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04/05/2025

Today’s blog

Lynn Murphy Mark

T’WONDA!

Anyone who has watched “Fried Green Tomatoes” surely will remember the scene where Kathy Bates drives her car into the car of two sassy women who stole a parking spot from her. When she confronted them from her car they said, “Face it lady. We’re younger and faster.”, and sauntered into the grocery store. Kathy sits in her car for a couple of minutes pondering what just happened. Then a priceless look takes over her face and, yelling “Towanda!!!”, she crashes into their car several times. When the snotty women come running out of the store, she says, “Face it, girls. I’m older and have better insurance!” as she drives away. 

By the way, Towanda is a mythical amazonian woman who is fearless and willing to go on a good adventure. Although she never appears in the movie, she is definitely a main character. I love the very idea of a powerful, brave female figure.

For a number of years I had a vanity license plate, T’WONDA. I got it when I bought a sporty little Mitsubishi Eclipse, and kept it when I traded in for a Toyota Rav4. The whole time I had it, people would sometimes honk, or wave. Once at a stop sign, a good ole boy in a big truck rolled down his window and asked me if it was from “that movie.” Yes, sir, yes it is.

Yesterday I finally heard from my insurance company to advise me what my pitiful, beat up Prius was worth. The figure was more than I was expecting, for which I am grateful. As soon as I had a final number I called my now friend and salesman, Keith, at Weber Chevrolet. I had spent a couple of hours with him on Wednesday after my intuition told me to check out a small SUV, a Chevy Trax. I test drove what is to become my car today, and I tell you, it had me at “heated steering wheel”. That seems like such a luxury, especially since I have a circulatory condition where my hands get cold and numb and turn a yellow color. Anyway, the car has a lot of features, surprisingly, for its price. It gets pretty good reviews. 

Since my dad was a staunch General Motors man, I spent my childhood driving around in Chevy vehicles. However, I have not owned a USA brand car since the 1970’s, so this is a departure for me. But, on reading the paper from the window, I see that a significant part of my new car actually came from Korea and Mexico. So, even though Chevy is an iconic American brand, we rely on other countries for parts and assembly. Take that, 47, and stuff it into your tariffs pipe. You idiot.

I have an appointment at 10:30 to meet Keith, who is coming in on his day off to walk me through the buying and financing part of the deal. Jan will come with me because she is hot to see this car. Usually she is the negotiator in our relationship, but today she only needs to be an observer. My T’wonda-self did my own negotiating on Wednesday. I might have done a little better if Jan had been with me, but I’m satisfied with the outcome and so is she.

Next week sometime I will venture to the DMV to pay sales tax and order my plates. I hope I can get some version close to herself’s name. These days my T’wonda spirit reacts every time I hear a news bulletin about the latest buffoonery that is coming from this administration. It seems fitting that I should drive around in a sassy-ass vehicle proclaiming Amazonian woman-power.