I used to drive a station wagon

I learned how to drive in an '85 station wagon which we affectionately called "Big Brown". Because it was big. And brown. The wood paneling on the outside was.....stunning? no. beautiful? no. Trendy? no. (certainly not in 2001 and probably not even in 1985.) Unique? yes.

The seat belts were so old they didn't adjust...they were stiff and crusty and it took my dad's strength to move them.

The "hump" in the middle was mostly useless, but I do remember a time in my life that "sitting on the hump" was cool. Was that even legal? Probably not, but my parents were the essence of rebellious.

The "way back" was only cool to ride in until I was about 12. By the time I was driving Big Brown the way back was just cool to talk about. "Yeah? Well the back of my car folds down to a bed...what does yours do?"

Big Brown was no competition for Kolbein's convertible Rabbit like this (ever seen a couch fit in a Rabbit? I have.), or Ashley's Miata. But it did have 4 wheels, and it never got lost in the mall parking lot.

Plus it served as great training for driving a Costco cart with a carseat on top.

Yesterday Thomas & I went to Costco - all by ourselves! Thank you thank you.  - which I've never done in the middle of a weekday before.

Did you know that going to Costco doesn't always require waiting in line for 20 minutes? Sometimes there is a checkstand with an open conveyer belt, just waiting for you to haul all 50 pounds of your laundry detergent on it.

Sometimes there's a parking spot close to the building.

Sometimes you can stop in the middle of an aisle to get something off a shelf without getting run over!

Sometimes the free sample ladies are waiting for people to take their stuff instead of people crowding around waiting for them to make their stuff.

It's just that none of these time are on Saturday.  The things my mother never taught me..... tsk. tsk. 

We did pretty good considering the situation. "Pretty good" meaning I didn't run over any little kids, and only ran into 1 old lady and "the situation" meaning I couldn't see anything over the carseat which (when mounted on top of the tank sized "cart") was taller than I am.

I'm afraid that the new and improved Costco (with parking spaces, room in the aisles and plenty of free samples) might be my new hangout....now if only I can get out for under $100.