Michael, start your engine

I finally have a car! It's a used car, of course. A 2004 Toyota Corolla (LE). It has some character by itself, funny faux wood paneling and a few scratches here and there. I wouldn't want my first car to be perfect. I think I got a name for the guy (yes, my car is a guy), I know it's cheesy but I'm thinking "Señor Ocho". And then I'd do the "ocho-ocho" dance. Or the spaghetti/sex bomb dance. ...Or that really stupid song from the Philippines, the "Bop Bop" which basically is playing "Bop It" to a song. It's silver (though I was pushing for a dark blue, and then for a red, I landed with the silver) and I gotta say the faux-wood is cool. It makes it oddly more "Michael" than if it didn't have it. I mean I still have my sister's License Plate on it (odd transfers and stuff) which encourages me to "B Me." So Señor Ocho and I...our first big drive is when we drive up to New Paltz for summer classes. Very Very soon.

Oh, how did I get the name "Señor Ocho"? Well I kinda wanted it to be something like "Mister Something" and two things dawned upon me: 1) 8 is the new lucky number for my mother and 2) This car is actually the 8th car my family has owned. Lemme tell you the line up... We had this brown car which was around before I was born. The black dodge which I remember when I was a kid, it went under the possession of my cousin, Diane, and then kinda stayed with us for a few summers, and was given to the Salvation Army. I'm pretty sure the next one was my favorite Sky-blue Dodge Caravan, with the nice extended back part; I drove it when I was practicing driving. I really don't know its status but we gave it to umm...my cousin Lona. I really wish we hadn't. The next car we got was a used red Oldsmobile. I didn't know this but my dad told me that it occasionally stalled on him. It was pretty much used when my Mom was a Visiting Nurse. It currently is under the possession of Uncle Jessie (you know, Christopher's dad) because it was given to him. Next was the (used) white corolla, which was under my sister's possession for the six or so years when she was in Massachusetts and my dad used that before for work. It was traded in for my car. Next is my dad's Toyota Camry. It's gotten a dent here and there. My mom then got her 4Runner, which I still think she dislikes the fact that my dad wanted it to be black and she agreed. And then my car, Señor Ocho.

Well, I am currently baking two Cornish chickens loaded with Pineapple juice, Apples, and Tang. It sounds odd, but I'm hoping it's gonna taste good. If smell is a good factor, it should taste good. I'll be boiling Broccoli when the time gets closer. And cooking rice. And I gotta make sure that the chicken is baking well.

- Mike

PS...I guess I was too lazy to post about the other minor things about my trip to the Philippines. That and why does it sound that Señor Ocho and I are like some Pokemon team? Oh well.