Yesterday we said "Good-bye" to Blackie the Jeep. He came into our lives May 1995, when DH and I moved from New Orleans to Minnesota. We were starting a new chapter in our lives. The Minnesota chapter brought new jobs for us both (working in my family's party company), a new townhouse, and the beginning to our family (I was just a few months pregnant with my older son - who was born after the first of the year 1996). So, of course moving to Minnesota where it is winter 6-8 months we needed a good 4 wheel drive to get us through. And a 4-wheel drive jeep was the stereotypical vehicle of a Minnesotan at that time."Blackie" was the one who brought home Robert from the hospital in January 1996 and got us through several different snow storms the first year living there. Eventually, we became a 2 jeep family and Blackie took the seat to a Red Jeep and then later a Blue Jeep...but Blackie was always the special one.
In October 2002, he took the whole family to California, when we started to put the finishing touches to our move. He was the first one to call our current residence "home", as we left him behind for a month while we packed up the MN home and rejoined him the first part of November 2002. Blackie has been the one responsible for getting DH to work - which was a 45 minute commute (each way) when we first moved here and became shorter in the last couple of years when DH changed jobs. The shorter commute was a good thing over the last couple of years, because Blackie's health started to deteriorate. He has received new breaks, tires and other parts...but he had started to really show his age as his AC stopped working, doors creaking, parts rusting and only got AM radio.
So after 15 years and over 150,000 miles, it was time to bid farewell to an old friend. You might have been termed a "clunker" on the dealership lot that we left you at yesterday...but you will have a special place in our hearts.
(PS...a new Silver Honda Accord 2009 took the place of Blackie).
5 comments:
Congratulations on the new car. Very nice tribute to "Blackie".
Great tribute to Blackie! Congrats on the new vehicle! The accords are very nice cars!
I'm happy I'm not the only one who can feel this way about a car. Our CR-V was a valued member of the family and every mile that I drove was a pleasure.
Enjoy the new car!
I love it! We traveled a many a mile in our van and the various uses (each child drove it) and all the stories. I totally understand - what a neat memory. Congrats on the new car!
Congratulations on the new car. It's hard to let the old ones go, though. They do get so tied up in our memories.
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