Thursday, December 22, 2011

OUR BELOVED ASTRO VAN

Our van is getting increasingly eccentric. I'm worried about the old girl. She is missing nobs. Her sideview mirrors are dinged up (The driver's side mirror is entirely missing at the moment). She has this and that quirk, this and that sound, this and that indicator light which inexplicably comes on and then blinks out. For some reaosn we can power lock all the doors except the one on the passanger side. Just recently there is a knocking sound when we turn hard, and a shuddering up through the steering column. Not good. The van's main selling point is that it is paid for. We own it free and clear and every mile is a free mile. I have decided though that the old girl is entering a stage in her life where unexpected and costly repairs are looming large on the horizon like the sword of Damocles above our heads. I would rather have a fixed payment than sudden, unexpected ones. The former I can plan for, but the latter would wreak havoc. It's time for a new vehicle.

So the plan is to leave Idyllwild tonight for the van's last trip off the mountain. If we can successfully achieve Sylmar without breaking down. Then tomorrow we'll take her over to Galpin in San Fernando and see what kind of a deal we can broker.

I think this is the end of the Astro Van years.

4 comments:

john tate said...

So long and fare thee well good van.

Rocket Surgeon, Phd said...

These are troubling times...

Hutch said...

I'm facing the same thing. My plan was to buy before the end of the year, but I don't know if that will happen or not. We should meet up and see if they'll give us a package deal.

The Fredricksons: Brian, Britney, Salty, and Benji said...

Good luck! We owned our car before we got the Jeep. Sigh. Those were good times. Now we have this car payment, for what feels like decades. We are just praying our sweet, beloved Jeep lasts till she's paid off. We love her, so.