Saying Goodbye...

Well, it finally happened. Our wonderful friend, Red, has finally with a clunk and a grind given out. From my extremely limited understanding of such things, basically the pieces keeping the frame, engine, and drive axles connected broke in the back of the car (there are only 2 points of the car where these are placed: the front and back of the axle/drive line?). We finished everything, watching as our poor old car was badly hauled up on a flat bed tow truck (literally, the tow truck driver that was loading the car had a J-hook slip the first time he tried which sent the car rolling off the back of the truck and into the road...fortunately the light behind us was red so there weren't any cars in the path of disaster; the second attempt he didn't pay attention when we told him that the car wouldn't turn properly such that the right side of the car was hanging off the bed entirely; the third time he nearly lost the car completely as the J-hook was only attached to the front axle which was the only thing keeping the car frame and such all attached and it started to slip just as he was getting the whole thing in place properly...ugh, I know who I won't call if I get stuck but want to keep the car!). The last sight of the car was as it was being "taken for a ride" to the "great scrap heap" at the west end of town.

The truth is that I'm sad to see the car go. Big surprise, I know, but considering that we've had that car outlast us for much longer than any other we've ever owned, fits us all in without fighting the kids' seats, plus allows room to move stuff almost like a van or truck...I miss my car! It was 18 years old, with all the problems that come with age and more than 200,000 miles, but it pulled us through a lot...everything from family trips over many canyons and deserts, 3 kids, 3 moves, college, and all that comes with a busy family life. We miss you, Red!