plonq | luv u kthxbai

After 13 years of (mostly) reliable service, today was "D" day for the old Probe. I fired it up for the last time and drove it to a local charity where they will auction it and give us a receipt for a tax deduction.

It would have been a lot easier to give up the car if it was running poorly, but it turned over on the first try and ran just as smooth and gutsy as it did on the day that I took it for its first test drive. The engine purred at the stops, and responded without hesitation or stutter every time I hit the gas. I drove it as aggressively as I dared (given that it was running on fumes), trying to get a final feel for its punchy performance and smooth handling. This car doesn't owe me anything, and it is very sound mechanically, but it has too many cosmetic problems to be worth the money required to fix them. Maybe if it was a classic - but a 1993 car is not old enough to be considered a classic.

I just wish my last memories of the car were not of it sitting neglected in the street, covered in bird shit. Inasmuch as it is just an inanimate object, there is a part of me that feels guilty for subjecting it to that kind of ignominy in the end.

Then again, cranky old bastard broke down and left us stranded in Rogers, MN a couple of years ago.

Good riddance, I say. Good riddance, and good luck with your new owners.

I'm gonna miss you. :~(