Anyway...

I am craving a new car. Yearning, even. I have been seen perusing the car ads in the newspaper, an unusual and unprecedented activity for me.

There is nothing wrong with the car I have, except that it is 12 years old, and strongly reminds me of my somewhat flawed former life in New Jersey. It runs great, handles well in snow and is very reliable. I'm just bored with it. I'm tired of blue, tired of the small dings and rust spots, tired of the little door covering the gas cap that is broken and won't close anymore.

On the other hand, it doesn't matter how muddy Otis the Wonder Dog might be when he climbs into the back seat. It costs less than $15 to fill the tank and I can drive around on that one tank for two weeks, and I'm pretty sure no one will ever steal the car.

But I have car envy. I imagine myself driving a shiny, huge, powerful and dominant SUV, rather than my puny little compact car. I'm tired of being frugal and responsible -- I'm ready for extravagance. Of course, my budget is non-existent. It's OK -- I'll just set myself a new goal: more years driving the same car than anyone else in New England. I'm almost there!