Not about academics

This post might come down shortly, since it's really OT, but it's big news in my life.

This weekend, I did something I have not done for 12 years. After 12 years of driving an increasingly ancient car, I bought a new car. A Prius. It's terrific.

Now, when you drive an old car for years and years, your expectations for a new one are low to begin with: "Power windows? You don't have to crank them up? And you mean it has a CD player instead of a cassette deck?" But this really is a nice car.

Some observations:

It gets good mileage, though nowhere near the touted 61/50 highway/city mpg.

It has plenty of power to pass other cars on a hill, if you have to do that.

Everything (radio, climate control) is controlled by a touch screen with lots of instant updates as to the car's status (mpg, temperature, etc.). It beeps when it's in reverse, like a truck.

You can't see the front hood at all when you're sitting in the car.

I thinkthe driver of a big 4WD pickup truck with an extra-long cab looked at the car with envy as I drove away from a stoplight. I like to think it was envy and not disdain.

Sure, I bought it because being a little more green helps, and after all, being a Birkenstock-wearing, tree-hugging college professor is my job. But this car is fun!