So Long, Silver Bull...

We actually never got around to naming the Taurus. We used to name all our cars, but as years have come and gone, we've sort of got out of the habit. I think a good name would have been The Sliver Bull. We bought this car from my father-in-law around two years ago. At that time, it had been years since he was able to drive it. The car basically just sat in their garage. I know there were a lot of things he disliked about getting old, but not being able to drive was up there. And especially not being able to drive this particular car, was frustrating.

The thing is, he loved this car.

He often said it was the best car he ever owned.

We bought the car when we had three drivers in the house and another on the way. At the time we had the amount of the car in savings so it seemed like a good investment, another car with no car payment. My oldest son had a car of his own when we picked up the Taurus, but his car began to fall apart, so he began driving the Ford.

A few weeks ago my son bought another car of his own so once again, we faced the decision of whether or not we should sell it. Turns out, we did. We found a friend of the family that needed a car and they are particularly fond of Ford Tauruses. Turns out, they need a car for their son and the price was right.

It was bittersweet to see it drive away. Another change in our lives. When my mom passed away twelve years ago (I can't believe it's been that long...), as time went on, things would change and eventually, there would be fewer and fewer things to remind me of her. Selling the car is one more thing, one more change, one more memory of a great man that's no longer in our lives. We are glad,  however, we sold it to a family that needs it and will appreciate it, so for them, the car will turn into a good memory. At least, we hope so.

Fixing The Ford...

When we acquired my father-in-law's car, the vehicle was in pristine condition. My in-laws pride themselves in taking care of things--their house, their yard, and their vehicles. Because of his declining health, my father-in-law's Ford stayed mostly tucked away in the garage. After we bought it, we let our oldest son use it for work, school, and for going on dates.

It was the dates that put the miles on the car.

That happens when your girlfriend lives two counties over.

But we don't mind. We're glad he had reliable transportation for him to use.

There was one tiny issue with the car and it had to do with the back middle break light. In a word, its condition was: jimmy-rigged. My in-laws had fixed it, but it was a temporary fix at best. Since my son bought a new car, the idea of selling the trusty Ford has crossed our minds. And we don't want to sell a car with an unfixed back middle break light.

It needed to be fixed.

I had an idea on how to fix it--it was more conceptual seeing as how I had never fixed a problem like that before. I thought if I could find the hardware, it should be done quickly. Amazingly, I was able to find everything I needed in our random nuts, bolts, washers, and other odds-and-ends jar. I couldn't believe my luck. After several awkward turns of a screw, everything was in place--we had a complete car once again.

Back in the day, I drove VW beetles. I did a lot of fixing on those cars, much of it definitely not up to VW certified mechanic's standard. Cars have changed so much since my 1965 beetle rolled off some assembly line (most likely in Mexico...). There's a lot I cannot fix, but tonight, I was able to fix the Ford.

Washing The Car...

A few weeks ago I wrote about how we came to purchase my father-in-law's car. Getting a new car is an interesting experience. You need to get used to it, the way it drives, the size of it on the road, how fast can it overtake a car you're passing on the interstate.

There's one thing, however, that I didn't expect when we brought it home.

The need to keep it clean.

It's not the newest car, but it's in very good shape, thanks mostly to the care and upkeep of my in-laws. They keep their cars well maintained, and clean, inside and out. It's not that we throw piles of garbage in our cars, mind you. We just don't take them to the car wash as often as they do. And since we don't have room for all of our cars to be in a garage, they're subject to the weather and our sprinkler system.

Point is, they get dirty.

I've driven a dirty car around a lot. Heck, I drive a car with one door a different color than the other three. But there was something bugging me about having my father-in-law's old car be dirty. It just didn't feel right--like something was wrong. I ran a few errands this afternoon so I decided to get it washed. It only takes a few bucks.

Even after washing the car, it's still not as clean as it has been the past several years. I didn't wipe it down, but I can see out of the windows. Maybe this is the car that will make me change. Maybe I'll be washing the cars more often.

I suppose, time will tell.