by Michael S. Kaplan, published on 2008/10/13 03:01 -04:00, original URI: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/michkap/archive/2008/10/13/8997133.aspx
Well, not really.
Unless you extend the definition of family to include things that are not really alive.
My 1995 Saab 900 died.
She was kind of a person to me, though I do not share her name with anyone. That's something private, sorry!
Yes, this is the one I fixed the roof on. In retrospect I could have saved a few thousand and just not fixed it. Ah, hindsight....
The exact cause of demise is three blown cylinders in its V6 engine, secondary to a broken timing chain.
She went quickly and without too much pain, though even now she will make odd noises (think of them as gurgles) if you try to turn her over.She is currently being kept alive on machines, which diagnosed the
condition, in a garage. But obviously this cannot last forever, as they
will want the space back soon.
I was thinking I'd see if some high school auto shop wanted to take on the engine rebuild as some kind of project, though lacking children of any age I don't know much about high schools around and whether any of them would be looking for such a donation. Perhaps regular readers in Seattle who know how such things might be made to work could suggest something.
Then I was going to buy another car, and I asked myself if I really needed one, since I really almost never drive anymore. Perhaps it is time to take the bold step of declaring my independence of foreign oil by no longer owning an automobile.
My assistive devices seem to be stepping up adequately.
And the insurance company will probably survive if I no longer have to pay premiums and I am willing to lose my "continuous coverage" bonus since the zero premium discount will trump it anyway.I will even get some money back, I think!
Plus the state of Washington can survive without me shelling out money for my vanity tags each year.
Hey I won't have to go through emissions next year!
People who I go to lunch with will be stuck driving when we go off campus, but I think I can pick up some extra checks to make up for that nicely enough. And of course I'll have the handicapped pass so being the driver when I'm around gets really nice as we get closer and closer to the holiday season. :-)
When I started this blog I was not 100% convinced, but I think I've talked myself into it. I will be automobile-less, for the first time in over 20 years!
Onward we (by which I mean I, the royal we) scoot....
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# Henry Böhlert on 13 Oct 2008 7:07 AM:
I'm sorry for your loss.
But then again, you had good times together, I guess, which should be remembered.
Since a similar loss two years ago, I'm content with car sharing and rental, or the occasional cab ride.
Not going to the pump or the garage every other week really does leave some extra bucks in the pocket for such luxury.
# John Cowan on 13 Oct 2008 11:48 PM:
Can you get vanity tags for the scooter?
I haven't owned a car since 1980 or so, but then again (a) I don't drive (b) I live in NYC, Non-Driver Capital of the World.
# Michael S. Kaplan on 14 Oct 2008 1:57 AM:
Well, I have no intention of returning my vanity tags I have, though I'll take the stickers off so no one is tempted to steal them and use them. :-)
I could always stick them on the back of the scooter....
twieder on 14 Oct 2008 9:12 AM:
If it's any consolation, the 1995 900 was mostly a Chevy Vectra, so you got at least 5 more years than you should have.
Just another Saab story....
-tw
winden on 20 Oct 2008 12:00 PM:
Michael, having been for a few weeks visiting California from Europe and finding it first hand to be true that having a car is MANDATORY in the US, I really want to hear more from you about living without a car there...
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