CAR-free

Suze Q, the Burgundy Buggy, the Kickster...whatever name I called her by, she was always a dependable, wonderful car to me. She (and yes, she is a female...unlike the Taurus before her...he was a guy...but that's another story) saw me through a trying divorce, a confusing and later tranquil period of singlehood, a good dozen snowstorms and many otherwise treacherous mountaineous miles, before we met Jacob who courted both of us (driving her around like she was a fancy porsche or an elegant Jaguar) and won our hearts. She endured a cross-country trip tethered to a giant moving van to follow us to North Carolina...and for the past 10 months she has been a quiet presence in our driveway, where she was marooned most days, because I don't have a need for her. She has patiently let Gus "drive" her to fantastic places (he did discover her distinctly squeeky horn and liked to use her windshield wipers to tiresome lengths) but otherwise she mostly collected dust, grime and served as a place where bugs came to die.

Gus and I will now "experiment" on living without a car at our beck & call. Not a big deal in a small town with an exellent and bike-friendly infrastructure - although I'm curious to see how I feel about it in the frigid winter months or when the mall two towns over calls my name...

I know Suze doesn't have a soul, but if she did, it would be a beautiful one. She was selfless in her purpose, she never required more than the absolutely necessary and she never let me down when everything and everyone else seemed to do just that. She kept me safe and made sure I got home - every day of the past 8 years. She kept all my secrets and she listened to my singing without judgement and endured my questionable taste in music. She has been worth every penny I paid for her.

Suze is now going to go and "live on a farm" in Alabama. Yes, I signed away her title on Saturday and let Jacob's father drive her off today. She is hopefully going to be a useful vehicle to him and I will "visit" her on holidays and keep up on how she is doing. She isn't completely lost to me yet and that's a comfort.

She may have never been a beautiful or cool car (Sidekicks have awkward proportions, no matter from what angle you look), but I always thought she was the best car in the parking lot. I have never been embarassed by her nor desired any other car, no matter how snazzy or smart.

I will miss her, as much as you can miss "a thing".

Here's a shot of Gus who tried to cheer me up as I wiped away the tears...it was hard to stand there and hear her incredibly loud muffler fade into the din of Brevard... bye, Suze