Getting around

This week I am coming to you from Sedona, Arizona. Technically, Cottonwood, but people know Sedona, so that’s my story.

While here I have use of someone else’s car, a 2021 Subaru Forrester. This is quite a change from my 2001 Saab 9-3 coupe. For one thing, it’s enormous; I feel like I should have a battle fleet around me. For another, it’s automatic transmission.

I thought I was going to have to consult YouTube just to get the thing started. Not the keyless part, that I know. But you have to simultaneously depress the brake and press the Engine Start button. I can’t tell you how many minutes I tried to get it going before I managed the magic combination.

Then there was the seat adjustment—on my Saab, it’s a lever under the seat; in the Subaru, there are knobs and switches on the side. I had to get out and examine all the things before finally getting it moved. I don't know for sure, but I think it's a hybrid. I mean—I hope it is; when I stop for longer than maybe 10 seconds, the RPMs drop to zero and there's no engine sound. Then when I press the accelerator (or, to be more precise, take my foot off the brake), everything's tickety-boo.

Gonna be an interesting week.