Date day

Every year, we go on a Bubbles date.  Bubbles is a full-service, car detailing shop, where you take your car and wait an hour or more while it is thoroughly cleaned inside and out.  

It costs about $250 and we take both cars, so not cheap.  But worth it.  What I always notice is our cars are the cheesiest there.  Everyone else is driving Mercedes, BMW, Cadillac or Volvo.  I mean, you have to have a few bucks to do this, so we feign prosperity, as we arrive with my 23-year-old Honda Civic and our eight-year-old Honda HRV.  We're definitely the odd men out, but a regular wash does not even come close to how Bubbles deals with a vehicle.

I get the little Civic done so I can go home after our luxurious date lunch and immediately get out the Honda spray paint and go over all the rust.  This has kept it at bay for years -- my objective because I am emotionally attached to the darling after so many years.

Can't tell you how often young men -- usually Asian -- stop me at gas stations asking if I want to sell it.  They, of course, want to juice it up and race it because it is a five-speed and runs on no gas.  I, of course, will not sell it.  Here's what the website says about my little car:  

"Vehicle overview

More than two decades ago, Honda introduced the Civic. It was a small, anonymous, unassuming car, competing in a market saturated by mammoth sedans sporting ornate chrome, garish styling treatments and acres of sheet metal.  The producers of these defunct dinosaurs didn't bat an eye at Honda's fuel-sipping entry, despite the fuel crisis of 1973. Big mistake.

"Since then, Americans have seen six generations of the Civic come and go, each much improved over the previous model, and each becoming immensely popular with consumers.  1996 brought us a new generation; certainly improved but not so much so that we'd consider it revolutionary. 

"Available in hatchback, sedan and coupe body styles, Honda heeded customers who claimed the 1992-1995 Civic was too sporty-looking. A grille was tacked on up front, sheet metal contours provide a squarish profile, and larger rear taillamps give the Civic a more conservative look."

Here's what the website says my little car is worth:  $12,200!  Really?!  I still can't part with my 23-year-old buddy.  Here she is: