Car schmar

This past weekend, a friend asked if I missed owning a car. It's nearly 4 months since I gave up the car and - although it's probably verboten for a girl from Dearborn to say this - I don't really miss it. Sure, it's been an adjustment, and there are little frustrations, but overall I'm happy with my decision.

The biggest frustration is the fact that my arms do not hold nearly as much as the trunk of a car. So, where I used to run errands going from one place to the next, I now have to go to a couple places, go home, and go out again. My cat likes this, because it gives her multiple opportunities to beg for treats in the hope that I've forgotten I gave her some earlier.

The other challenge is keeping myself adequately supplied with Diet Coke. There have been some traumatic mornings when I was too lazy to go out the night before to restock.

On the other hand, I don't have to keep an eye on the street cleaning signs, or pay the inevitable parking tickets when I miss the street cleaning signs. No insurance payments, no license plate fee, no city parking sticker. I am definitely enjoying the reduction in expenses.

I'm not ruling out the possibility of owning a car again someday - it can be very convenient to have one around. But for now, I'm fine with relying on the CTA and my own foot power. And the occasional mooched ride.