THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT MY NEW CAR WILL LOOK LIKE WHEN I TAKE DELIVERY OF IT IN JUNE OR JULY.

I ordered my new car today.

They have to special order it. It's being built in Japan. JAPAN. I thought they didn't build Japanese cars in Japan anymore, at least not for the American market. MY CAR IS BEING BUILT BY THE WACKY JAPANESE. Which is a good thing. It should be built by the Wacky Japanese. It's a Wacky Japanese Car, with it's Durante-like schnozzola.

Remember... I *LIKE* the Wacky Japanese. They give us cool things. Like robots that run and dance and do tai-chi and roller skate and recognize themselves in mirrors. And they gave us Ramen.

So I already like my car.

Details: 2007 Toyota Yaris hatchback, 5 speed manual transmission. Color: Meteorite Metallic. ABS Brakes, keyless entry, AM/FM/CD player with IPod jack (standard equipment, baby, YEAH!). AIR CONDITIONER (standard, baby!). Enough airbags to make it look like an explosion in a marshmallow factory if I ever crash it. And enough storage space inside to take a week-long trip by stuffing my clothes in the storage compartments instead of a backpack. (The website boasts about "20 different storage compartments including 7 cupholders". When the car itself at most will seat 5 people. Those Wacky, WACKY Japanese! I love'em!)

So I will have a new car soon.

AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

Hmmm... well, as of today I am a real career employee at the Post Awful. It took 12 years and three go-rounds with the Union, and as when they made us PTFs they are not happy about it. I only found out this was going to happen a few days ago, and here it is. Me and 19 other PTFs are now FTRs. The next time they post job listings I'll be able to bid on them. The Christmas season won't be any better (they've now got me on a 1:30 pm -- 10 PM schedule, meaning I'll get home after midnight with the 2 hrs. extra every night) but I will probably get Christmas itself off. First time barring lucky break that has happened in 12 years.

In view of the probable near future wherein I will continue to get regular pay raises, I started a savings account and transfered $1k into it for purposes of a down payment on a new car to be bought in the spring. It will be the Toyota Yaris hatchback, a brand new type of Teeny Car. ("Teeny Cars" are what I call cars that you put on rather than get in. Other Teeny Cars include the MiniCooper, the Honda Fit, many of the old Honda Civics from way back, and my teenage dream car the VW Rabbit.) I went to go test drive one this past week.

Yes, in 1987 when others of my class were mooning over Datsun 280ZXs, Trans-Ams, Camaros and Corvettes, I got an airbrush t-shirt with a 1980 VW Rabbit, neon green, with a sunroof. My actual first car? A 1980 Ford Pinto.

Well, I guess I'm off to work. I'm off tomorrow, oddly enough. One of the perks of being an FTR is a weekend day off. Oy.