Where to start? Ska said to write something about driving, so I will talk about cars, stupid drivers and maybe, just maybe, add a story or three of my exploits behind the wheel. Just a little bit of background first. I have been driving since 1975, so that makes me older than nearly everyone else who will probably end up reading this. A car is a necessity down here in Houston, Texas (unless you can use mass transit, I cannot). Currently, I am driving a real beater of a car. It is a 1978 Pontiac Grand Am. It has a 301 V8 engine with over 140k miles on it. Its main function is to get me back and forth from work and haul my tools around to various job sites. This car is by no stretch of the imagination a chick magnet. I may be old and senile but I do understand what a chick magnet is. This car ain't it, trust me (unless you own a pink GBA and are not a female).

"I'm a Highway Star"

Ever drive from Cleveland, Ohio to Pensacola, Florida in less than a day? I did, but I was stupid. Imagine driving all that way in a 1970 Pontiac Tempest. That was a friggin' ugly car that I got for some stereo equipment when I got out of the service back in 1981. My ex and I went to Florida because some friends said that there was plenty of jobs down there. There weren't, so needless to say, after 2 miserable months down there, we headed back. The car was fine till I let her drive it after we had gotten back to Ohio. It was a good car that lasted me about 4 years. I had to throw some money into the front end. That was the only downside to it. I would buy one again, but the body would have to be in real good shape, 'cause it was like a GTO, but not quite as classy of a car. In decent shape, it could be considered a chick magnet (unless you own a pink GBA and are not a female).

"Damn This Traffic Jam"

Down here in Texas, we have all kinds of yahoos behind the wheel. One of the best examples of people unclear on the concept of how not to get into a traffic accident and make my life a miserable hell by creating a traffic jam are these examples. Take for instance the trucker going to fast around a overpass and flips his truck, loses his load and makes it impossible to go anywhere for several hours. I bet that has happened to everyone in a large city, unless they have a great mass transit system. Or another one that really gets to me is when I see a woman putting on makeup and driving on the interstate at the same time. That really speaks of safety to me. Or even better the guy who is reading something and talking on the cellphone at the same time. Now what kind of jackasses are allowed to do that?  Maybe we need to expand the driving test to include something called common sense.

"I'm in love with my car"

One of the shorter lived vehicles that I have owned was a 1974 Oldsmobile Delta 88. It ran like a dream. It was one of the last of landcruisers. I put in a great sound system and had a lot of great times going to concerts and places. It was huge, the trunk was huge. Six adults could sit in comfort in that car without a problem. It had all the frills. Air Conditioning and Power Windows, Power Seats. It was not a chick magnet, but chicks did not mind riding in comfort. It was a real shame how the car met it's end, though. Louise (not my wife) and I were at a concert at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. On the way out, the check oil light came on. I got the car out of the exit line and onto the grass, but alas it was too late. I opened up the hood and smoke started to pour out of the engine compartment. 10 minutes later the front end of the car was on fire. The one thing I would have liked to know about the car was that the engine was a Pontiac and not a Olds. GM came under alot of fire during the late 70's and early 80's over swapping engines from group to group. What I figured out about the car was that two sensors were swapped, oil and engine temperature. Still, I have to admit that it was my favorite car. It must have been the level of comfort I had while driving it and the good times that I can still remember as if they happened yesterday.

I'm Doom and I don't have a GBA, but I do have a Sega Genesis.