My Futuristic Honda Hybrid

On July 24th I purchased a new car! It's a 2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid variable transmission. I've had it for several weeks now, and I'm enjoying it very much. Learning to drive it has been a little bit of a challenge, but fun at the same time. It has a voice recognition navigation system, and it makes me feel like I'm driving in the Jetson's cartoon or the Back to the Future movie. It has a variable transmission, which means I can select to drive it in three different modes: Sport (fast and racy), Normal, and Economy (gas saving and gutless). The navi system ranks me when I shut off the engine based on a 1 to 5 scale. If I get a 5, it means I drove well and saved fuel. I love the auto stop feature which shuts off the engine when the car is stopped - stop signs, signals, etc. It has a 10 gallon tank, so it's not so painful to pay at the pump, but the best thing about it is... Roxie seems to love it. I was so excited about my new car, I recently purchased an accessory to go with it.

Roxie as a phobia of cars. She pants and panics much like me when I see a large dog make eye contact with me and come my way. She shudders and jumps around from place to place trying to find somewhere where she feels comfortable, which usually ends up being my lap. Not a safe way to drive, I am aware, but it almost seems safer than her jumping all over the place. I tried putting her in a crate, but that seemed to make her even more panicky. The new car seems to have helped her cope with being a passenger. She is not cured of these undesirable behaviors all of the time, but in the Hybrid she's a lot calmer and often times she simply relaxes in the passenger seat. I'm happy to report that she was driven to the dog park in it and she played without fear! We even made a new friend there that day. His name is Rocky and he is a six month old Boston Terrier.

Roxie at the Dog Park

I am causing quite a stir in the land of SUVs Dublin with my new vehicle. Many people ask questions about how it runs, how I like it, gas mileage, and simply compliment me on its lovely color. After giving my kids a ride in it, it's a two seater so it had to be separate occasions, both of them stated the car was "futuristic." I've heard it said your future is what you make it, so make it a good one. With this car, I think I am doing just that.