The last voyage of OLDmobile.

I had a plan.

Saturday was going to be the last flight of the green machine. My 1994 Oldsmobile. It was originally purchased new by my in-laws, and then given to my wife, but she eventually commandeered my Jeep Grand Cherokee to transport our little girl, Sydney. So I was left with the Olds.

So Saturday came and went, I didn't get to repair my motorcycle (my alternative transportation) and I was behind the wheel yet again on Sunday A.M. Now, there are some things you should know about the Olds and why her last day should have been a while ago. The car has a transmission that when hot will not down-shift, therefore running fine, until you need to stop at which point it stalls until it cools and then will run again repeating the cycle. And oh yeah, the lights stopped working. Like the headlights, dashlights, the running lights, the BRAKE lights, and Hazards, but the blinkers work.

Arrive Sunday...

I had a ticket for the Raven's game. I had a plan. I was going to slip out early from SRC. I was going to announce that I had a ticket to the game and then slip out around 11:30 and be on my way to the Purple Mecca.

But when I got to church I was told that our transportation guy (we love you Joe) had gotten called into work so I would have to take the trailer home. Therefore I had to stay until everything was packed up and ready to roll, then I had to have someone else risk their life by driving my car to where I was dropping off the trailer. I told them to make sure to stay in front of me, and let them know that I was pretty sure that the transmission would make it to the destination; which it did. We arrived safely, but now we're 45 minutes behind schedule.

I then headed to the bank and at Pasadena rd. and Ritchie Hwy. I stalled out, pushed my car into the gas station and waited for another 10 minutes. Back on the road I stalled again at the bank ATM. It took so long to restart that I walked over to Taco Bell ordered two burritos to go and went back to the car and ate both of them before the car would operate again. By the time I got home, changed and was headed out the door it was 1:00. (that's kickoff time) So I got to Cromwell to take the train into the stadium, waited for the train to get there, then went in and arrived with only about 6 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. So I basically missed the first half of the game.

Awww....anyway,

The best is yet to come. I got back to Cromwell at about 5:15. Pulling into the station I'm seeing the sun going night, night. It is still bright enough that I wouldn't need lights...come on people...

Grid lock.

By the time I pull onto 648 it's dark. Like need lights dark. So I'm making my way along as the helpful genius behind me is flashing his lights at me. He pulled up next to me at the light and had a pleasant conversation about my need for lights. I got home as fast as possible, making sure to avoid the places that our beloved officers of peace regularly frequent. Making my dark way down the dark backstreets of my neighborhood I pulled over to the curb every time I saw a car moving about. Then I would continue to my ultimate destination and park the beast in my yard and there it ended. This relationship between man and machine. Thus ended the last voyage of the OLDmobile.


--Ben