So we got a big snow last night—between 11 and 12 inches, according to random measurements around the apartment. It’s about 13 or 14 on cars (where it started accumulating first). I’m loving it!
Needless to say, we’re not making an appearance at church this morning—although I did spend a few minutes clearing off 80 percent of the Honda. If my afternoon commitment is still on, it will be a lot less work to get moving. Clear off the last 20 percent of snow, do a little shoveling, and we’re good to go. That said, I have a feeling the thing this afternoon will be canceled (I’ll know around noon).
Melissa took some pictures of me and the car (see below), and since I don’t have much else to do this morning I’m doing the car survey posted elsewhere (also see below). . . .
1) Do you drive the speed limit?
Absolutely not. Given that they’re usually arbitrarily set 5-10 miles-per-hour below the natural speed of the road, I usually drive 5-10 miles-per-hour over the limit.
2) Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?
Once. Went to pass somebody on 29, they matched my speed, after about 10 minutes of their matching speeds I floored it to pass. I let off the gas to slow back down to my 5-over cruise control speed, but was on a downhill and got busted.
3) What’s the fastest you’ve ever driven?
Somewhere around 90 miles-per-hour (off-the-scale on the blue Sable’s speedometer), very briefly, on a long, magical straightaway on route 24.
4) Do you listen to music in you car?
Yes. Generally Mix 107.3, Classical 104.1, or my iPod.
5) Would you rather be the driver or the passenger?
Driver.
6) Do your passengers like to be backseat drivers?
Depends on the passenger, but generally not.
7) What’s the longest distance you’ve ever driven in one day?
An approximate 3-way tie in the ~225 mile range. 1) from Bedford, Virginia, to Baltimore Washington International Airport, 2005. 2) from Fairfax, Virginia, to State College, Pennsylvania, 2006. 3) from State College, Pennsylvania, back to Fairfax, Virginia, 2006. CORRECTION: I’ve done the Fairfax>Lynchburg>Fairfax trip before, and that’s about 320 miles total.
8) Where was the first place you drove when you got your license?
Liberty High School.
9) Did you have restrictions on where you could drive when you first got your license?
Not that I’m aware of, though my parents reserved the right to curtail my travels if they thought it necessary.
8) What kind of car do you drive?
A white 2006 Honda Civic sedan.
9) What was your first car?
A black-and-ugh 1978 Jeep Honcho pickup (technically my parents’). The first that was ‘mine’ by the legal meaning of the word was the red 1998 Chrysler Cirrus.
10) How many cars have you owned?
I’ve driven five (’78 Honcho, [blue] ’88 Sable, [black] ’94 Sable, ’98 Cirrus, ’06 Civic). Legally, I’ve owned 2 of them (Cirrus and Civic).
11) Did you pass your learner’s permit test the first time?
Yes.
12) Are you nervous about driving over bridges/tunnels?
No, unless they’re extremely narrow (which applies to construction jersey-walls too).
13) Do you have a lot of junk in your car?
No.
14) Is your car clean?
Mostly.
15) Do you sing while driving?
Occasionally.
16) Ever driven around without going anywhere?
Yes; used to all the time, but only on rare occasion anymore.
17) Ever followed someone while driving just to see where they were going?
No.
18) Do you use cruise control?
Whenever appropriate.
19) Do you blast your music?
Now and then; depends on the mood.
20) Ever run a red light?
Once. Late at night, unfamiliar road, two lights very close to one another. I noticed the green one. Thankfully, nobody was around (other drivers or cops—lol).
21) Ever been chased by the cops?
Not ‘chased,’ per-se. I’ve been pulled over three times (twice for speeding, once in the infamous Gettysburg incident) and stopped immediately each time.
22) Ever been in an accident?
Twice. Rear-ended by a Jeep (totaled the black Sable) and rear-ended a sudden-stop Ford Escape (mangled the front-end, but did not total the Cirrus).
23) Ever have a flat tire?
Yep. Big nail in the Cirrus’s tire a week after getting it. Fix-a-flat took care of it.
24) Ever had something else happen to your car?
Driving it is ‘something else happen[ing]’ to it. What does this mean?
25) Does your car have a sunroof?
No, it has a moonroof (a window on the roof which can be opened). I don’t think any cars come with sunroofs (a section of solid roof that can be opened) anymore.
26) Is your transmission automatic or stickshift?
Automatic.
27)Does your car get good gas mileage?
Yes. Rated at 30 city, 40 highway (and gets fairly close).
28) Ever run out of gas?
No.
29) Ever run over an animal with your car?
Yes.
30) What year is your car?
2006.
31) Most passengers you’ve ever had in your car?
Four.
32) Places you usually drive your car?
Work, church, stores, bank, random other places.
33) Ever get your car stuck somewhere?
Briefly got the blue Sable stuck in snow, but got it out in < 2 minutes.
34) Ever back your car into something/someone back theirs into yours?
No.
35) Ever get a parking ticket?
Yes (in DC years ago).
36) Ever driven without a license?
No (though in Virginia, you aren’t required to have it with you).
37) Ever race your car?
No.
38) Have a good driver’s ed teacher?
As good as you can expect when they teach from a useless, committee-written driver’s ed curriculum.
39) Ever had your windshield wipers stop working?
No.
40) Ever lock your keys in your car?
Yes (love that AAA).
41) Anyone ever throw up in your car?
No.
42) Ever lose your keys?
Not for any length of time.
43) Ever have a dead battery?
No.
43) Ever hit a paperbox or run in a ditch?
No.
44) Ever leave your lights on?
Left one of the overhead lights on once, but it still started the next day!
45) Do you have a car payment?
Yes.
46) Ever drive drunk?
No. Idiots.
47) Drive drunk people?
Yes.
48) Ever come close to getting in an accident but didn’t?
All the time. Driving in Northern Virginia is like a really expensive version of bumper-cars sometimes, but I’m pretty good at avoiding the accidents.
49) Do you like driving?
Love it; just not in the DC area!
50) Do you like your car?
Yes, quite a bit.