Goodbyes & Hellos

1st Day I owned Goldie

Cody and I have spent the last week attempting to revert to a 1940s and 50s concept--being a one-car family, and it was very difficult.  Why this retro trip?  Well, I am having to say goodbye to my beloved car, because its engine block cracked.  Nine days ago, neither Cody nor I planned on looking for or buying a new car; after all, Cody just bought The Commander in March.

My nephew loves Goldie

When I buy a car, I buy it for it's character, it's "fun" capability, and whether or not I think I can get 200,000 miles from it.  I do lots of research before I purchase a car, because for some reason, I become attached dearly to my cars.  My current car was not exempted from my "love affair," either.

Iced on the Devils River

Goldie has taken me everywhere I wanted to go--Montana, Devil's River, Brownsville, driving along beaches, trekking the ranch roads, various-and-sundry fishing holes, camping, and even the mundane trips running errands and back-and-forth to work.  What happened to Goldie?  Rewind to September 2007.

Our school pays for our flu shots, but we have to go all the way in to our office to receive the shot, so on Tuesday 11 September 2007 at 6 a.m., I drove to Fairfield.  About half-way through the day, I really began to feel poorly, but I had a hair appointment after school, needed to go to the bank to get my passport from the safety deposit box, and go out to eat with my friend Janna, who had a hair appointment after me.  (I was flying to Brownsville on Friday and the potential to cross the border into Matamoras was great.)  I had been at Dawson and was on my way to Waxahachie when a very, very slow vehicle was in front of me.  I legally passed the car and continued on the back roads north.  I stayed longer at Dawson than planned, but traveling the speed limit, I would make my hair appointment but just on time.  Again, I came upon a very slow-traveling car, which I also legally passed.  Yes, I was going to be right on time for my appointment.  I continued heading north and feeling lousier as the day elapsed.  While driving the back road, I sneezed a very nasty, bloody sneeze all over the place.  I looked down, took my hands off the steering wheel, and continued pressing the gas pedal.  Everything was a mess, and I was trying to clean things up, when a sudden jolt and then the feeling of flying grabbed my attention.  I let off the gas, grabbed the steering wheel, landed but jolted and went airborne--again.  Yes, I had veered off the road and accidentally jumped two driveways connecting to the road. 

Goldie appeared to have no damage, no broken hoses, parts, nothing leaking, no tire punctures, no broken axles, but Goldie was looking quite off-kilter on level pavement.  I pulled on to a side road, phoned my Dad, and explained that I was alright and unhurt and what happened.  Dad had me crawl all over the car, checking everything.  Once satisfied the Rover wouldn't explode while I was driving it, he said to go on to the hair appointment, and he would meet me there. 

Goldie's new tires

Obviously, I was very late for the hair appointment, but Janna just switched times with me.  However, this meant I wasn't getting in to the bank, and the way the rest of my week's schedule was going, this was the only day I could get to the bank in time, so I was additionally frustrated about what to do.  Dad, and everyone else in the salon, looked Goldie over, and all agreed it was a-leaning.  I was bummed, feeling more rotten, and Janna and I decided to cancel our dinner plans.  After I left the beauty shop, I headed to the Race-Trac to get gas, but I couldn't get in, because the police had that blocked off.  In fact, a huge perimeter had been established and blocked off, and there were lots of on-lookers just hanging around, as well as news helicopters and a police helicopter flying overhead.  When I asked what was happening, I was told the bank, my Wells Fargo bank, was being robbed and there were hostages.  Then, a policeman came over and told us to back up because the robbers were armed and threatening to shoot.  I asked him when the robbery started, and he said the robbers entered at 5:30.  Had my day gone like I planned, I would have been in the bank at the time the robbery started, so I believe that the accident was the Lord's way that kept me out of the bank, especially since I ignored the previously two slow drivers.

Almost always carried a fly rod

Keeping me out of the robbery was costly.  The frame was bent slightly, and the axles and housings were very bent and damaged and had to be replaced.  The insurance adjuster came to the auto shop and caught the bend in the frame, so off to the framers it went.  The car was gone a month, and it was repaired to the best of every one's ability, but the adjuster should have totaled it.  Never being able to completely align the car correctly, regardless of how well the tires were rotated, we bought two sets of tires between '07 and now.  Goldie is garage kept, but the dash popped out of joint one day when I hit a small pothole in the road.  When Cody washes Goldie, water leaks through the driver's door, and two costly repairs within the last six months finally revealed the true problem--a crack in the block's 4th cylinder.

Since my last day of school is Monday, Cody thought a good remedy for the car problem was to revive the Honda.  After an all-day of repairs, the motorcycle has to have its crankcase repaired, but it does look good, and it sounded smoothly, too.  Cody got it all washed and cleaned and will take it to the shop next week.  So, as I bid goodbye to my dear, dear 2004 Aztec Gold Land Rover Discovery II that has been everywhere my heart's desired, Cody says hello to his 1986 Honda Shadow 500.  Hmmm...new adventures?!