The Invasion Has Begun

minivan
Originally uploaded by houseintheburg.

It's not just your paranoia. We probably are becoming pod people. And the first step toward rural domination: the minivan.

A 1999 Toyota Sienna XLE, to be exact. That's the "Camry of Minivans" to you. Ooh yeah! We can kick the butts of all those Subaru Outbacks that most of our cohort are buying. Without even scratching our Classic Green Pearl exterior.

Yes, we have cargo room. Yes, we can seat seven adults, even amply sized ones like ourselves. Yes, we get better gas mileage than an SUV. And no, we ain't worried about parking. Chez Revivalized has a grand total of five parking spots. PLUS. It's located next to a parking lot. Seriously.

I feel like that PLUS is starting to symbolize the transition we're about to make. I've already mentioned the abundance of storage space, the excessive amount of parking, and the oversize of our vehicle. But we haven't discussed the four PLUS bedrooms, two parlors, and two kitchens. Look, people, there's only two of us! And we've been squeezed into a one-bedroom apartment for the last three years. No balcony, let alone a yard. It's not just the apartment that contributes to the current crunch. It's just Big City life. You just start to feel like the whole City is closing in on you. And on the subway, I am literally crushed by people for 90 minutes a day.

Last weekend, D. picked up this beauty and drove it back to the City for us. Already I feel more liberated. I find it exciting to be able to ask, "Should we drive there?" Even if the only driving we are actually doing is finding a new space during Street Cleaning. It the power of knowing you CAN do it, if you want to.

When people hear about our large house and minivan, the usual comment is, "Well, you can have lots of kids!" I know I shouldn't read too much into the "innocent" comments of bystanders, but isn't this wierd? As if the only, first, or possibly best thing we should do with our newly won personal space is procreate. Mightn't we use this Room of Our Own to create, transcend, inspire, grow or Do Great Work?

Look, we may have joined the pod, but...there's a limit. And... after letting out our belts a little, spreading our wings a bit, we'll let you know where it is. In the meantime, antiques fairs, auctions, nurseries, Lowe's, Walmart, Giant Food Stores - here we come!