Granny's Got a Brand New Ride!

Well, not really new...it's a 2006, but it's new to me. A Buick! Who would have thought it. (Now I really feel old.) When I looked at all the options, the size and the gas mileage, it was the vehicle that met all my needs best. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be a good choice and last me a long, long time.

As for the little green car, it's still here and will be used regularly for running to town and even to commute to work.

What finally made me go shopping was something so small it sounds silly--the window buttons on the front windows quit working this weekend. Every day, I put the driver's window down at least twice, going in and out of the parking garage. It's a major hassle when the window won't go back up. We'll fix them--the motors on both windows are apparently burned out. And maybe the contacts on the buttons need to be replaced too.

Those are doable repairs. Larry and Tim can do them, I'm sure. But it really brought the point home to me that (sigh) the little green Nissan Sentra is getting old and maybe won't be as reliable as it has been. Which is funny to say, considering that we just drove it on a 400-mile round trip this weekend, even though it has 243,000miles on it!

Now to get used to a different vehicle. And a car payment again. Yuk. But I'm glad I finally took the time to go shopping, and that this is one more decision that is off my plate.

And the color? Perfect--hides the dust and dirt really well!

About the Green Nissan

I was right!

For once, anyway.

It was the starter, not the ignition!

Yay!

The little car is back on the road again thanks to Larry's hard work, and help from Tim the Neighbor-With-the-Garage. Today the car passed 237,000 miles.

Maybe I'll reach that quarter-million mile mark with it yet.

'Course, I can't say too much about being right to my husband. Bad form, that.

The Little Green Car is Blue

...and broken. After 236,000 miles, she let me down today. She refused to start at the gas station, leaving me stranded for the first time in our long relationship.




I wasn't the only one stranded. I was taking my grandchildren to meet up with their parents on the way to their vacation in Branson, MO. Clayton and Grace and I had a wonderful week together, and today was our last day.

We planned to visit the Philippi Museum to see the mummies, and to have a picnic at Cedar Creek State Park.




But the little green car didn't cooperate. Instead we sat at a Go-Mart waiting for my son Derek to rescue us. He tried, but the car didn't start for him either, even with jumper cables. So we called AAA, Derek stayed with the car to meet them, and we took off in his van to make our appointment with son #1.



We still had time for our picnic, but the mummies will have to wait for another visit. It's something to look forward to for next year, along with Hillbilly Hotdogs, Mothman, and Blennerhassett Island.



As for the car, it awaits attention from neighbor Tim who does the mechanic work for us (in trade for brick/block work). Larry thinks the ignition switch is bad, which means a new key, etc. I think it's the starter cellenoid. We'll know more tomorrow. (Larry is probably right.)



It seems strange not to see my little Nissan in the driveway...

The mysterious floating hat...(Grace's find at Rachel's Relics antique store in Ripley).

The end of a long day and a wild week. We all still look happy! and we were. I'll miss these two grandchildren.

Poor Little Green Car

Poor little green car! Innocently she rested under the tall trees at Lost River State Park after a long and mountainous journey across West Virginia. And what should happen?

A branch! A villainous branch fell from a tree and shattered the back window. Here lies the villain, the Perp:

Helpful park staff cleaned up as much glass as they could, and with creative use of tape and trash bags fixed it well enough to keep the rain out.

Tomorrow Little Green Car goes in for surgery and a replacement window. Glass is still everywhere in the car--today it mysteriously showed up in my lunch bag, even though I packed it in the house. Go figure.

What happened to the villainous branch?

See below. I celebrated the memorial service and cremation with a good glass of Grey Ghost Winery's Reserve Chardonnay.

Take that, branch.

(I'm wondering...with 231,000 miles, do ya think they'll total it? I mean, it's just scratched paint, a few very minor dents and a broken window, but...)

