Darek + Stacie

I just read in the news that Al Gore’s son was arrested for drug possession after being pulled over for driving 100mph in a Toyota Prius.

I’m shocked. Absolutely floored.

I mean, who knew a Prius could go 100 miles an hour? The people who drive them around town can’t even seem to get them to go as fast as the speed limit.

100mph? Really? Wow.

This particularly interests me because I myself am currently in the market for a new (ish) car. I don’t really want to buy another car, but my 97 Saturn is urging me to go ahead and dump it in the nearest lake (which we apparently have again in Dallas, incredibly).

I’ve been happy with my little car – I haven’t really had any major problems except for the ones that come with age. But, it hasn’t started properly in years. The speedometer died sometime while I was in England for 4 months in 2000. (Yes, for you math people, that’s 7 years I’ve been driving this car with only a vague sense of how fast I’m going. Chilling, isn’t it?)

It’s broken down a few times. The stick shift went limp in my hand while driving home from work several months ago. That was fun.

But lately it’s the little things. Like little pieces of car falling on my feet. Plastic car pieces floating around the backseat. And the real fun part – when attempting to use my emergency brake a few days ago, I discovered that the little spring that mysteriously appeared in my cup holder one day had made its escape out of my emergency brake. The thing doesn’t go up.

Good thing I live in Dallas.

Parking on a hill could be a problem for awhile.