I raised the white flag yesterday after my
experience with the "Not so Easy Pass Lane"
and a couple other "mental errors."
Today it's still flying....but at half mast!
A few years back I bought one of the best
vehicles I've ever owned.
It was a used, 1995 Chevy Suburban!
When TV reporting was still a daily job
it was really great to know I could get to
work in the worst of weather!
The Suburban's four wheel drive never
let me down! In fact, during an especially
bad Valentine's Day storm a few year's ago
I had my cameraman park the station car
and we loaded up the Chevy to drive our
way to some parts of Scranton that were
impassable to most vehicles.
During another storm I used it to tow
a Cadillac out of a snow drift and several
miles to the safety of a parking lot.
And I didn't get much happier than the
times in good weather when I filled all
9 seats to take family and friends on an
adventure! It was so good to have everyone
together!
As I entered my second childhood a
couple years ago (though I'm not sure I
ever left my first) a sporty little Miata
convertible caught my eye and soon
became part of our family fleet!
The Suburban's 40 gallon gas tank
and constantly rising gas prices soon
relegated it to a parking spot from which
it only emerged when a lot of seating was
needed or the snow exceeded a foot in
depth!
A mini van filled the need for multiple
seats even though it couldn't match the
Chevy's seating combined with a large
cargo space.
But the bottom line was the 4X4 just sat
more and more.
I tried to run it from time to time. But it
really wasn't getting much exercise.
Yesterday I decided to drive it to the
closest air pump to fill both of the front
tires which were a bit low.
The old 350 engine still fired up after
a quick battery boost. But it was sluggish
and not anxious to respond to the gas
pedal. In fact after getting the air,
the car stalled on my way home leaving
me stranded at a very busy intersection.
My good friend came to the rescue
with a spray can filled with some sort
of explosive mixture that brought
the engine back to life.
The ride home probably would have
been a bit better if the hood had been
been locked in place! I found it harder
to see the road when it flew up in front
of my windshield!
I did make it ....but with the realization
that I don't have to run through winter
storms to work anymore and probably
have sufficient seating capacity in my
van to cover my usual needs. And...if
transportation were to be needed during a
blizzard...my buddy has a dependable
4X4 that doesn't have ever spot in
his odometer filled with digits!
So, reluctantly, I'm putting my old
Suburban on the market.
Maybe with a good tune up and some
TLC someone else can build on the
236,000 fun miles I and one previous
owner have recorded thus far!
Of course you must all realize.....the
day it's sold....the snow will start!
Hope all your miles are filled with
fun and that all your NEWS is good!
No comments:
Post a Comment