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Showing posts from July, 2018

The Beloved Blue Convertible 2005 - 2018: An Obit of Sorts

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The Beloved Blue Convertible was towed away by the ETV Endowment car donation wrecker today after an unexpected demise on Friday following a fried engine and radiator resulting  in a breakdown on I95. After a consultation at a Walterboro mechanic’s shop, the decision was made not to repair because of the considerable expense that didn’t make sense for the 13-year-old vehicle with 185,000 miles, a cracked dashboard and tattered upholstery. The Beloved Blue Convertible is survived by her driver, Reba Campbell, who will miss her style, stability and bike rack that always made it easy to find the car in a parking lot.   The Beloved Blue Convertible was predeceased by her favorite travel companions, Beaufort and Dixie, the golden retrievers who loved the car as much as her driver did. The Beloved Blue Convertible brought her driver much joy. She took the driver to many great biking outings like the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville, the beach at Amelia Island, the Colonial Par

The blue convertible - is it time for her to retire?

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I have a number of friends who have recently retired. They have all told me they “just knew it was time.”   I wonder if my beloved 13-year-old blue convertible is trying to tell me it’s time for her to retire. She had a major meltdown on the interstate this week when she completely cut off just yards short of an exit (thankfully). It made me realize I may have been ignoring the signs she’s trying to tell me something.     Two AAA calls in one week. A perpetually lit “check engine” light that my longtime trusted mechanic assures me is just an electrical glitch. A remote that will no longer take a new battery, so I’ve been using the key to unlock the door for months. Cracks in the dashboard. A shredded sun visor. A few holes in the back seat upholstery. If car years are the same as dog years, then she’s 91 and well past retirement age!   Maybe this incident on the interstate is her way of saying “we’ve had a really good ride” (185,000 miles worth to be exact) but maybe it’s time