on having a car

I love my 2001 diesel VW Jetta. It’s economical and attractive, giving me 50+ miles to the gallon and looking super cute while doing it. It has survived far northern winters with me in undergrad, city parking in grad school, a terrible accident that almost destroyed both of us and everything in between and since. It’s a good car.

So when I say this, please know that I do it with a heavy heart: my car–my been-there-for-me, saved-me-money, usually reliable and isn’t-it-adorable car–is slowly, methodically driving me crazy.

Since the days have turned colder, it’s been stalling a little at the end of my work day. Friday, it had had enough, it seems. I put the key in the ignition, and rrr, rrrr, rr–dead. I tried again. Again. Again. Finally the noise degraded to a little more like rr-dead.

Brand-new car battery: $140.

Today, I drove home from a doctor’s appointment and pulled my car into the garage. The minute I got out, I knew something was wrong. The pungent smell of burning machinery almost knocked me over. I got my mom to come smell it, and she said something was burning.

My dad is looking at it now, hopefully so he can find an answer that doesn’t involve more money or more problems. Times like these, I think how nice it would be one of those people who walks to the train, rides to work and never needs to enter a automotive vehicle.

Sigh. But on the plus side: I did have the car problem Friday just when a faithful friend was a mere 5 minutes away. And the problem today did only come up when I was safely home–not still at work and not still at the faraway doctor’s office. My parents offered to loan me a car if I need it, and my dad is giving up his free time to try to help. Silver linings.

Filed under the everyday |