Goodbye, Big Texas Truck

It turns out this Texas girl doesn't know how to deal with winter weather. I learned that last year when I tried to drive my giant Texas truck up and down the hills that are pervasive in this part of Virginia. (In the snow. Uphill both ways.)

It slipped and slid all over the place. I solidified my decision that I needed to get a different vehicle during one particularly rough snow storm, in which I skidded into a highway guardrail and then fishtailed into a ditch in my neighborhood on the way home from work one day. Once I was out of the ditch — thanks to the help of a kind neighbor — I couldn't get up the next hill, so I abandoned Esmeralda and walked home. My feet did not get frostbite, but they felt like they might. Matt had to rescue the truck later.

(Note to self: don't wear flats if there is a risk of snowstorms. Boots. Always wear boots.)

I knew I needed something with all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. But I hated to say goodbye to my beloved truck. It made me feel big! Powerful! Like a badass chick!

It looks so sad! It looks like it hit a bear!

But, you know. Safety first. I'd like to not fear my own death this winter.

So we bought a new-to-us Toyota Highlander. It's a 4x4 with a snow mode, whatever that means. And it's not too much of a mom-mobile (provided we leave the third row of seats permanently folded down for trunk storage, as we plan to do), so I'm happy. :)

Bonus: I can climb in and out of it in a skirt without jumping or hoisting myself up awkwardly!

So then of course, my next step was to give it a kickass name. I thought that after Esmeralda and Blaine, this one needed an unusual name too.

I decided it should be called PERCIVAL! Like after the knight! My sister told me that name was hideous, but I was already super attached to it. (And I did tell her that it's not like I'd ever name a child Percival. I am not cruel. It's definitely a vehicle name in this day and age.)

Do you like unusual names? Any additional advice for driving/surviving in the winter?