FRIDAY STIR FRY - Good-bye Betsy

 

The time has come for a newer car. Notice I didn't say new. A used one will do me fine. Betsy has been a good ride for 13 years but she's starting to get cranky and that tends to make me cranky.

 

Although she still has fairly low mileage (92,000) her parts are starting to wear out. My friends on facebook have heard this all before. For the rest of you, here is a list of some of the things that don't work:

 

The automatic door locks are no longer automatic unlock. And when they lock there is a horrible grinding noise. I've put up with this for a few years. Inconvenient and annoying but not a deal breaker. 

 

The hydraulic lifts on the trunk are broke. This is a little bit more annoying because if that trunk lid falls on you it will not be pretty. Picture decapitation.

 

The front speakers have been blown out for a long time. Ehhh.

 

The defroster doesn't work. This is very annoying because the heater takes a long time to thaw out winter snow and ice from the windows. Just ask my son Zach about being almost late for his college graduation.

 

There is an annoying whistling noise especially in the winter. The mechanic says it's probably (note the word probably) a hose vacuum seal under the engine. They would have to pull the engine just to check. Ah, no.

 

Here is the deal breaker Betsy. The driver's inside door handle is broke - meaning I have to roll down the window (after I remember to pull up the lock) and reach out to open the door with that handle. Okay, I have been doing that for a few months now. No biggie right? Wrong. What if my power window decides to quit AGAIN? No big deal, just climb to the passenger side. Not so easy for this old, fat woman. I have this fear of having to call AAA to get me out of my car.

 

 

So what am I doing this wonderful Labor Day weekend? Yep, going to the bank to see about a loan then start looking for a car. Yuck. Not my idea of fun.

 

I hope your weekend plans are a lot better than mine. Have a safe and happy Labor Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROUD MOMENT

My son graduated college this past weekend. After 12 years, three moves, three colleges and one divorce, he earned (and I do mean earned) his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arkansas. I'm sure any parent who has attended their child's graduation ceremony will agree with me, it was a very proud moment. I couldn't stop smiling and I couldn't stop the tears. Even though he's a grown man, I saw all the years of his childhood pass through my memory. His first word, his first steps, his first day at school, his first hit in baseball, his first goal in soccer, his time as Drum Major. They all played on the big screen of my memory bank. It was a very emotional day, full of laughter and friendship. There was also a bit of regret on my part that I wasn't able to help him more. You see, his sophomore year at his first college, his father and I divorced. I didn't have the monetary resources to help him anymore and my emotional support was probably lacking a bit also. I thought of all those other parents who stuck together and aided their children with their college expenses and I felt a bit ashamed. But, perhaps he is a stronger man because of that. He's learned how to survive, that's for sure. So to all the new graduates out there - congratulations on a job well done, whatever path you took to get there. Now go out and make this world a little better.