Bye-Bye, Toad

If you will allow me this indulgence, I am going to break from Fin for one post. Anyone who knows me knows how attached I am, now was, to my car; a Pontiac Aztek called "The Toad". Today, just after leaving the house with my sister, mother, and Fin in the car, it started smoking. We got it into a Walgreen's parking lot, got everyone out, and got a few items out before the smoke was too thick and the flames started in earnest. The fire was electrical, it began in the dash, and there was absolutely nothing that could have been done to stop it. It took the fire department about 15 minutes to extinguish it, and they needed a crowbar and a special nozzle to get in the dash.

I have to say, I am in shock. The Toad meant more to me than any inanimate object should. He was my first new car. I probably shouldn't have bought a first year model, but I just fell in love with the quirky car and the gorgeous green color. His name came from a character in "Road Warrior" because my dad said he looked like one of the bizarre, pieced together cars in that movie. It makes me cry sitting here thinking of all of the great trips he took me and my friends on and how I always felt comfortable climbing into that driver's seat and turning on my music. I enjoy driving, but in a car you love, it is a whole higher level experience. I also remember when I bought that car, Labor Day weekend 2000, I looked at the back seat thinking that someday a car seat would be there. That was one of the reasons I wanted the Aztek, a car that would be good for kids and their accoutrements. It took a long time, but there was a car seat in there at least for a few short weeks.

I guess I should be happy for good things. We are all safe, the most important thing. It wasn't parked at home, where my spot is right next to the building. It happened close to home where Nancy and Pat could get to us quickly and help us salvage from the car and get home. It's hard to look at the things that went right in this situation now, but I am sure they will come with a little time. Right now, I'm just going to wallow, if that's ok.

More Fin pictures tomorrow.

Firefighters working on fire:


Interior:




Memorializing the decals I had been collecting: