It started in October of 1999, and ended today.
It lasted 163,469 miles.
I sold my van today.
Actually, I sold it twice yesterday. But today it's gone.
Jerry and I had been thinking about replacing the van (named "Fern" by my children) for some time, because, quite frankly, she had been getting on our nerves. The motors on the rear windows went out some time ago - a $1200 fix that we weren't keen to make, so we just kept them shut. Then the motor on the automatic door stopped closing the door, another $3200 annoyance that it just didn't make sense to repair on a van that old. Still, the van kept on going, and so did we. I had the van appraised for a trade-in, and it came in at only $1500, so I decided that I would just keep on going until Maggie got her driver's license.
But then. . .
I got in tangle with a truck. On Gracie's birthday. By the grace of God, we didn't leave the roadway, and none of us were hurt, but the doors on the driver's side were a bit crunched. Not so crunched that the van was totaled, or the doors weren't functional, but crunched none-the-less.
So, rather than repair Fern, with all her "quirks", we took the repair money and I found a new vehicle. We didn't trade in the van, because after the accident, her trade-in value plummeted to $250. I found a website that would buy cars for scrap, and so yesterday, I arranged for them to come and pick up the van. Jerry and I went and had the title notarized to get ready. Before they could get there though, my ex-yard-guy rang the doorbell and asked if he could buy the van. I went and pointed out all the little annoyances that might change his mind, but he was still interested, so I cancelled the pickup from the auction house, and we sold it to him instead. He and his family came and got her this afternoon.
So today, I got to wave goodbye to Fern, knowing she was destined to carry gear for picnics and bike rides for another family, and would not (immediately) be crushed and melted.
So here's to Fern, and to a good ride!
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