Large American Car

"It's like riding on a cloud, my secret dream
my guilty pleasure, my flying machine
my ocean liner, my home on wheels
I can't tell you how good it feels" - from "Large American Car" by Jimmi Jetz of Astronaut Love Triangle.

Car Purchase Issues

I'm trying to buy a car - a private sale. The seller wants the car until Aug. 8 because that's when she's leaving the country. I need the car by July 26rd because that's when I'm pulling out of town. I said I was flexible for a day or two, and would be interested in paying the listed price for the car. The seller looked into rental cars, and figures it would cost up to $700 to rent a car for the period from July 26th to Aug. 8th, and now is saying she would like to tack this amount onto the original price of the car.
Needless to say, I'm not liking the way this deal is going, and I'm walking away.

To Buy a Car or Not to Buy

In a previous post, I mentioned that I didn't want to buy a car. I had lots of good reasons. After making this decision, friends lent me a very large American car, which I am still using, and which I love in a kind of sick way. This loan is coming to an end in a week, and I will be carless once again.
The problem is that in two weeks, I need to transport my cat a very long distance for 5 weeks, and would like to have a car during that period. Renting a car this long is costly. And, there are vehicules I can borrow during this 5-week period. So, the question comes down to this: should I purchase a vehicule for my cat?

Borrowed Car Etiquette

I am still driving the borrowed the car: the very large American car, which I love in a kind of sick way. When I borrowed this car, I intended to give it back in mint condition: clean, full of gas, with a fresh oil change. To my horror yesterday, I noticed that it is missing a hubcap. I have lost of hubcap. I'm not sure how this happened. I prefer to believe that it was stolen, rather than examine my own driving technique.
I called a couple of scrapyards and they don't have one. One said he'd order me in one and it would cost $45. Another said I would have to call the dealer, and buy an entire set, which would be costly.
My question to you car people out there: where can I find a hubcap for around $10?

Reasons not to get a car

Yesterday I was poised to buy a car. Even talked to my banker, and test drove one. Then, I woke up in the middle of the night and thought: I don`t need a car. Here are some reasons:
- Cars cost a lot. I would rather spend that money travelling. Getting one's arse to a tropical climate right now wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?
- Cars are wrecking the earth. So, when you don't have a car, people think you are a really good person for trying to save the earth.
- Cars prevent people from moving their bodies. I would walk and bike more without a car. Maybe a little bit more, anyway.
- Not having a car means you can drink as much as you want when you go out. This may not be a good thing for me...
- Having a car means that you can find yourself in places like Walmart, buying ridiculous household items that you don't need.
- Not having a car gives you an excuse to not to visit those people out in the suburbs.
- People demand more of you when you have a car. They expect you to be on time, to deliver things across town, and other annoying things.

Letting go of things...

Today was a day of letting go of things.

My car died today. Here is the conversation I had with my mechanic.

Mechanic: Aggie, it's time for you to just let it go.
Me: But the old girl has served me so well.
Mechanic: Aggie, dear, if you had a 20-year-old cat would you opt for $800-$1000 surgery, or would you have it put down? And, of course, there is the chance that the cat will just die any way of something else...
Me: I would probably be one of those people that opt for the surgery.
Mechanic: Let's retire this car, shall we?
Me: OK.

Sad, but that's life, isn't it. And now I'm not contributing to the climate change problem. That, I suppose, is the silver lining in all of this.

I had to let go of more things today. An office colleague helped me do a clean sweep today. It was wonderful. She helped me let go of the following items:
- old, ratty party decorations (She argued that when people have a party, they like to start fresh. I agreed).
- an old kettle that I no longer use (She said it was a health hazard. I agreed).
- Outdated research reports ("That's an old paradigm, Aggie." "You are much hipper than this." Once again, I agreed.)

Letting go of things is good.