On the way to school, Sophie commented. "Mom can you drop me off kind of far away from school?"

"What do you mean?

"We're driving in the most embarrassing car and listening to the most embarrasssing song, so I'd rather not have anybody see me."

"Are you serious?" (What are you in highschool? oh right, the 4th grade) "Come on, the Pink Nissan isn't that bad, plus it runs and it's paid off, which is a pretty big deal to parents." She humphs in the back seat as I check the radio to confirm my suspicions about the song that was playing. Ah, "I'll be there for you" by BonJovi.

Now, Bonjovi was my very first concert so i have a slight nostalgic based affinity for them. (I went with Kristin Gunnell when i was a just a year older than sophie. Wow, what was G'ma thinking?) But my fondness clearly only applies to the old stuff. "Have a nice day" of 2004ish could easily go down in history as the worst single ever released. I wash my hands of it. But those old school power ballads.....

Anyway, back to the most embarrassing car on earth. The one Sophie will groan about and apologize for everytime i roll up in pinky to pick up carpool. We chat a little about how a nicer car doesn't make you a nicer person and that it doesn't matter what people think and how we just don't need to worry about what others think. She's totally not buying it and then as if an exclamation point to undercut my argument, Jon Bon Jovi squealed out a screeching high note
" aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

She slumped down and hid under her back pack. I pull over about a block away and walk her to the sidewalk. She hurries away and jokingly says, ' thanks, strange person that i don't know."

Ready or not, Here she goes.