There are about a zillion posts flying around the blogosphere about BlogHer08, and I’m no exception. However, I’m still processing some of it and want to wait and do a more thoughtful post. What I don’t want to wait on, however, is sharing my thoughts about driving the Chevy Hybrid Tahoe up and back with Suebob.

I’ve posted a full review of the Tahoe over on the BlogHer site. If you don’t want details, then here’s the bottom line: It’s a great vehicle with the potential to get great fuel economy and reduce our carbon footprint and fuel consumption in a conspicuous way. We averaged 24 mpg there and back. We did drive it easily, staying between 60-65 mph, and easing into starts and stops.

I’ve also left a post over on BlogHer about GM and how impressed I was with the way they approached the carpool idea, which was, basically, to let us have the vehicle, the keys and free reign. They get it. They have a product they believe in, and are willing to risk handing it over to a Prius owner with no strings, an extra day on either side of the scheduled drive, and hot damn, they also paid the $50/day parking charges.

I took them at their word. We put that vehicle through its paces on the drive up and back, and I spent some time with it on the extra days taking it to and from my daughter’s school out in the strawberry fields, as well as the beach. (Yes, I have more to say about the beach trip in a separate post soon where I offer to kiss every RIM employee involved in the design of the BlackBerry Curve).

It is a lot of car built for small women. Big ones too, but I say small because I am a smallish person who drives a small car that she loves. I was fully prepared to be completely unimpressed and somewhat skittish about driving a full-blown SUV, but oh, about a mile into it I was over it. Completely.

Finally, I just have to say that I could not have had anyone who was more fun to drive with than SueBob. She’s a native of the San Luis Obispo/Central Coast area, so I was treated to a terrific tour of all her old haunts, funky restaurants, introduction to some of her really nice and creative friends, and stories, stories everywhere. Go read her blog — you’ll enjoy it.

Even though we’ve been Twitter buddies for awhile, the morning I picked her up was the first time we’d ever met face-to-face, and it was like meeting an old friend you knew forever. I don’t know many people who have the ability to set me at ease at the first second we met, but she did it, and it was a really fun drive with her. Thanks, Suebob for a great road trip and a great time.

And thank you, GM, for getting it, and trusting me with your very big, very cool, new hybrid. Even if strange men did follow me home when I drove it.

Opting for something lighter, matching summer’s mood. Call it reality or metaphor, it’s all the same.

The Ventura County Star is doing an online photo compilation of photos around Ventura County. I’ve submitted several, including the one of the Day Fire that was popular on Flickr. If you feel like it, could you vote for me? Registration is part of the deal, but they’re good about not spamming and it’s pretty painless.