Cars: 4 to 6

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Simon bought himself a 2001 VW Passat for his 21st birthday today.

This kid has now owned 4 cars in the 5 years he's been driving compared to my 6 cars owned in the 36 years I've been driving.

Obviously I knew my 1995 Saturn was on it's last wheels, prompting the purchase of my Pretty Red Prius. I swear, the very day I gave the Saturn to Simon, it really shit the bed. It's oil usage had increased significantly towards the end but I (and the rest of my family) assumed Simon was over dramatizing the situation. So I had him take it to a shop for a look and yep, it was bad.

When the nice man from the junkyard with the big flatbed tow truck came to our house to haul it away - and Simon's old Probe, white/blue smoke billowed from the Saturn across the front yard. He gave Simon $100 for both cars.

Surprisingly I wasn't sad to see the Saturn being towed down the road. Well, not that I looked or anything. I feel 100% confident that I used up the Saturn to the very last penny. And I'm thrilled with my Pretty Red Prius.

So Simon's car. He was able to get a car loan with me co-signing, which paid off his Spyder, leaving him with reasonable payments for the Passat. He found it online, from an independent dealer on Ridge Road. I took him there this morning to pick it up. The guy is really nice, the car is in great shape and is loaded with luxury features. (Simon and his friend Gershum had already been to the dealer a few days prior, to test drive and check the car out thoroughly.)

I'm a tad jealous of the sun roof / moon roof. It has a refrigerated glove compartment! I've never even heard of that. The side mirrors fold in with a push of a button, for going through the car wash. The passenger mirror automatically tilts slightly downward when you put it in reverse. I can't remember what else. But you know Mr. Status is lovin' all this!

It is a nice car, he paid well under Blue Book. The dealer is one of these guys that has a repair shop and sells a few cars on the side. I was impressed - I'd feel comfortable buying a car from him.

The very best news? I get my Prius back full-time! I've been letting Simon drive it to work and to his girlfriend's house. She lives on the other side of Rochester so Simon says he puts 80 miles/day on his car and I believe it. Now he can put those kind of miles on his own dang car. Keepa your hands of my Pretty Red Prius.

He's been working on the Spyder in the garage, repairing the deer accident damage - but not fast enough for me. Winter is coming so tomorrow is the day he needs to cover that car up and move it out of the garage so Steve and I can park in there again.

(Simon said he wanted his birthday to be, "Just one day, where I don't have to do anything but have fun." To which I pointed out, "Not unlike many other days in your life . . . ")

Simon says he's going to sell the Spyder once he gets it fixed. He has fluctuated on that decision a lot over the past year so I'll believe it when I see it. Talk about being attached to a car! But now that he has his first "adult" car - my word, but he'd agree, maybe he'll put money over status and fun. That Spyder is so turbo-charged or whatever, it's expensive to run, maintain and repair.

And yeah, he turned 21 today. It's a big deal for him, of course, but I really don't feel a thing. I think my big milestone for him was 18 - graduating high school and all.

I got a breakfast pizza this morning, at his request. Then we picked up his Passat and he spent the rest of his birthday with his girlfriend. He and I are going out to dinner one night this week.

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