Old Cars

We drive old cars. It’s one way to economize and squeeze just a little more out of each dollar. We haven’t bought a "new" new car since 1993, and that was a little Ford Escort that is still running because we took good care of it and we have an amazing mechanic! Unfortunately, that is not always the case with these older vehicles. 

Bossy's first car. The Escort is peaking out in front of it.  We gave the car to her after Burrito was born.  At the time we thought it was near death and wouldn't last 6 months.  Burrito turns four next week...

So today while I was getting ready for my amazingly cool and fun scout meeting, the Gym Rat called me on my cell. "Mom, can you call our mechanic? I’m at the bank and my car died in the drive up." Great, I thought as I pulled a cookie sheet full of sugar cookies from the oven. He drives a 1999 Ford. "Do you need me to come and get you?" I asked. "No, my coworker is coming for me. The guys from the bank pushed the car into the parking lot so it should be OK." I breathed a sigh of relief, told him to be careful, and hung up. I punched in the mechanic’s phone number and waited, but he didn’t answer. 

*Editor's Note* I told Mom last week that he was taking this week off.  I called him when my minivan was acting up and failed safety inspection. 

About an hour later my sweetie came in. His favorite thing to do while I have the girl scouts over is to take some of the boys and drive over to the car dealership. They look at it as sort of a car show and they actually test drive a few here and there. Today he took the Dog Walker and Baby Doll with him. They returned just after the last scout headed out the door with her sponge stamps, painted valentines, and frosted sugar cookies. 

As usual, I got to listen to their glowing reports on the latest cars, prices, and luxuries while I scraped frosting from the kitchen table. "The Element, Mom, that’s the one I fit in the best," gushed the Dog Walker. He always thinks we are actually planning to BUY one of the cars they drive. That’s about the time the Gym Rat walked in. "Dad, do you want to take me back over to the bank and see if we can get my car started?" he asked. So they headed outside. About a half-hour later they returned in our large van. "Any luck?" I said hopefully. "No. It still wouldn’t start." "Why did you take the big van?" I questioned. "I hate to tell you this, but now the minivan won’t start either," my sweetie said. "That’s what you get for test-driving new cars," I teased. "You know, Teach has had trouble with her car this week too." 

Later this evening we were having family prayer and getting the kids ready for bed when the Drama Queen called. My sweetie talked to her for a few minutes. "You’ll never believe it," he said, "her car is acting up." She drives a 1988 Toyota. "She can’t get it to go in reverse!" Maybe it is time to buy a car that was made during this century.

Me in our Hyundai during our "Starving-Student" days.