Yesterday I needed to take my Subaru (car number two) into the dealer for a scheduled repair; Christopher and I dropped it off using my Corolla (beloved car number one), and on the way home from the Subaru dropoff, the Corolla died. Every single light on the dashboard came on: brake light, battery light, oil light. The car refused to go, even though it was in the middle lane on Broadway, at Baseline, in heavy traffic. Two kindly gentlemen pushed us to safety; I called AAA and had it towed; and Mike at Boulder Toyota, who has taken such good care of my Corolla for so many years, called me to tell me that the repair would be $887, this on top of the similar amount I already spent on repairing it earlier this year.
It was time to say goodbye to my faithful little car. This is the car that drove me to Colorado from Maryland 18 years ago, the car that would go to rescue other people's newer-model Audis when the Audis were stranded by the side of the road, the car with the dent where I backed it into the painter's truck a decade ago, the car with the bashed-in side where somebody apparently broadsided us in the Fairview High School parking lot. I went to Boulder Toyota to pay my final respects. Rest in peace, little car.
So now we're back to being a one-car family. I have to admit that, grief for my poor little car aside, it feels so good to be living a more economically and environmentally sustainable life (of course it's only been a few hours so far!). I don't have to send in the check to renew the Corolla registration; I can call State Farm and cancel its insurance and get a refund! We'll get so good at walking and taking the bus (well, I'm already good at those things, but Other People in my family will get good at them, too); I'm looking into Boulder Car Share for those times when we'll simply be unable to get along with three drivers and only one car.
My new frugal, green(er) life begins today!
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