We've Traveled Many Miles Together

Well, the past few days have been a whirlwind of this that and the other. There are lots of changes taking place and hopefully I will get around to writing about them all because goodness knows this blog is hurting for some decent reading material these days. 

I'm sure many of you will be thrilled beyond measure to read that my beloved car/summer oven Blue have parted ways. I've needed to grow up and get a new car for a long time but my frugality has prevented me from taking that step while I have an operable vehicle. However, recent developments have made it such that I am now in the process of purchasing a new vehicle (more on this later); and so, on Friday afternoon, Blue was parked in front of my house with a For Sale sign in almost every window. 

Blue, a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix, was originally my dad's company car and when he got a new company car in 2004, I bought Blue. The used company cars were offered to the employees at a very good price and in 2004 when it was time for my dad to turn Blue in, I was in need of a better vehicle. The price for Blue was $5,000 and at the time, my credit was so atrocious that my dad had to secure the loan for me and I gave him the money for the payment each month. If I'm not mistaken, I was required to give him every other paycheck to pay off Blue (I lived with my parents' at the time and didn't have a lot of expenses) and so she was paid off pretty quickly. 

When I took possession of Blue, she had about 55,000 miles on her. Last week, she turned over 185,000. My plan was to drive her until she hit 200,000 which would probably put me at buying a newer car some time next year, but the circumstances worked out such that I fell 15,000 miles short of my goal. Blue and I have traveled the highways and the bi-ways, country lanes and city roads. We've been in more wrecks than I really care to remember. There was the time my drunk neighbor hit Blue while she was parked out front, the time I almost met Jesus on highway 431 (there's still a dent on the backside from that) and the time someone ran a red light and plowed into her side. Honestly, it seems like there is another incident or 10 that I can't recall at the moment; needless to say, we've been through a lot together, Blue and I. 

Over the years, Blue has prevented me from staying warm in the winter but thankfully she always kept me cool in the summer, and really, isn't that most important. I can't remember the last time Blue told me what time it was as the display on the clock/radio hasn't worked since about 2006. This past April on the way home from the Dave Matthew's Band concert, Blue's gas gauge decided to quit working and hasn't worked again since. All four of the windows have been nonoperational at one point or another and the driver's window is still up with the assistance of duct tape. She had a side-view mirror drop off in a car wash (which I repaired myself thank you very much) and she is missing a cover from the side of the passenger side headlight that fell off who knows where. Not to mention I think she had an invisible sign on the front that read, "please pull out in front of me."

Blue has cooked a variety of dishes for your reading pleasure including cookies, pizza, and attempts at eggs, bacon and even brownies. Blue has let me crank up the volume on the CD player and her speaker covers have held on by a hair over the years. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they fall off. I've had flat tires, and breakdowns and blow outs and pretty much every possible thing that can happen to a girl while driving a car. Through it all, I've kept my mechanic Martin in beer and cigarettes (just being honest here people!). I've laughed and cried, been angry, sad and glad all while driving Blue. She's seen me through good times and through bad. 

Sunday afternoon, towards the end of my Sunday afternoon nap, the doorbell rang. I though to myself, it's either my neighbor Jeff or it's someone about the car and as luck would have it, someone was inquiring about the car. A man named Stacy and his wife, or girlfriend, named Chris. They looked the car over, cranked her up, checked the oil, looked at the Car Fax which I had printed off, looked at it some more and offered me $1,000 for the car. I had $1,500 as the listed price. I took them up on their offer primarily so I didn't have to deal with the headache of renewing the car tag for Blue and for the new vehicle and so I wouldn't have to keep insurance on two cars. It was one less thing that I would have to worry with in the great car transition. Besides, I was being really optimistic in hoping for $1,500 and in all honesty, I think$1,000 is a fair price. I mean, let's face it, Chris and Stacy will most likely want to get the driver's side window repaired and maybe some other things and really, how much longer is she going to hold up? Only the good Lord knows. 

My dad had joked that maybe someone on my street would buy Blue and I would be able to watch her drive by on occasion and as luck would have it, this couple lives one street over and I'm really hoping that Blue and I will cross paths from time to time. 

Chris and Stacy came by Monday evening to pay for Blue and drive off into the sunset. It was with a bittersweet feeling in my heart when I watched her go. She has been a good car to me. I've driven her for nine long years and even though she has given me countless headaches and drained my savings account from time to time, I loved driving her. She had some get up and go that old car of mine. So, it is with a heavy yet thankful heart that I bid her adieu; and don't worry about Chris and Stacy, I left a roll of duct tape for them in the front seat and a roadside kit and anti-freeze in the trunk.