A Penny Saved...

We've been doing the whole slug bug thing ever since the Superbowl when those new VW ads came on and reminded us of the slug bug game. I have to say I'm tired of it because Bryon and Grace are much better at it than I am and it SEEMS as though I'm usually the one getting slugged.

The rules are fluid depending on who's playing, the time of day and the moon phase.

Grace made up a game of her own called Jeep O Jeep in which you are supposed to say "Jeep O Jeep" and announce the color whenever you see one.

Jeep makes a lot of different vehicles it turns out and Grace can recognize the name now but mostly goes for the little typical looking, soft top Jeeps.

She announced a few weeks ago that when she turned 16 she was going to drive a slug bug. A yellow slug bug.

Then last week she upgraded it to a RED slug bug with a convertible top so she could put the top down because that would be really fun. Well, YEAH, it WOULD.

Who WOULDN'T like to drive a red convertible slug bug at 16? Uh, everyone! That's who would like to drive one.

I foolishly thought my first car would be a red Mercedes convertible sports coupe.



Hmmmm.

Not so much.

It was, in fact, a 1974 Ford LTD with white vinyl interior.


Now, I realize as an ADULT that beggars (or 16 year olds) can't and shouldn't be choosers. I was damn lucky to have a car. Any car.

Yet, it was GREEN. PEA GREEN. And the person before me had been a smoker so the car reeked of tobacco and was embeded and stained onto the vinyl interior.

So I took a toothbrush and some cleaner to the thing and it sparkled... on the inside. The seats, however, were then so slick that I HAD to wear my seat belt or ride two other passengers in the front with me or when I rounded a corner I would slide all the way across the bench seat to the other side of the car.

That was a dream deferred as far as the convertible sports coupe went.

I wouldn't drive a RED vehicle until 2002 and then it was a Mitsubishi Montero. Luckily, my ego has never been too wrapped up in an automobile or I would have had to have a LOT of therapy after that pea green LTD.

We told Grace if she started saving NOW, she could probably save up enough money to buy a slug bug when she turned sixteen. And if she DID save up the money, she could buy what she wanted to drive.

Bryon has since vetoed a convertible (sensible parental unit that he is). I think I'd let her have it. You are only cool once.

Or in my case, never.

I told her to go and gather up all her money in her room. It was scattered in three or four different piggy banks, jars, lying around the book case, in buckets and boxes and cups.



She did and ended up with a surprisingly large bag of money.



Today I took it to the bank and cashed it in for her and deposited it into her savings account. She had $262.68 lying around her room!

That took her total account up to a whopping $398.34.

Pretty good for a five year old.

Of course I looked on Craigslist and a 2000 Convertible VW Beetle SALSA RED is around $8,000. She's going to have to save some more pennies for that.

I'm sure she'll change her mind a million times before she's sixteen but if she doesn't...

maybe she'll give me a ride in it.