bunch of savages in this town

A post title like that can only mean one thing: car trouble. For a change, however, it's not Lucy in trouble this time - it's our other car, The Grey Baron. He was stolen at some point overnight last night, from the street in front of our apartment.

There had been an attempt to steal him last weekend, but they'd only managed to get into the car and pull out the key slot from the steering column. We didn't bother reporting that because we figured it was just some dumb neighborhood kids who would give up since they hadn't managed to get the thing the first time.

I was actually up at about five this morning when I heard a car start outside, with someone gunning the engine a bit before driving away. Since we just moved here, I have no idea whether or not any of our neighbors are usually up at that time, so I didn't really think much of it. Man, if only I'd just looked out the window.

So, anyway, this puts something of a crimp into our lifestyle. We're probably going to have to go get Johnny a new car sometime soon, since eventually we'll have to drive our separate ways during the day. We were planning on getting him a new car fairly soon, anyway, since The Grey Baron is 16 years old and starting to fall apart. In addition to the iffy transmission, the air conditioning being broken, the roof beginning to rust, the ceiling fabric continually drooping, and the stereo wiring slowly failing, the car was infested with ants. Honestly, I'm not so sure we got the worst end of this deal. The thieves were clearly really dumb to target that car, of all the cars on our street. They probably just went for him 'cause they figured he'd be easy to hotwire.

But still, The Grey Baron was, essentially, my first car. I got in my first car accident as a driver in him in 1994. I drove all the way across the country, from Virginia to California and back, in The Baron in April of 2001. He was a hand-me-down from my maternal grandparents, once neither of them could drive anymore. He was already about 6 years old by the time I took full possession of him, but, as with old-people hand-me-down cars, he had relatively few miles on him and was in really good condition. I drove him up and down the Eastern Seaboard more times than I can remember. I learned how to be aggressive in city traffic (as you have to be, in city traffic) in him. He was a great road-trip car - such cushy seats! Luckily, I don't think there was anything irreplaceable in him when he was taken. Johnny had been keeping him pretty clean inside. I'll miss the photo-sticker gallery I'd created on his dashboard of pictures of me with assorted family and friends - a feature I've been meaning to recreate in Lucy. I'll miss all the great stickers I had on his back.

After the attempted theft the weekend before last, I thought to take a picture of the Baron's back end earlier this week, so that's today's second picture for you.



If you see this car, please contact the Hollywood Police Department.

Goodbye, Grey Baron. I knew we'd be parting ways soon, but I didn't think it would be like this. I wish I'd gotten to keep your hood ornament. That thing was sweet.

And on a side note: does anyone know anything about the Ravelco anti-theft device? I'm thinking of having one installed in Lucy now. Everything I've been able to find out about them seems pretty positive.