Plan A: A Tribute

You know when you’re a kid and your dog gets hit by a car and your parents tell you he went off to live on a farm in the country where he’ll have space to roam and chase birds and be happy?

That lie won’t work this time.

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I need to do a sad post. Just one, and I promise I’ll follow it up later this week with a post full of happiness and brightly colored pretty pictures. My mother e-mailed me this weekend to let me know that she finally sold my beloved car. Talk about a Debbie Downer. And her name is actually Debbie.

I looked into shipping her here – my car, not my mom - and I would have paid the few thousand dollars to actually do it, but I would’ve also had to pay to move the steering wheel to the passenger side – because they think the passenger side is the driver side here. It would’ve been incredibly expensive and probably would have looked ridiculous too. And because I want to be here for a few years at least, I decided that selling my car would be the most practical and most logical move.

But still, I’m sad. My mom told me via e-mail on a weekend - as instructed - just in case I started crying. It would be very awkward to start bawling at work and then have to explain to your boss that it’s because of a car. They probably would’ve sent me to the loony bin.

But I didn’t start crying, partially because of that “I have no soul” thing, but I’m working on that. Instead, I’m doing a blog tribute to the car that has treated me very well for 7+ years. Denise the Nissan has been to more U.S. states than my sister has and has traveled much further than most Americans. She's lived in Florida, Texas, and Washington state. From Florida to Seattle and back – and everywhere in between. Nearly all of Interstates 10 and 5. Most of Interstate 20. More than half of Interstate 40. She’s even been to Canada more times than you. She's been from below sea level near Palm Springs to over 8,000 feet high near Flagstaff - in under 24 hours. She’s ridden ferries all over the Pacific Northwest, and she’s seen Disney World, Mount Rainier, the Grand Canyon, the mighty Mississippi River, and more Cracker Barrels than I should probably admit to. 85,000 miles. Never a flat tire. Never a major breakdown. She’s been good to me ever since I drove her off the lot, with "Beer Thirty" by Brooks & Dunn playing on the radio as her inaugural song.

I’m going to miss her.

Denise the Nissan

May 13, 2003 to June 19, 2010