cars

Okay, so I'm going to expose myself a little here as the weirdo that I sometimes am. I collect things. I'm not usually even aware that I am going to start collecting things, it just happens, a little bit at a time until, look! I've got 100 Disney Pixar diecast Cars. (I'm hoping my mom won't read this, but of course she will, and she will be appropriately shocked and dismayed by my wanton spending on such trivial things, as am I.)

This particular collection started a couple of years ago when my friend Shauntel mentioned a cute Woody station wagon and Buzz Lightyear spacecar she had bought for her son. It just sounded so stinkin' cute, I had to check it out at the store. When I saw that it was, in fact, extremely cute, I had to buy one for my son, who was nine months at the time. I figured when the time was right and he was old enough to properly appreciate and take care of them, I would give the cars to him.

So started the collection of ages.

Little by little, I started buying new cars each week when I would go grocery shopping. Some of them were exciting finds--"Look, it's the rarely seen Chuki!" "Who was she in the movie?" "Oh, you know, that Asian news reporter that makes a 2 second appearance in the film?" And so it goes.

I had to have all of them. Not just Lightening McQueen, but Bugmouth McQueen, Tar McQueen, Cactus McQueen, Tongue McQueen, Bling-bling McQueen, Dinoco McQueen, Cruising McQueen, Radiator Springs McQueen, Dirt Track McQueen, Night Vision McQueen. If you think I am making this up, I am not. They really do make all of those versions of Lightning McQueen, and yes, I have every one of them. Nevermind that the only noticable difference between Bling-bling McQueen and Dinoco McQueen is the color of the hubcaps, or that Night Vision McQueen is from the one second of film where he tries on nightvision goggles at the army surplus store.

Each of these cars has been carefully preserved in its box. (And yes, I think of poor Stinky Pete, the Prospector, when I see them.) Several weeks ago I brought home Axle Accelerator (no, I don't remember him from the movie either) and Isaac ripped open the package before I could stop him. You better believe I went right back to the store and got a fresh one. And that brings us to "The Problem"--I think of these cars as mine, and I'm really not sure I could ever give them up to a snot-nosed kid who would chew on them, bang them, bash them, and just generally mistreat them. Yes, they are toys, but they are my toys that I've carefully compiled over two years.

If you're lamenting Keith's lot in life, I would just like to take this time to point out that he has become just as interested/obsessed with them as I am, even if he takes a more layed back approach. If he is going to pick something up at Walmart, I don't even have to ask him to check if they have any new cars, although he is not as familar with our collection and doesn't always know which ones we need.