Are we there yet? Not by a mile!
From where Im sitting on memory lane, were stalled in the past. The very thought of parting with our clunker has us looking in the rear view mirror.
I keep looking at that old truck... my husband, Bill, sighed the other day.
My head moved so fast I almost got whiplash, And what does that mean? I said as I peered over my laptop.
Well, that maybe I could fix it up; the body is in good shape, he continued. All Id have to do is put in a new engine, a little paint, shine up the chrome rims...
I shuddered. From my viewpoint, 40 years of memories with this Ford truck have been just about enough.
How could I forget the double gas tanks we added in its first year of life? On vacations we could drive for miles and miles ... and miles.
The only requirement was to refrain from liquid for two months before climbing in for the long haul.
Lucky kids. They wore diapers.
Or what about the camper we perched on its back a few years later? Parked in the desert at Lake Havasu, Nev., people would have died to trade places with us. In the heat, we nearly did.
That shiny new truck could go anywhere because we never stopped to ask directions. Remember, we had plenty of gas.
One time at dusk, a wrong turn out of an old mining ghost town in California had us sliding down an impassable muddy mountain road. In the rain. In the dark. Locals still tell the tale.
And there are plenty more: Ive dodged a snapping Texas turtle in the front seat; begged a toddler to unlock the truck from the INSIDE; abandoned Bill on a rural railroad track as train whistle blared; almost left a child in the middle of nowhere who slipped from the camper to use a restroom; wiped bugs as thick as molasses from the windshield in New Mexico and helped put out a fire in the spare tire in Oregon.
Camping, smores, and sightseeing. It all comes back to me now. No wonder Bill is so sentimental about our old junk heap.
And I guess I am, too.
So, are we ready to sell this clunker? I dont think were there yet.
Similar stories:
Costco, allies refine liquor privatization plan
Costco, allies refine liquor privatization plan
OLYMPIA -- A year after failing to get voter support to privatize state liquor sales, Costco Wholesale Corp. and its allies are returning to the ballot for a second opinion.
This year's plan attempts to assuage the concerns that voters raised in 2010, providing a boost in revenues for state and local governments while largely prohibiting small convenience stores from participating. It doubles penalties for retailers who sell liquor to minors, and supporters believe that consumers will start seeing lower liquor prices.
"It's a win-win-win," said Joe Gilliam, president of the Northwest Grocers Association. "The state of Washington gets revenue for essential services. The private sector picks up a new product line that helps serve the customer. And the customer gets more convenience and a better shopping experience."
A long road back to normalcy for Prosser couple
A long road back to normalcy for Prosser couple
PROSSER -- For Jan Rennebohm and Joe Toregrase, everything now is measured by before July 21 -- and after.
The Prosser couple, together for 23 years, enjoyed spending time at their three-acre homestead.
Rennebohm tended to the house and yard for hours each day. Toregrase worked on his cars and motorcycles in an immense shop.
IndyCar returns to Milwaukee for June 16 race
IndyCar returns to Milwaukee for June 16 race
The IndyCar Series is returning to the Milwaukee Mile after all.
Solution to crumbling roads, bridges elusive
Solution to crumbling roads, bridges elusive
The nation's crumbling roads, bridges and transit systems are at the point of hindering U.S. economic growth, but Congress is struggling to come up with a solution.
Superior Court judge steps down from sentencing
Superior Court judge steps down from sentencing
Defense attorneys asked a judge Thursday to excuse himself from sentencing a Benton City man convicted of severely injuring two motorcyclists in a July crash.
Superior Court Judge Bruce Spanner agreed to step down on the Benton County case of Chad Michael Sehnert.
The motion, filed just a couple hours before the afternoon hearing, didn't give a detailed reason for the request to change the judge.
Print
Email Story
