This blog is about cars from now on, sorry.

I will never be able to afford a car this nice in Real Life.

My rental car is an ice-purple PT Crusier convertible. I'm sure car buffs would guffaw over me calling the Cruiser "nice," but to me it is. It's a pretty new car — 16,000 miles on it, and it still smells like the factory. I like the way it drives — I feel like I'm sitting up higher than I did in my Alero, and it feels smooth and tight the way older cars don't — but it's got pretty dismal blind spots when the top's up. I confess, I have not yet driven with the top down. Perhaps when it warms up to 50 degrees.

The adjustor told me today that the Alero is definitely totaled. They want to release it from the tow lot to a salvage yard. I said fine. My dad called, pissed that the insurance people had even talked to me. They were supposed to go through him. I'm stupid and don't know how to do all this without getting bilked, so he's insisting on handling it. He's pissed that the insurance company wants to send the car to a salvage yard before they've even offered us any money. This makes sense to me, I guess. I don't know the rules. I don't know the protocol. I am completely clueless. Everyone I talk to is offering conflicting advice. All I want is to go back to Saturday night and take Union instead of Linden, dammit.

Tomorrow (okay, later today) at 8 a.m., I have to go clean out the car. There is so much stuff in there. Granny's clothes, pieces of kitchen appliances, newspapers, bottles, sunglasses, books, plastic cups, bras (don't ask), maps, stamps, etc. I'm going to need an army of trash bags. I need to get my tags and my mats. It will be the last I see of my car, which is headed for a junkyard, to be picked at by vultures seeking cheap parts. Actually, I shouldn't think of it like that. I should think of it as organ donorship. Through the death of my car, others can live. Or something.

And I have to go to the doctor for real this time. I tried Sunday — Methodist Minor Medical wouldn't take my insurance — and again Monday — Baptist Minor Medical allowed me to wait for three hours and took my co-pay, only to have the doctor say she couldn't treat me and I'd have to go to the ER for a back x-ray. (Which I didn't do because it was New Year's Eve, Joey was in in town and I AM NOT INSANE.) So I guess I'll try to make an appointment with a doctor who does do big x-rays this time. I feel fine, I'm not all that sore, really, but everyone's nagging me to go get checked out and I'm tired of hearing it. And I'm just dying to waste an afternoon breathing germs in a doctor's waiting room.

I've been looking at car prices and specs online. I've been floored by how much cars cost these days. This makes me old or stupid or both. I remember the days when you could get a decent entry-level car for $10,000. Now I don't see much below $16,000ish. Even used cars are effing expensive.

Kinda got a crush on the Fit. I'm definitely looking for something that gets good mileage. Crude futures hit $100 a barrel, don'tchaknow?