Goodbye car

I've had my car since November 2004. It's a 2004 Dodge Neon SXT. My father bought it for me because he wasn't comfortable with me taking the bus to and from work, especially at 11pm or later. Plus, he didn't like that we were taking the bus with Sofia when she was that small- She was just under 2 years old. We live in NY, so Winter can be pretty brutal. He wanted to make sure that we weren't going to be cold, wet, or mugged late at night. It was much appreciated. My very first car. I loved that car. I wish I could find a pic of my car when it was brand new.

It was shiny. All black, with 2 thin silver stripes on either side going from the front to the back of the car. One slightly thicker than the other. A spoiler that wasn't too big. Power locks. The front windows were power, back manual (who does that!?). The radio was incredibly loud. It was the perfect car for me. It wasn't too big, wasn't too small. The trunk was the perfect size for my baby's stroller. Sofia loved being in the car. I loved being in the car! It wasn't my dream car, but I didn't have anything to complain about. It was reliable. Got me from Point A to Point B, and all over in between. I've taken it to NYC many many times. Even drove it up to Maine many times to visit my mother. And it felt nice to not have to walk everywhere. No more bus, no more walking, no more asking people to come and pick us up. I didn't have to leave 2 hours early to get to work. I didn't get home 2 hours later.

Finally, I was in control of my time. I didn't need to rush around to make sure that we made it to appointments on time. I didn't need to worry about scheduling appointments too close together because of the bus schedule. At the time, we were on DSS. I didn't need to worry about making appointments too early with a worker because the bus didn't run at that time. I was free to make appointments whenever I wanted to. I could even change doctors to somewhere I was more comfortable. We didn't, but we could. I was able to take Sofia to the beach that I grew up at (man made, but still awesome). I could take her to Chuck E Cheese. The Zoo. Anywhere I wanted to. Hell, I could cruise the streets with my music blasting if I wanted to. And I did just that. Often. Stressed at home? I just got in the car and drove. Needed a breather? Get out and drive. Bored? Go for a drive. I was even able to show my husband where I grew up, out in the sticks. I hadn't before because it was too far to walk.

But yesterday, I made the gut wrenching decision to sell my baby. I've said that I was going to sell it for a long time. The car has served us well. I put 88,665 miles on it. I called a local junkyard to see how much they would give me for it. The quote was $210. Now, I know the car has a lot of problems. But I was sure that $210 was far too little. I'm not exactly sure what's wrong with, something about a cylinder misfire. Whatever that is. Still, $210? No thanks. I just had a ton of work done to it recently. I want more. I posted an ad on Craigslist, and within minutes, I had emails coming in left and right. I posted that I wanted it gone, I would not hold it for anyone, and I wasn't sure exactly what was wrong with it. We were driving it just fine, well, sort of. But Anthony came home, parked the car, and all was fine. He went to move it to the other side of the street (alternate side parking sucks!) and it wouldn't start. We tried a few times. Nothing. It just would not start. So, we ended up with another parking ticket. Oh joy.

That wasn't what sealed the deal. We sat on it for a while, but finally decided when we needed to move the car again for the following even day. When we couldn't get it moved, we took the chance for a parking ticket. Luckily, we weren't given one that day. But that's what did it. It was time. We had walked to have our taxes done on Saturday, and it was cold. We found out how much we were getting back, and decided that we had enough to get a van. We need a van for the room, anyways. The Neon is just too small for 3 children in car seats. Yes, Sofia still rides in a booster and AJ is still harnessed. It was time to upgrade. Even if the car were working perfectly, it just isn't feasible for us to keep trying to squeeze everyone into that little car.

One of the interested parties sent me an email and asked for a picture of the car. This is the picture I sent him:

The last picture I took of my car. After this, it would no longer be mine.

A few emails between him and I, and he said he would be on his way. I also had 3 other people email me telling me that they would be on their way as well. Good. I figured let's get it done and out of the way. Everyone come at once, everyone be interested, and I'll get the best price for it. I was asking $600, and did not want less than that. Turns out, the first guy here was NOT the guy that I was first talking to. The first guy sent me a few emails "Looks like a good turnout." and "Lots of people interested, huh?" and finally "Did the car sell?" The first guy here ended up buying it. I guess he saw everyone else interested and decided it would be best to dive in and say he wanted it before someone else could. Good. It's yours. Give me the money, and take the car before I change my mind :-p

As it turns out, I guess I never saved the lien release. I don't remember getting one, but I do know that there is no lien holder on my car anymore. The car was completely paid off in 2009. Oops. So, the guy gave me a $100 deposit, and will give me the rest when I get the lien release. I purchased a new title tonight on the DMV's website. Hopefully this new title will be clear. I really need the money ASAP. I need to make sure I have money for cabs for appointments. Or to bribe some of my friends to come and pick us up ;)

Anyways, one last picture.

Good bye, car. Thanks for being there for me for the last 8 years. I'll miss you!!