R.I.P Honda Rhonda

On a hot summer night in July of 1998, I was at a pool party for a girl named Leah Rush. I remember the night well because there was a boy there that I liked. Ha! My parents were in charge of picking me and my friend Kim Coates up that night. I remember being bummed that the summer AFTER my sophomore year of high school my parents had to "pick me up." I was due to turn 16 about 3 weeks after that evening. Well, that night my parents picked me up in a 1996 Honda Accord - maroon. I remember I was SO surprised. This was going to be MY car! Kim and I were PUMPED! Kim was a year younger than me so me getting a car meant FREEDOM for not just me but also the two of us. I definitely felt like the luckiest girl in the world by being so surprised by my wonderful parents. Soon after turning 16, Kim and I named my car "Honda Rhonda." It stuck and anyone that even knew my name knew the name of Honda Rhonda as well.




This car took me through my last two years of high school, four years of college, three years of graduate school and two years of work. Yes -- that is a total of 11 years! Cory and I would always talk about how we should get a more reliable car but we just continued to keep it and drive it. About a year ago the A/C went out in it and my wonderful husband volunteered to drive it so I could drive our other car. We swore we would just drive it till the wheels fell off! It made the WORST noises -- noises that made you scrunch down in your seat and hope that no one could see you through the tinted windows! Well, about a month ago it bit the dust. It needed a lot of work. We weighed our odds and decided it wasn't worth putting all that money into it. So, off we went to car shop.



I had already told Cory that the only car that I had room in my heart for was another Accord. After much shopping and MUCH wheelin' and dealin' we now have a new member of our family.

Welcome Honda LaFonda.

After sealing the deal, we had to take Honda Rhonda back up to the car lot. She was dirty inside and out! Cory wanted to take her up there "as is" but I just couldn't do it. I couldn't drop her off until she looked her best. So, we took it the car wash and cleaned her up good! The picture in the collage above is of me dropping it off at the car lot.

Honda Rhonda saw me through the worst of times and the best of times. I hope she finds a good home. I'll miss her but I couldn't be anymore excited about welcoming Honda LaFonda!