"You mean fussier than Dad?" I said.
Amy laughed. "I didn't say that."
"But it's true," I said.
Amy laughed again.
"At least it'll keep us safe with all the warning pings, beeps, and buzzes," I said.
"Sure, but we've got to be able to turn them down," Amy said, fiddling with the new touchscreen dashboard.
Is she talking about the new car or me? I thought.
We hadn't had a new car for nine years. Didn't think we needed a new car after nine years. But our last car of nine years was having transmission issues after hitting over 100K miles. Transmission issues that two dealer trips and three AAMCO trips later gleaned no answers for us.
It was a 2017 Santa Fe Hyundai. We loved that car. Took our whole family a lot of miles safely for most of those nine years and had really low maintenance overall. At least until the transmission started acting up. For a few years we towed a trailer camper, and while our Santa Fe was technically able to tow the trailer, it probably put excessive strain on the transmission.
So, it was time to get a new car. After a couple of test drives, we really liked the new Hyundai IONIQ 5 electronic vehicle (EV). The EV hi-tech world we're just now experiencing is a story for another time, and in the meantime, we love it. But it pings, beeps, and buzzes a lot of warnings, all the time.
Watch out for the things in front of you!
Watch out for the things to the sides of you!
Watch out for the things behind you!
Don't forget the passengers in the back seats!
Don't forget the passengers in the front seats!
Don't forget to live your life to the fullest and be grateful for every moment!
Okay, that last one isn't a real car warning, but it is how we roll as the kids say. Not sure the kids say that anymore, though. Our kids don't, but I certainly do.
Amy's fussy new car joke fits me perfectly, however. I'm the "no" dad. The dad who fills up quickly with fussy angst and says:
No, we're not doing that.
No, I'm not doing that.
No, we aren't going there.
And then more pings, beeps, and buzzes like the new car:
Watch out for the things in front of you!
Watch out for the things to the sides of you!
Watch out for the things behind you!
"Dad's getting fussy again," I can hear my kids say as I write this.
Maybe I am fussier than our new EV. Dang. Well, at least I'm a fussy grateful hybrid. A used one with a lot of miles, but always grateful for every moment.