88 Camaro

Take a step back with me will you? Take a step back 15 years. I was 15 years old, with my learner's permit and hanging out with my best friend Tiffany. (note: we used to do a wicked raptor impersonation)

It's time to take Tiffany home and my mom says, "Why don't you just take the Camaro and take her home?"

YESSSSSSSS!

Tiffany and I went alone to the car - a little nervous that I could not indeed drive a stick shift and neither could she. Mom was kind enough to tell me the basics about a clutch and off we went. It was a rough 2 block drive to Tiffany's. I'm not sure how many times I stalled the car but we made it.

And thus began my 6 years relationship with the epic 1988 Camaro.

Where do I start to describe this car? It was famous. Everyone at Cottonwood High School knew this car and they knew Becky Avery drove it. As a result I had guys begging me nearly daily to let them drive it (I'm looking at you Caleb Petersen & Charlie Halford). Somehow girls didn't really care to drive it.

This was also the car that got me checked out constantly - usually by white trash 40-50 year old men with mustaches. Oh ya they loved this car.

Lately I have been running by Olympus High School. You would think I was running next to a rich office building based on the cars in their parking lot. I'm talking new Outbacks, Audi's, Volkswagons, etc. At Cottonwood there were some nice cars, sure. However most cars were junkers. My car wasn't a junker but it was awesome. I loved that it had so much character - ghetto character- but character nonetheless. I loved the car parked each day between Caroline Jolley's silver Dodge Aries (red interior) and Jenny Bishop's station wagon. Our cars had style.

I have a lot of memories of the Camaro. Memories of stalking Jason Rhead. Funny that I ever thought I could casually stalk someone in that beast. It stuck out like a sore thumb.

Memories of belting broadway musicals with my drama friends on our way to lunch during play practice.

Memories of speeding through a Cottonwood Heights neighborhood, only to be side-swiped by Justin Lafeen (while Gurney screamed in the back). That was my first accident. I think Lafeen is still traumatized.

Memories of me hitting and killing a dog on Highland Drive. The poor dog ran right in front of me, late one night. I didn't even have time to break. I was devastated. What seems more memorable however is the crap everyone gave me as a result. Nate Stevens and crew mocked my car for having a beard for years because of this. That Christmas, Nate was my boyfriend, and he informed me he almost bought me a shaving kit for Christmas. Glad he didn't or that relationship would have ended quickly.

One particular memory still makes me laugh. It was my junior year of high school and all the drama girls were having a "girls night". We used to refer to them as OFM nights (operation face mask). We didn't want the boys to know where we were but we were all staying at I think Melissa Hernandez's grandmas condo? I left my car parked at Kim Ball's house. That night we snuck over to Mark Gurney's house and marshmallowed Blake Emett's car. Basically licked marshmallows and stuck them to the windows. Harmless right?

Wrong.

The next morning I got a call from my mom while at school rehearsing for "Oliver". The cops called them because while we were sleeping the boys trashed my car over at Kim's house. And when I say trashed, I mean trashed.

Wow. Pickled pigs feet, ketchup, mustard, you name it. Girls do these things to flirt - boys do these things to be mean. Clearly.

This wasn't the only time the infamous Camaro was trashed. There was also the night that I was working until 1:00am at Italian Village (a workplace that clearly merits its own blog post)

It was winter. When I was about to leave I walked outside to see that my car had be floured. Meaning water was poured on my car, and then flour was thrown on it. Normally this is bad but the fact that by the time I came out the flour was FROZEN onto my car, ya that was bad. I had to walk in and out of Italian Village at 1:00am with buckets and buckets of steaming water to clean it up. I think Casey Sullivan and Hudd were behind this one?

Something about the Camaro just begged to be tortured.

I drove this car until I was 21. I remember buying my Jetta and driving on the freeway and before I realized it I was going 90mph. I couldn't go over 55 mph without the Camaro shaking threateningly.

I miss the Camaro. I miss the giant speakers that only worked 1/2 the time. I miss the booming horn. I miss the rumble of it. I miss feeling like a total bad ass. Lets be honest, my Scion, not nearly as cool.

I would like to end this blog by referring to one of my favorite year book entries.

"Becky, nice car, nice legs. Too bad I've never been in either of them."

Thank you Caleb Petersen, thank you. The good mormon girl I used to be was horrified by that but now it just makes me laugh my ass off.

As far as first car's go - nothing beats the '88 Camaro.