Must-have luxuries

I know what luxury is: It's car windows that roll up and down.

For years, my windows have not worked. The one has refused to roll up 100 percent since my senior year in high school. The other window doesn't roll up at all. It's like the motor has died (I have power windows). In May, my mom rolled the window down. Big mistake -- BIG. Now, it's stuck about a half-inch from the top. You might be wondering how bad a gap a half-inch really can be. Well, let me tell you:

--when it rains, I get wet.
--you cannot go through car washes. I learned this the hard way. I was in Blaine covering a murder when, before I returned to work, I thought I should treat my 98 Pontiac Grand Am beauty to a little bath. At first, the water is just a sprinkle. But within seconds, it turns into a soapy downpour. Dressed in all black that day, I trudged into the office with some soap spots. One, in particular, covered my butt. Fortunately, I was dry by the time I got to work. I used a bag to soak up some of the water in the seat. And I turned the AC on full blast.

Yesterday I drove Ben's 02 Jeep Grand Cherokee into work. I felt powerful, on top of the world, luxurious behind the wheel. Best of all, I could roll down the window to use my pass to get into the ramp. I've had to open my door since I started using the ramp -- which was February -- because of the window.

Why was I in Ben's wheels? Winter's comin', and I can't deal with a window that is perpetually open. So it was in the shop -- where it still sits today -- to get fixed. By the end of today, I'll have a new $300 luxury -- a car window that opens and closes.