Today was my day to drive the car. I drove down to the U of T to drop off my sound effects for the tech rehearsal, then ran some errands. I had to go to Best Buy to pick up some blank CDs for my week of burning, and to rent a movie, because it looks like TV is gonna suck tonight. I went out of my way to shoot down the Bayview extension. The car's been acting up lately, sometimes chugging, sometimes the engine light comes on. My mom lectured me about taking it easy, but she doesn't understand Panama. (That's what I named our car.) Panama needs some speed. My mom is a cautious driver. In other words, she drives slowly. I'm not saying she's a bad driver, I mean, I feel very safe in the car when she's driving. Safer than when I'm driving, but she just doesn't understand our car.

We drive a red Chevy Corsica, made in 1988. The gas can door hangs open, and it's got dents all over the car. The reason I love this car so much, can be heard when I start the engine. When we bought the car, in a trade-in offer, the muffler was broken. This let the sound of a measly chevy engine sound like a throbbing V8. Ever since then, I've loved the sound of the car. The muffler was fixed, but I still hear the soul of a V8, struggling to get out. The other reason why I love my car, is because if I was to drag all of my friends, my car would win, with a humiliating lead. My friend Adam drives a Jeep. It’s a sweet car, especially when we drive down Eglinton in the summer, with the roof, doors and windows off. It’s got muscle, pure muscle. That car can drive through anything with its 4WD, and is able to slide all over a slick road. Shane drives a Park Avenue. It’s a tank. It must be over 10 feet long, has plush seats, and faux wood interior. It’s the kind of car you wish you had for backseat shenanigans. Man is that car comfortable. But my car, MY CAR, is the speedster. I love speed. I need it, I want it, can’t get enough of it. I honestly feel like I’m parked, if I drive below 30km/h. I’m not a speed demon on the road, because I have enough common sense not to fuck around while other people are around. If I’m alone, however, I will tear up any street I can get my hands on. If you’ve ever driven by a Loblaws, or a school parking lot, and seen a car zipping around in circles, or power-sliding, it was probably one of my kind. Pulling 180s, driving backwards at 60, or tangoing light posts, are some of my favourite things. By the way, tangoing a light out, is where you slide all the way around the pole, with the front of the car pointed directly at the pole for the whole revolution. It’s damn hard, but it is one of the most entertaining stunts in a car........Hmmm, I seem to have gotten off track here. Well I guess this is just a roundabout way of saying, I love my car. I know how to fix it. When the engine light came on today, it didn’t go away until I got the car up to 80 on Rosedale Valley Road.

“Sometimes, you’ve gotta feed some speed to your ride. You know what I’m saying.”
- Luke Wilson - “Blue Streak”