Hit the road, Winnie. . . . . .

I bet you didn't know this about me, but I am sooooo trendy.

(Say it with me now. . . "How trendy are you?")

I am so trendy, that if I had to go back and be '17 Again', Zac Efron would want to date me. I am so trendy, that everyone from Madonna to Britney Spears is copying my style of dressing. And, lastly, I am so trendy that 16 year old's with Mommy and Daddy's money want to buy my car.

Or maybe it's just that last one.

See, in the spirit of being frugal, Hubs and I decided that two car payments was not, in fact, frugal at all. Mine was the newest, held the most value, and would be the easiest to sell (we thought), so there you have it - my car was on its way to being sold!

And what happens?

My beautiful first car - that I drove brand-spanking-new off the showroom floor - this car, my first new car that I worked very hard for and got at the age of 25 because it was a very safe, reliable, non-gas guzzling vehicle perfect for the children we would have in the future. This car - this car - is being sold to a girl (a very nice girl, but a girl nonetheless) who is not yet 16, but whose parents want her to have a car she can drive the day she actually turns 16.

I'm sorry. . . . what recession?

I'm not really complaining, as I'm glad that Hubs and I will be rid of the payments. And, until this car, I never cared at all about what I was driving. Hand-me-downs are fine for furniture, clothes and cars. I'm not a car person, and anyone who saw me in my old mess of a truck (named Queenie, if you remember) should know that about me. I look just as good getting out of a jalopy as I do a Mercedes. Maybe even better, in fact - a jalopy gives a person character.

Then I got this pretty, red new car and I realized that cars can be more than just a means to get from one place to another. And I obsessed and babied this car. . . . for the first two months. Until it went to just a mode of transportation. So, I can get back to the way of thinking that a car is a way to get you where you need to go safely and efficiently. I really can.

I just can't get over that this not-quite-yet 16 year old girl will be driving what is essentially a new car. 2 years old, 20,000 miles and no problems. And 3 of the other 4 people interested in the car in the last month were also buying for their 16/17 year old children. Apparently, what I thought was a family car is actually a teenagers car.

I shouldn't be surprised. The features that drew me to the car was not the towing capabilities, variable transmission, or even - really, lets be honest - the safety features. I liked the 6 CD disc changer, the drop-down speakers perfect for tailgating and drive-in movies, and the pretty boxy shape reminiscent of original Jeeps.

Should I be surprised that I have the same taste in car features as a 16 year old girl?

Since Winnie (Yes, I named my Jeep. After Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years. My car and Winnie are very much alike - the girl next door, but smart, reliable, fun and gorgeous. Winnie Cooper. ) - anyway, since Winnie is going to be gone (hopefully!) to a lucky almost-16-year-old on Saturday, this is officially my farewell post. Someday I will have a Jeep again. And hopefully it will be a rugged 4 x 4 green Jeep Wrangler with a soft top and a great stereo. But, for now. . . .

Goodbye Winnie. It's been great. But all great things must come to an end. . . . .