It's actually pretty easy being green...

The hybrid has arrived! The neatest part, of course, is that it's a new car. It's also got some neat bells and whistles on it (there is no ignition key, just a radio box that handles unlocking the door, starting the car - even turning on the interior lights when you get close). The weirdness is the electric motor part. I drove around the WalMart parking lot while my wife was picking something up. It was like driving around in the worlds most expensive golf cart - only quieter. Coming home last night, we got stuck behind an old guy driving so slowly, the car shut off the engine and we rolled along behind him on the motor alone. I find myself leaving stop signs and stop lights slowly now, just to see how long I can go before the engine kicks in (unless there's traffic coming up).

We're going to St. Louis next week for a last vacation - that should prove a nice test of the system on the road.