The Bird- part 1

Back in the day, okay, 1996-1997, right after I turned 16, I had quite the set of wheels. Yes, I was the proud owner of a cheap car my parents bought for me 1989 Ford Thunderbird. We just called her The Bird.

The Bird was a huge stepping stone into my “independent life.” With The Bird? I had freedom. I could go where I wanted, whenever my parents would let me.

This was no ordinary Thunderbird, no- The Bird was special. She had a dent in the side that I paid some fool $150 to fix. He knocked it with a hammer and spray painted it white. Klassy fix. I rarely washed her, so she appreared to be 2 tone- brown and white. I imagine in her glory days she looked much like this.

I did not own her during her glory days.

She sucked gas like a hog. When I first got her, you know, back when gas was cheap? She took over $37 a tank, and that lasted about 3 days. The Bird had very worn shocks, so when my friends would cruise with me, they would often feel ill from the bouncing effects of her. I had only to say, others PAID money to get the “no shock” effect. Me? Free. We rolled down the road, bouncing all the way.

My favorite memory of the bird is cart pushing. My friend and I had the great idea to take a shopping cart from “our” grocery store- the one we worked at, and push it with the front of our car to the “rival” grocery store 6 blocks away. Across Main Street. Did we make it? Heck yes.

We were master cart pushers.

However, the 2^nd time we tried? When we were going to push it into one of my friend’s crushes driveway? Um, got pulled over. Try explaining to the cop why you are 3 blocks from the grocery store with a cart on the front of your vehicle.

The bird? Only lasted me 16 months, but what a 16 months they were…