G is For Garage

Not a very glamorous subject, garages. I got my first car following graduation from college. Until I bought the house I currently live in 10 years later, I didn’t have a garage, and parked wherever I could find a place on the street. Nine of those years were in Chicago, a city well known for its crummy winter weather. I got good at shoveling out parking spaces, only to return from the laundromat or supermarket to find the space claimed by another. And then having to clear windshields, etc before being able to go anywhere was also a challenge. My first years there, it was less of an issue, as I lived close to work and walked, and then when I started medschool, I was able to carpool for the first two years. After that, I needed to be at the hospital at all hours, so I cleared off my car at all hours.

I didn’t think much about this then, it was just how it was, and how life functioned at the time. After my return to Colorado, I first had a parking space near the condo I rented, and after about a year there, I bought the house I’ve lived in for the past 35 years. My folks gave me a garage door opener as a housewarming present. Wow! What luxury to walk out of my house, into a garage housing a dry car, push the button and off I go. Very handy for those middle of the night calls during my practice years. I’ve really appreciated having a garage and the protection it affords my car and the convenience afforded me.

In my neighborhood, all the homes were built with attached 2 car garages. Many families keep one car in the garage and use the other side for storage. Some folks keep their cars out and their stuff in. And if you have a large suv or truck, they don’t fit in the garage anyway. At our house, we keep both cars in the garage, along with a bike, a trike, shovels, tools and rakes. Its fairly organized as such things go, and no matter what, its a garage and it gets dirty, particularly in winter with snowy and icy cars pulling in. One of these days, I’ll give it its semi annual clean.

This week, a big change happened in the garage. It got a new resident car. After driving my Honda Civic for 17 years, I got a plug in hybrid, a Toyota Rav 4 prime. Why? One is the increased all electric range of better than 30 miles per charge, meaning that most of my errands and running around town can be done without using any gas. And even if I need to use gas, the mileage of the Rav 4 (estimated at 38 mpg) is better than I get with my civic, 30-33 depending on conditions. In addition, I’ll have better hauling capacity with the larger vehicle and all wheel drive, which is handy around here. I’ve been looking for a plug in hybrid for the greater part of the past year, and finally this opportunity arrived.

It’s exciting having a new car and learning about the electric options, charging, and all that fun stuff. It’s also a bit anxiety producing, being big and new and shiny. It’s been many years since my old Civic got its first dings, and now the aging process begins anew. What will happen to old blue? I won’t bury it in the backyard, I’m going to donate it to Colorado Public Radio. Things change, and blue is passing the baton to white. I’m happy to have this new vehicle and look forward to many years of having it residing in my garage. Another baby step away from fossil fuels for me.

Written for the Blogging from A to Z challenge: G and the Ragtag Daily Prompt of Bury