Death of a car

It is an established fact... we drive our cars until they die.

The latest casualty (and our 3rd in a row) is Russell's 1990 Geo Metro - the engine of which finally bit the dust yesterday, causing me to sigh a giant sigh of relief, because that car was the ugliest and saddest thing you've ever seen a grown businessman drive in your life.

I have literally begged Russell to get rid of that car for the last two years straight. Among it's many faults (and trust me, there were many) was the partially detached muffler that caused us to be able to hear it's approach from a 1/4 mile away, the window that was caulked. in. place. to keep it from falling down into the door, and the fact that the drivers side door was missing it's ENTIRE INTERIOR PANEL, leaving just a metal shell that had no seat belt and had to be padded with a blanket in the winter to keep the cold out.

In other words, it was the car of shame. And Russell refused to get rid of it, which was unfortunate because I refused to drive it or even be seen in it, except in the direst of circumstances.

Of course, now we are down to one vehicle and I am housebound during the day unless I can bum a ride or spare vehicle off of somebody, so today, project: "find Russell a new car" has begun! Russ and I have sent 1000 texts back and forth, looked online, called our insurance company and credit union, researched fuel economy, and come up with complicated math equations (Russ, not me) to figure out exactly how our budget will need to be adjusted.

Because it's ALL about the budget you know. FPU! (and all that good stuff.) That's why Russ would never get himself a newer car before, even though he is a well-paid manager who wears business attire everyday and drives into downtown Portland next to coworkers parking in their fancy big trucks and Lexus's and what-have-you. And I very much admire his single-mindedness in staying out of debt, and his humility and lack of self-pride about what he's seen driving in, but now he HAS to upgrade (because there's literally NO car out there that would be a downgrade) and I love it. My husband deserves a nice car.

Or at least one that I can handle being seen in on the odd occasion.

Wish us luck with our research and shopping!

(What we're currently leaning towards... a diesel VW Jetta. 40-45 mpg, baby!)

(But this could change tomorrow and Russ may end up with a 91 Geo Metro. We shall see ;)