1991 Corsica

It has been a while but I can still remember scraping up coins and pop bottles to buy a couple gallons of gas for the clunker on wheels that would normally pass for a car except a car should move one around. My car seldom did that. Much work was needed to get it running for those short spurts that it ran. Calling it a sprint car might have described it best. I still remember those days though I don't remember being especially stressed when it wasn't running correctly. That was pre marriage and pre only child. By the time I had graduated to a marriage and child, stress came along to join the parade of emotions when the car of the moment was misbehaving. I connect that with the responsibility of having a job, a child and little money.

The granddaughter and her roommate have now taken up those slots I left behind. The slots of car woes that, as you become more prosperous and can afford a new car, you leave the clunkers for someone else to coddle.

When Christin's car began overheating, a car with over 200,000 miles on it, we had it taken to the shop. A blown head gasket was the diagnosis along with all it's other ailments sealed the fate on this ride. Since then I've been looking around for a replacement. Something that was cheap with low mileage and that has been well cared for. I might as well have started looking for a camel and saddle for Christin to drive to work. Scarce and close to non existent will you be able to find a car using those qualifications. The used cars here have 150,000 miles on them with a sticker price of 10,000.00 or more.

I kept looking. Occasionally something pops up as in the case of the grandson's truck..low mileage, perfect condition and an even more perfect price. These are usually one owners and are sold by that owner. Finding them is the trick. Ted was born in 1993 and so was his truck which makes it unique for him. He loves his truck.

Yesterday I stopped in after passing this little car a few times. I stopped to look at another car in the neighborhood. A car owned by two people and both of them in the same family. It had less then 100,000 miles on it, very clean and with a 2000.00 price tag. I crawled beneath it, checked the ground where it sat for spots from leaking, checked the wear on the tires for front end problems, looked beneath the hood for condition of hoses, and leaks and checked the oil which needed changed but was registering "full". No gunk or old oil noted inside the oil filler cap so I picked up the key and took it for a little spin. Over speed bumps to check the struts, twisting the steering wheel violently to the left and right to see if it returned to center, listening for knocking or pinging and quickly braking to a stop, this little car is a keeper. It will get Christin back and forth to her job and if she drives it for a year, she will have got her money's worth out of it.

Today I'll go pick it up and get the paperwork done and it licensed and Christin will be driving it to work this afternoon.

I'm now officially no longer looking for an automobile unless of course I find something with low low mileage and in perfect condition for the perfect price. I'm always open for that.

Right now it's time to coax Carrie out of bed and into her school uniform.

I want to get the car papers done and make a trip to the jewelry store to pick up some jewelry in for repairs and then I might just pack up and head for Amite, La. In a few days the job there will be done and from there we can head to New Orleans for a fall break!

I'm busy, busy, busy!

and I'm done here.