, he walked out, he was my ride, so I followed. I watched that car every day for six weeks. My parents went out of town and I decided, very ballsily that I was going to buy it all on my own. I went to the dealership, I negotiated my trade and a price for the new car and I had a loan all on my own. I called my parents to tell them what I had done, and I think we were both a bit terrified for me. I can't imagine twenty year old Randi dong this, but she did - truthfully I shouldn't be too surprised, I've always been ballsy. When I bought the civic I never thought I would drive it for eleven years. It was the car that defined my twenties. I loved that it was a stick shift, I loved that it had a sunroof, I loved that it was two doors, I loved that I bought it all on my own.

The white civic holds so many dear memories for me.

It was the car I moved out of my parents house with.

It was the car that I drove to Thursday night volleyball in.

It was the first car that I ever owned all on my own.

It was the car the MikeyCall covered in coleslaw.

It was the car that drove away from my flooded home.

It was the car that I paid off and then drove for six more years.

It was the car where Lucy lived.

It was the car that had a fight girl powder puff sticker.

It was the car that said "Save a whale harpoon a fat man".

It was the car I put more than four accent chairs in (not at the same time).

It was the car that I loaded 6 dining chairs in-even though the warehouse said it was impossible