A Warm Butt in the Windy City

[Guest post by Allison Babka]

This is my first post on Lisa’s blog, and I’m about to piss off three-quarters of my good friend’s readers: 

• I don’t care for sports that don’t involve a catcher’s mitt.
• “Notre Dame” means a gorgeous cathedral in Paris, not a university in South Bend.
• The only car I’ve ever really cared about was Speed Racer’s Mach 5.

That last one is huge. Want to see my eyes glaze over? Tell me how hot your convertible is. Drone on and on about horsepower. Explain once again how this minivan is cool because it has secret compartments. And so help me, if you try to address “torque” without making inappropriate jokes, I will kick you in the shin and then yawn theatrically.

That’s why I’m hella surprised to find myself still thinking about Lisa’s Volvo S60 a week after I bid it adieu. The seats... I can hear them calling to me.

Lisa and I recently made a quick pilgrimage to Chicago because City 360TV tapped her to interview Notre Dame players during the OfficeMax Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field. I know; she’s a rock star. But Lisa needed to finish her interview research during the five-hour trek to the Windy City, so she asked if I would mind playing chauffeur in her Volvo. Being the driver meant getting control of the radio, so I quickly said yes before Lisa could change her mind and force Adele on me.

In the profound words of Janice from Friends, “Oh. My. GAWD.” How on Earth could a car make me feel so loved?

The only things that interest me about cars are that they work, that they’re comfortable and that they keep me warm. Lisa’s Volvo excelled at all of this. I was surprised at how quietly her car ran. From the ignition turn to the highway purr, the car rolled along without any obnoxious engine noises. In fact, except for the fact that I was driving it, I hardly noticed the car was on at all. The only sound was us singing “You’re So Vain” four times in five hours.

The Volvo’s seats -- both the driver and shotgun positions -- felt like they were made specifically to cradle my bony butt. In my own car, I sit on a dining room cushion when driving because my seat has become worn out and uncomfortable after 11 years. The seats in Lisa’s Volvo, though, needed no such nonsense. They were quite supple, yet the bottom and back portions both had a firm core that supported my weight and kept me alert. If I could put the driver’s seat in my living room, I would.

The very best part about driving Lisa’s Volvo S60 was the individual seat warmer. I feel like I’m freezing even during St. Louis’ oven-like summers, but cranking the heat in the car often makes my passengers uncomfortable. The seat warmer in the Volvo eliminated the need for air-based heat, and having the warmth go straight into my rear-end even made me comfortable enough to shed my three layers during the drive. In fact, I was so content that I denied Lisa the chance to drive her own car once she finished her research.

After Lisa became an internet TV star and we returned to St. Louis, I was disappointed to climb back into my own car. I’m hoping that my vehicle will squeeze out another year or two, but when it’s finally time to go car shopping, you can bet that I’ll be looking at Volvos.

Blog owner's note: I in no way requested Allison to write this post ... she happily and eagerly volunteered! Look, we've got a (potentially) new member to the Volvo family!

Cheers!