Farewell Sugar

I've never been good at saying goodbye to cars.

Back in the 60's my dad had a black Austin 40

it was the second car he ever owned.

( Attribution: Redsimon at en.wikipedia)

One morning he drove me to school, which was unusual because we normally walked.

At the school gates he told me:

'Say goodbye to the car because you won't be seeing it again.'

I was so upset

and ever since have had trouble saying goodbye to cars.

Yesterday I had to say goodbye to Sugar, my PT Cruiser:

I love her for her retro look

and for a long time couldn't bring myself to play my Tom Waits cds while I drove her

we stuck to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday

(until the cd player got a grain of dirt in it and scratched the cds).

So what if my son's friends told me she looked like a hearse

I loved her.

Sadly, she became an old lady and began behaving and sounding very sick.

Yesterday I took her for our last drive together

and left her at the dealers

all the while muttering to myself,

'It's just a car, a machine. It doesn't have feelings. It is NOT upset that you're abandoning her.'

Here is the little upstart that has taken her place

DOT

A Fiat 500.

She's nippy, more maneuverable and has a cd player that works.

It's going to take me a while to adapt

(who ever heard of an automatic that rolled backwards on inclines?)

but I'm sure we're going to become good friends.

(and I don't think she'll mind Tom Waits!)

Blessings,

Andi xx