Do I Look Like a Soccer Mom?

I'm back in Chicago after a nice weekend in Houston with my family. It only took me four years to get there, but better late than never, right?

All was dandy until I arrived at Enterprise. They didn't have a compact car ready for pick-up (I reserve the smallest car possible because not only is it easier to park in Chicago but it's better on gas). The front desk clerk asked me, "Is a mini-van okay?" With a "are you serious?" look on my face, I politely replied, "Do I look like a soccer mom?" So back he went behind his little counter to find another choice. The only other option was a Mercury Mariner.

Similar to a Jeep Wrangler, the small size SUV, so far, has turned out to be "not so bad." It drives fairly well and, unlike my Dodge Avenger from last week, I can actually see out the back windows. But I'm a bit concerned about gas consumption. I've already used almost a 1/4 of a tank - and that's just from the airport to downtown with a few miles here and there. I guess I'll just have to limit my usage just as I do my temporary phone. I need to save all the money I can with a big purchase looming on the horizon (more on that to come).