The Junk in My Trunk

As a storyteller, I'm on the road a lot because most of my gigs are over 50 miles from home. As a librarian, I'm on the road a lot because my job is 50 miles away. As a mother and granny, I'm on the road a lot because my family are mostly over 150 miles away.

Each year I seem to log about 50, 000 miles. My little green car, my fifth Nissan, now has over 220,000 miles on it, and it's one in the line of five Nissans I've owned with similar mileage.

When you travel that much, you tend to have a survival kit of sorts in your vehicle all the time. Mine varies as to content and season, but here's a list of the current junk in my trunk (and glove box, and purse, and under the seats):

In my purse:

*my AAA card--a gift 3 years ago, a necessity now that my car has so many miles on it

*pen and journal because writing ideas and poems strike at any moment

*calendar because gigs can also come at any moment

*camera because great photos just happen anywhere

*eye drops, lip balm, small scissors, and a small tape measure because a cool piece of furniture might be standing in a junk shop window

*at least 3 pairs of reading glasses because I lose them constantly

*ibuprofen, claritin, Singulair, inhaler (darn it, but again you never know)

*a small puppet because you never know when a small child in line at a store might need something to brighten their day

*business cards (of course)

*and all the usual woman’s-purse stuff

In the trunk:

*a jack and handle (not always true--didn't have it for the last flat, and a long story ensued)

*a fully-inflated donut spare (those things can lose air so it's good to check them occasionally, as I learned the hard way--same long story)

*a heavy wool blanket, an old quilt and some large plastic trash bags

*neck pillow

*gloves--work ones

*rope AND duct tape (how can I be from West Virginia and not carry duct tape?)

*de-icer

*a small tool kit with sockets, pliers, screwdrivers, etc

*sometimes an ice-cream bucket of wood ashes: these are absolutely the best for getting you unstuck from snow or ice

*an old military trencher tool to dig out snow, or to dig up something interesting

In the glovebox:

*extra fuses

*a long magnetic reacher thingie with a light on the end. Very fun, and mighty handy when someone drops a bolt in the wrong place

*handi-wipes

*reading glasses (yep, another pair)

*sunglasses

*matches

*napkins

*ink pen

*cell phone charger is always plugged in—I use it daily

Under the seat:

*water bottles
*a BIG flashlight that can shed light or be a weapon if needed (a gift from one of my sons who worries about all the driving I do)

*road atlas

*de-icer

*ice scraper

That's my list. What junk do you carry in your trunk?

The Little Green Car Stopped

...but only for the weekend. After 213,000+ miles, she needed a new clutch and starter. What are the odds that both would wear out at the same time?

So she spent the weekend in neighbor Tim's garage, and today she's back on the road again. The parts were costly but the labor was trade for Larry's blockwork. Barter is alive and well on Joe's Run.

Dirty car, dirty bus--our gravel road means my car is seldom clean. Note to self: never buy a dark-colored car again. This time I cheated and took it through the automatic wash, knowing full well that it will be dirty again before I make it to the house. As my mother used to say, at least it will be clean dirt.





Into the deep...

Clean car, clean bus!

and ready for the next 50,000 or so miles.

200,000 miles

200,000

I watched it roll over today--200,000 miles on my 2001 Nissan Sentra that I drive every day to work, to storytelling performances, to visit family and wherever else my travels might take me.

This is my fifth Nissan Sentra (well, actually the first was a Datsun 210, away back in 1984). All of them have been near 200,000 miles when they left us, but this is the first one I've actually seen roll over. It was impressive. I didn't stop and push it a mile, but the car deserved such a tribute. Instead, I continued on my way to work, just another day of many similar days.

What a car. I know it's past time to find something else to drive, but I'd feel like a traitor. It doesn't burn any oil, the 5-speed transmission and clutch are as strong as ever, and the only thing that doesn't work is the trunk latch that just started giving me problems over the weekend. It takes the 100-mile round trip to work every day as smoothly as the day I bought it.

So here's to my car, the trusted little companion that has carried me safely for so many miles.