it's a new car!

no, it is not a new car, but somehow someway i am now the owner of a 1997 chevrolet monte carlo with 244,555 miles on it. for all those counting, this car has driven farther than the distance between the earth and the moon.

how did i obtain such a well-traveled american automobile? well, you know how i had a birthday on monday? so, either because carson is very generous or because he's just tired of having to hear me ask if i can borrow his car every time i need to buy cat litter or laundry detergent or anything kinda heavy and bulky that's a pain in the ass to walk home from the store with, but probably because of some combination of the two, carson gave me this car as a present.

it's not as fancy as it sounds -- the car was his dad's old commuter car. and his dad was looking to get rid of it anyway, so he sold it to carson for cheap. and carson passed it on to me, as a means to get to interviews and run errands and go to the yarn store until i have a job and can afford to get a real car.

here's how the gifting went: carson pulls up at my house on monday evening so we can go to the gym before we went out for birthday dinner. i get in the car (carson's car) and he hands me a set of keys and an envelope with the title to what is now my car in it. the following dialogue ensues:
c: here you go! a piece of shit car for you! happy birthday!
e: um, whoa. i can't accept this.
c: that's because you're a socialist. you people only know how to give, you don't understand how to receive.
e: fine. give me the goddamn keys.

so there you have it. despite its mileage, the car seems to run fine. it needs an oil change and will need new brake pads soon. and transferring the title into my name is a process that PA's DMV website does not exactly lay out in easy-to-understand form. but it's mine. and it's quirky and a little broken, too -- just like me! for example, to get into the car, i have to use the key in the passenger side door, then use the power locks inside the car to unlock the driver's side. fancy!

it's been years since i've owned a car, and i'm a little afraid of it. and i doubt i'll use it more than i need to. but, dude, my boyfriend gave me a CAR for my birthday! wtf?