Stuck between an egg and a aircraft carrier

With the rising cost of petrol, and an increase in the ratio of rust to paint on my old truck, we decided to put her out to pasture, and get something a bit more fuel efficient, and impervious to wind and rain. We ended up adopting a Scion XA from 2006. A small commuter car. A vehicle that gets 37 miles to the gallon. An egg, that I could possibly park in the back of our aircraft carrier sized family plus vehicle: "The Rig."

Not only is it markedly smaller, but the egg has a standard shift, on the floor, where as the Rig is an automatic on the column. It follows that the egg has a clutch and the Rig has, well, no visible means of clutching. And here is lies the problem. When I go to start the Rig, now my left foot reflexively goes for a pedal -- any pedal. And after backing out of my parking space, my hand reaches for the shifter were it isn't.

During the first few times I had to drive the egg, I'd rev the engine before it engaged into first gear. Or I when I shifted into reverse, I'd end up laying on the horn. Once it stopped traffic in the market parking lot. The second, and third time it happened in my driveway. Causing the manly man to come out of the house and mouth, "What?" I just shook my head, gunned the engine, while waiting for first gear to happen, then left on my errands.

But there is a positive side to a smallish pea sized auto. Like finding a parking spot in a lot where the vehicles are packed in like sardines. I had to take my eldest for an appointment where parking is such. Immediately upon entering the lot, you're forced into a circling motion like a shark. With the Rig, it would take me 20 minutes to find a spot. The egg - only 5. We weren't late for the appointment.

Over the past month I've grown fond of the egg that holds all five of us and a small shopping trip to BJs, found the clutch sweet spot, and more often than not can get it into reverse without blasting out my intentions.