driving.

i work for a rental car company, so cars are kind of my thing.  i love cars.  all kinds of cars.  i drive a different car every day and could probably tell you as much about the features of any car as well as a salesman could.
fortunately i also love driving.

the coolest perk about my job is the free car.  i'll never forget the day i got promoted and they said, "take any car you want for the day."  it was about labor day when i got the job, and the weather was perfect.  sunny, not too hot, you could feel fall approaching;  i couldn't think of a better day.  there was a brand new ford mustang, white, tan leather interior.  i said, "can i have that one?" to which my boss said, "absolutely."  i had an appointment an hour away that day.  i drove that car as fast as i could, music blasting, windows down.  it was perfection.

i've gotten to take amazing cars home:  a mercedes crusier, a hot camaro with the v8 engine, the adorable volvo c30 hatchback that was made for driving the backroads of west by-god virginia.  i've also had to drive some horrible cars:  the toyota yaris hatchback, the smartcar that makes you wonder what will happen if you get rear-ended, a salvaged corolla that was somehow still operable even with the entire driver's side smashed in, because they were the only cars left on the lot.  but i still love trying them all out.

recently my job has caused me to spend less time in the air and more time behind the wheel, and i am so thrilled about this.  i've had to go to places i didn't really care for, but at least the drive was nice.  i could go the rest of the year without making another trip to wheeling, three hours away, but at least this time i get to do it in a sweet car.  i'm hoping tomorrow is a great day weatherwise, i hope my boss doesn't mind my ipod, and i hope the cops have already hit their quota with the holiday traffic.  it could turn out to be a fantastic day for a drive.

a great day for a drive.

while at first i was a bit miffed that i was the one who got stuck driving almost two hours (one way) to visit a new location, i changed my tune as soon as i got into the mountains.  when it wasn't raining, the sun was shining perfectly on the trees, making those bright oranges and yellows and reds pop against the green and brown that i'm so used to seeing where i am.  it hasn't hit here yet, where the trees look like gingers with their red tops and nothing else.

four hours in the car, the black keys and band of skulls as my soundtrack, i flew down highways and interstates and tried to pay attention to the road, but the great music and gorgeous scenery made it more than difficult.

four hours in a car will make you think about a lot of things.  i looked around me and thought about how lucky i am to live in such a beautiful state.  almost makes all the things i hate about it slip away. well, at least for four hours, anyway.