The Latest Mid-Life Crisis Mobile

Okay, this was fun courtesy of Avis:

A few ragtop rules in Seattle:

• Wear a polar fleece.
• If you don’t open your top because you’re waiting for sun, you’ll never open your top in Seattle. Just be prepared to pull over to the side to put it back up. 😛
• Be prepared for strange glances from people with foreign license plates.
• As to both of the above: always look like you’re enjoying yourself.

When in a convertible, music plays an important part of the entire experience. Be keenly aware that if you’re going to play tracks at sufficient volume to enjoy them, others will have to "enjoy" them as well. In my case, I’m a gray-haired guy; I don’t want to look like I’m in in mid-life crisis mode (I’m not), nor do I want to appear silly.

Hence, I was in a bit of a quandary as to what to play. Wheeling through my Zune, I found (and avoided playing):

• Trance: while I love it (it’s my favorite workout and "thinking" music), it might appear to be a bit too high-energy; a bit too happy.
• Sade, Basia or Dead or Alive: forget about it. While not exactly "thinking" music .. might appear to be a bit too happy.
• Huey Lewis and the News, Blood Sweat and Tears or The Eagles: would make me look like too much of a throwback.
• The Doors or The Moody Blues: would make me look like too much of a holdover.
• Barry Manilow: get serious. Yes: he’s on my Zune, and he gets major props from me, but in a rag-top?
• Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks or Toby Keith: Yes, I listen. No, others don’t need to know (hey, a fellow Next-Generation denizen is a NASCAR fanatic).
• Jazz: Not cool enough for a convertible in Seattle. San Francisco? Maybe.
• Frank Sinatra: too blatantly stereotypical.

There is no Rap on my Zune, and very little Pop. The radio? No.

I settled on Evanescence (described as "The goth-inspired Arkansas rock band" :: cackle :: ), which gave way to Santana (Shaman, of course) and Marc Anthony (Libre; the Spanish version).

I enjoyed the strange glances from people with foreign and domestic license plates all around.