Aging is all about acceptance and adapting - easy when it just involves pesky little things like hearing loss and/or creaky joints and instalment peeing, these 'go with the territory'. you adapt and move on. But when it involves losing one's freedom and independence to the ravages of automotive aging, now that hurts. And if it's a Mustang, that hurts big-time.
Mine was like a part of me, like a comfortable old shoe (designer of course!) A racy old lady turning obediently over on the most frigid winter morning. Nimble and superbly maneuverable wherever I took her, a perfect example of the fun being in 'getting there'.
Sadly, rust had its way with her. To such an extent that local squirrels had set up housekeeping in the trunk with enough nuts to see them into their golden years through a convenient hole in the floor.
The time had come. My Mustang was no longer sustainable on my income, it was an indulgence that I could ill-afford. I was aging better than it was. On the way to the autowreckers, the clutch was breathing its last. Luckily the last stretch was downhill. $250. What an epitaph, what an ignominious ending for such a loyal friend.
Maybe I'll win The Big One on the 649, I'd better hurry or I'll miss my bus ......
Sob.
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Mother was smart. This last year she decided her attention was wandering too often when piloting her Subaru Legacy. ( Her long dead husband and 3 sons all are/were vehicle-happy. ) My mother-in-law had sold the Mercury Marquis some years back as well.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, you can spend a bit on taxis for the money you'll save. The Dutch would likely suggest an electric bicycle : useful enough to get one out of the house.
I spent the better part of a year in Marmora 21 years ago - and of course surfaced in Belleville and Kingston to have a look around. A friend in Campbellford had some ideas on where to go..but he's 'left the premises.'
Navigating online shouldn't be a chore for someone with the smarts to blog; not that it seems intuitive to go to Google and press 'More' and then 'Even More'.
I doubted my ability to 'catch up' with the 'in crowd' who always seem to be ahead of the curve. My first post at Oldephartteintraining in December 2005 I was 'met' by Threescore and Ten or More who crowed he had me beaten in the age category.
I did say 'intraining'.
That blog died and has been followed by renamed II and III which have the primary title 'Opit's LinkFest!'
Have a look at my.opera.com/oldephartte/about before hitting the first selection from 'Collections Forwarded to Blogger'. I do a 'librarian' blog online. Perhaps you can help me to make the system more navigable.
http://my.opera.com/oldephartte/links/
http://opitslinkfest.blogspot.com/
The Topical Index is in the sidebar.
Your comment about electric bicycles in Holland would make my daughter recoil in horror. She's lived in Holland for decades. But you're right, there certainly ARE other options including (one of my mom's favourites) 'shank's mare' which obliquely refers to WALKING which I do a lot of. You seem to have a staggering repertoire, light-years ahead of me, I'm afraid, and well outside my comfort zone.
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