Old Gracie
It’s been over three years since I’ve had a car. Mostly it was a cost-saving measure, but I didn’t have parking either and lived quite close to work so found I didn’t need one that much. Overall I’ve done fairly well without a car, when I needed one there was some logistics involved but I found two friends always willing to loan me their vehicles. Luckily no mishaps in all the times I’ve used their cars (to both of you… thanks).
To say I didn’t have a car isn’t entirely accurate… I did have one it just wasn’t running or insured on the road. In fact it was sitting in my Mom’s driveway wasting away. Finally a few months ago I decided I better either the sell the old girl or start driving it again. After a tow and a few dollars I got her back on the road. Why ‘her’ - mostly because the person I bought it from called it ‘Gracie’, so given my superstitious tendencies I had to preserve the name.
I drove it home on the highway (from White Rock) yesterday and it was exhilarating. This surprised me… given it’s slow nature (as a 25 year old diesel) and also because I thought I didn’t miss having a car. Maybe I missed the radio, and the thrill of just knowing I didn’t have to get it back in the hands of someone else right away (and of course I have a parking spot for it now). Mostly I think it’s because I grew up around cars (family business and all); they’re definitely in my blood… and it feels right to have one again even if I don’t need it that much (and it’s costing me almost nothing to insure given it’s age).
Gracie is a classic 1979 diesel Mercedes 300D. While the vehicle definitely shows its age (especially the cracked paint on the hood), the diesel engine beneath that cracked hood only has 119,000 miles on it, and I think given the performance yesterday - it’s got a few hundred thousand left.
Of course now I live even closer to work then I did before I moved so not sure I need the car quite as much, but I’m going to enjoy the freedom to zip out when I need to… and enjoy the petroleum sipping habits of the old girl. Welcome back to the dance floor Gracie. You might see me around town with a small cloud of black smoke trailing behind (and slowly pulling away from the light…very slowly). My kind of ride.