Tuesday, September 25, 2007

The resolution of forgotten cliffhangers

Back in June, I wrote a little about how I was buying a car. Then I mentioned having taken it back. In the interim, I have been tooling around in the old Mahtmobile, waiting and waiting for the idiosyncrasies of my grandmother's estate to be resolved.

On Saturday, they finally were, and I went to the friendly local Department of Motor Vehicles to make everything official.

I also mentioned on my birthday that my big celebratory plans involved checking to see if my driver's license had expired. I never actually got around to doing that until Saturday, either. Fortunately, there was no need to get in that line.

Anyway, behold! The new Mahtmobile. I had trouble convincing the insurance agent I spoke with that it was owned by a little old lady who did not drive it very often. When I gave him the preposterously low odometer reading, he actually made an attempt to dissuade me from buying it, as he thought I was being swindled. How strangely nice of him.

For reasons passing understanding, a replacement ignition key costs $37. Even the cashier at the dealership where I had it made had some difficulty with this concept.

"You drive a Saab?" she asked.

"Nope, a fifteen year-old Buick." We both furrowed our brows and looked confused and displeased.

I rounded out the day by dumping my old car behind the barn at my friend Ian's place. Yeah, he has a barn. Doesn't use it for anything that I'm aware of, but there it is, next to the wood shop which used to be the map of july rehearsal space.

I sat around and chatted with Ian and his wife for hours. They let me creep through their backyard to satisfy my photographic urges. Here are some results of my foraging:






And while we're on the subject of photography, I have decided to do a picture post each day during the month of October. That would be in addition to any normal posting. Some of the images will be new, some culled from my Flickr page. I am calling this exercise Phoctober, because it sounds clunky and wrong and vaguely vulgar. It made me chuckle. I'd like to encourage any of my readers who like taking pictures to do an image post or two more than normal during the month.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Fantastic shots Maht and a challenge to boot. Cool. I see what you mean about Phoctober! Oh and good luck with the new Mahtmobile.

Anonymous said...

That Buick looks really nice and doesn't look anything like 15 years old. She must've had a garage.

Also, nice pictures. I liked the one with the fire pit the best.

Unknown said...

Oooh, bright shiny things - it's lovely. I have my mum's car. My sister couldn't bear to drive it after mum died, but I love it. I still have all her sensible things in the glove compartment and a typed note that she used to put in the window when she had gone to get change for the machine (she got away with that one for years!).

Nikki Neurotic said...

Love the idea and the name!

Lane Mathias said...

Is the car behind the barn going to become a 'situation piece' for future generations to marvel at?

I drive a 17 year old Saabina. Thankfully she has never needed a new key:))

The Moon Topples said...

Ver: Hope you'll be inclined to post a shot or two. And thanks for the well wishes.

Struggly: Yeah, she did have a garage. It is something of a shame that I do not, and that it will begin to age normally in the space behind my apartment. As for the firepit, I like it a lot as well. Hopefully I'll have a post about an evening spent around a fire there before too long.

Minx: Yes, bright and shiny, and with history as well. Glad I'm not the only one keeping familial cars going.

SilverN: Do let me know if you decide to take part in Phoctober. If I get enough folks joining in, perhaps we can make it official with a logo and such...

Lane: The hope is that my friend can unload it for me, cars fetching a higher bounty in the suburbs than in the city. If not, perhaps I shall donate an old fridge and the two can rest in his front yard.

Glad you've never needed a key replacement, although I got the impression that my key fee was unreasonable for any car, even a Saabina like yours.

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

Phoctober made me chuckle too.
LOVE the spider webby leaf photo.
Very nice.


Scarlett & Viaggiatore

Taffiny said...

does sound a bit vulgar (but not in a bad way)
What are the phoctober guidlines?
(then I will tell you if I will play)

Lovely pictures.
???
I had assumed you were in the city,
now I see you have a car, and friends with barns.
I'm confused.
Oh, wait I see in your responses, you are in city, but near friends in suburbs. Right?

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Phoctober sounds phobulous! And a little dirty, which always makes things more fun.

Awesome photos. I especially love the vase/cemetery marker looking thing in the grass. I like thinking of it as a cemetery marker even if it's not--I enjoy the life and death going on in the photo and that just adds to it.

The Moon Topples said...

Scarlett: I'm quite fond of that one as well.

Taffiny: I am a man of mystery. I move through shadows. I am everywhere. Or, actually, come to think of it, you have inferred correctly.

Soggy: Well, it's a water pump, but I suppose there might be a body under there. House is over a century old. And the "dirty" thing for Phoctober was part of the reason I picked that particular name.