Her Name is Velma...my car.

I thought, after all the recent trouble; that I needed to be on better terms with my car, and decided to give her a name. I’ve been trying to think of a suitable name and for some reason Velma came to mind, and I couldn’t think of anything else. So Velma it is.

The name may be old fashioned, but it makes me think of someone who is irritable and contrary, and that makes it perfect for my car. She’s been nothing but problematic since December.

I made a trip out of town last week and Velma decided to display another aspect of her contrariness. My son and daughter-in-law were with me, as I’ve become a chicken shit winter driver, and it was snowing.

The weather channel, as I was going out the door, said no snow for 36 hours, but I could see the snow coming down in big fluffy flakes, so, once again, what do they know?

As we drove north we hit more snow, heavier and wetter, and had to turn on the windshield wipers. The wipers worked for a few minutes and quit, stopped dead, no wipe, no clear view of the road. I was so glad I wasn’t driving.

As suddenly as the snow started, it quit and we had clear skies and dry roads the rest of the way. While I was at my appointment my son played with the wipers and had them going one more time, only to have them quit again as we drove south, closer to the lake and more snow.

So, Velma’s gone on a little vacation. When we arrived home I instructed my son to take her to Uncle Brad’s for a visit. He’s my regular mechanic and a member of the in-law family. I know she’s in good hands, even if she isn’t a Ford.

Velma has taxed my patience, and threatened our otherwise trusting relationship. Hopefuly this trip to the car spa will renew her energy and road worthiness (without draining my savings).

She needs to get better quick, she needs an emission test and I need to renew her license before March.

Come on Velma, be a pal. I promise to clean the junk out of the back, wash you more often and vacuum out the interior. I’ll even hang some pretty bauble from the rear view mirror. Just get well and come home.