Another Memorable Day

The time has come. I've been looking for a year at used cars. I've done a ton of research, looked at everything available on line and finally the time came to make a move.

We needed a new car. My Buick has 150K miles on it and it is starting to show it's age. We bought it when my good PacNorWest friend was here. Wish she was here today. It would have felt right. We bought our car in 98, raised The Girl in it, drove the transmission out of it once, had a wreck in it, carted a few other kids, dogs and lots of other stuff. I drove all over the county in it working for C21. I love that car. It has always rode well, very comfortable and peppy. When I wanted go, it would go. I could go up a hill and not have to be behind a bus or garbage truck. It has a moon roof, that I had no idea opened fully until someone asked what "that button" was for. What a treat! It was my first car with automatic transmission and air conditioning that really worked. It has key-less entry and a great radio. But, over the years, the car didn't evolved into a better car, it just started to fall apart. First, a cassette tape problem and then it wouldn't work, then the CD player stopped working, then the antenna wouldn't go down and made a very ugly noise. It stays up all the time. The head liner is coming down, the leather is cracking on the seats and a couple of idiot lights stay on. The air conditioning has been worked on, and the radiator needed to be replaced. It was time.

My research gave me a lead on a Mercury Mariner at a dealer near home. The price was right, the age was right (2008) and the mileage was low. It had all the things I was looking for. My goal was to get a small SUV that we could easily sit in and be comfortable, great pickup on the hills, a radio that works well, CD player, mp3 hook up, privacy windows, v6 engine, power windows and key-less entry. Among other things, this was the car I wanted, and the price was right. We bought it.

Tonight, I cleaned out the old car, and it made me very sad. I love the memories it has, even the sad memories of driving home after daddy died. I relived some very fun days, conversations and events. I came across paper work that was important to only me but involved others, and the events that transpired following. I'll miss that car, it's not worth anything but it's value is priceless with memories.

I'm looking forward the new memories we will make in this car. Stick Dog isn't allowed to ride up front. He will have to learn to sit in the back. Shoot, he will have to learn to sit. He stands all the time and flops around like unstable lamp.