A Really Royal Ride

132 horses under the hood of a 2012 Toyota Corolla

We live in a little '50's suburb at the north edge of Harrisonburg, just outside the city limits. Within .3 mile of us is a drug store, a Food Lion, a Dollar General, five small restaurants and our Credit Union, among other things.

So when we need a prescription, a gallon of milk, or access to an ATM at one of these locations, we have several options:

1. Wait, then combine it with a trip to work or elsewhere.

2. Walk or bike.

3. Access a wonderful coach we happen to own, one that's designed for convenient overland transportation and is housed in the "livery stable" we call our garage.

Using the latter is always the quickest and most convenient choice.

Here are some of the amazing features of our travel machine. Even though our car is smaller than some, it nevertheless weighs well over a ton (2734 pounds) and has a climate-controlled cabin area able to comfortably seat five people.

Our particular craft is powered by the equivalent of 132 horses. Yes, 132. They are always harnessed and ready to go at the turn of a key, fully hitched to the royal coach on which we've become totally dependent. Much of what makes using this advanced machine so effortless is a complex set of computer controlled features that are worth thousands of dollars and that are amazing beyond imagination.

Unfortunately, the fuel that empowers all of this, while convenient to access, is also very controversial. Derived from oil deep in the ground, it has often been fought over as a scarce, nonrenewable resource, the use of which adds to environmental pollution believed by many scientists to threaten the survival of our planet.

So since I could use a lot more exercise anyway, should I use the Corolla for a run to the bank or just walk?

On the other hand, I could just drive my coach, powered by 132 horses, another half mile beyond the Credit Union and get my exercise walking around EMU's climate controlled indoor track for a couple of miles.