We're turning heads

Our friends are abuzz these days because we're driving a Jaguar.

We just chuckle because it's not ours. It was leased by my husband's boss and now it's time for a new Jag....so the boss told us to use it until it's sold. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. Perhaps the boss felt sorry for my husband who rides his bike to work in nice weather, and bums a ride from a co-worker the rest of the year.

Trouble is, we're not 'really nice car' people. Like...the seats and floors of our cars usually have the odd french fry, gum wrapper, kleenex, water bottle, food stains, dog hair...you get the picture. We had the Jag for a week, and the boss handed my husband a car wash coupon and told him to get it washed. Not sure if that was a hint...but apparently the boss used to wash this car every day.......every day!!! Oh my. Our car gets washed every season.

It's interesting having this very temporary feeling of people taking second glances at 'our' car as we drive along. Last time I felt eyes follow the vehicle I was in, I was travelling in a funeral limousine enroute to the cemetary. The other day, big spenders that we are, we went through a MacDonald's drive-through (do Jag people do that?) and bought vanilla cones. Some young teens oogled the car and drooled, "nice car you got there!" My husband almost said, 'Not bad for a weather beater', but he held his tongue.

We still only drive 10 km over the speed limit as usual, but we feel silly. Everyone's speeding past the cool Jag on the highway. We feel like we're crawling at 120 km. (that's 75 miles per hour for you Americans, or senior age Canadians :-) ), but so far we've restrained ourselves from letting 'er rip (although I have no way of knowing whether my husband has 'tested' it without me). My husband tried the old trick of turning on my seat warmer when I wasn't looking, but I learned that one real good on a hot July evening one year in Jasper, Alberta in a rented vehicle. I knew I was menopausal, but that hot flash was unbelievable! I was really worried something was terribly wrong with my body until he 'fessed up to turning it on.

I commented to my daughter that I was going to take the above pictures of the Jag and hoped the neighbours wouldn't see me. She thought it would be funny to set off the car's alarm to draw the neighbours to their windows. Problem was, there's a knack to turning off that very loud alarm. We couldn't shut it off! My husband had to be called and he tried several times to shut the thing off. So much for not attracting the neighbours.

Friends have asked us why we don't buy this Jaguar as it is a deal, but I just can't see it. It's not me. I don't want to worry about it when I'm parking in public lots. We drive all our cars into the ground. It costs $150 to replace a headlight on the thing. We have no garage. There is snow in winter. Have you ever seen a dirty, rusty Jag? Nope. Our own car goes in for repairs this week as it's making horrible noises. We'll enjoy the ride in the Jag until it is sold....then we'll get back to reality and open the envelope for the car repair bill.