Can't Buy Me Love

Of course my dreams have been super intense lately. Last night, not only did I dream I was at a wedding/masquerade ball with my high school/college friends awaiting the arrival of Lady Gaga to perform, only to be disappointed when Annette Benning walked in singing - I dreamed of my past love. (You're so vein, you probably think this post is about you Patrick Dempsey...but it's not:)




I am talking about my bittersweet 1990 white Volkswagen Cabriolet convertible. Known to most as the Vanilla Puff, The Puff or Puff the Magic Dragon.



Why do I hold so much sentimental value in that car? Well, lemme tell ya.

After my supurb Silver Bullet (the 1991 Oldsmobile Cutless Surpreme *still looking where that supreme came in*) took a dive in 2001, I needed a car and I needed one bad. My friends graciously drove me all around my college town and beyond until I could afford to buy something new (to me). I worked hard to pay off my credit cards and get a little bit of savings, when my Momma called. "Tab, I found a car. It is SO you." She couldn't have been more right - the only downfall, it was in Houston, Texas.

Coincidently, my sister, Samm was moving from my college town and heading to Houston to be with our mom. She said, my gal pal, Listie and I could hitch a ride down in the moving van and drive the car back. Three women in a moving truck driving through, OKC, Dallas and Houston. You can imagine the memories.

While homeward bound, we drove with the top down all the way to Dallas. It even sprinkled a little but we didnt' care, the warmth of the rain felt amazing at 70 miles per hour. We stopped in Dallas at my bestie's house to stretch and followed a friend back to OKC from there.

It was late. We were tired. And our tire got tired, too. Flat tired, that is. But we found a service center (so glad our friend was following us) and headed on our way. We rolled back in to Weatherford at roughly 3am. Every minute was worth it.

I loved that car. Even though it proved to be the least reliable, it was cute as a button. And I loved going to pick up my friends, taking trips and cruising with the top down singing Alicia Keys and Incubus. (Ah, college) Toward the final days before college graduation, the putter needed some serious work. Serious work takes money, that which most college kids do not have. Again, I was at the mercy of my friends.

When I made the move to Oklahoma City post college, I decided to haul it on a flatbed to spare the days it had remaining in it's engine. I found a job, started saving again. I did not want to see the Puff go, but there was no way it was logical to fix the beast. In 2004 I said goodbye.

Just like my Silver Bullet, I wouldn't have traded the Vanilla Puff for anything. As crazy as those cars were, they became a part of me and taught me a lot about who I was. I don't want to discount how my friends towed me all over town, let me borrow their cars for trips home and made sure I made it to work, school and important events like weddings. Also, how much my family and friends spent to keep the cars alive. I learned a lot from the experience, how to deal with mechanics, how to identify strange noises under the hood, how to watch my pennies and just how important it is to love what you have, not for the worth but for the function. Not to mention, I had a boat load of great memories in both cars.

The only difference is, I vowed I would have my volksie back one day.

I guess I got what I wanted...only it was in dream form.

The first day with The Vanilla Puff. I was so excited when I got home,

I wanted a picture in the dark with it.

This car made me look cool. :)