A tribute...

This post is about the end. By "the end", I don't mean the end of the world - even though North Carolina has been hit by a hurricane and an earthquake this week!

Nope, this time - I am referring to the end of an era... with my car. This post is a tribute to my dear 2002 Toyota Camry SE.

I gave my blue toyota camry up this week as a trade-in on a new car (maybe more about that in a later post). Everyone has asked this week, 'how is the new car?' - and my response has consistently been.... ask me again in a week.

Why?

Because I'm sad. My Camry holds a lot of memories. I felt like this was the first car that I paid for - without my dad co-signing (like he did for my green neon). It gave me a sense of freedom, and we shared many adventures - good and bad.


I have many fond memories of lugging my big dog-crate into the trunk of the car, and driving all over Texas to take my Kobe to dog shows.

We made a huge trek in the car, moving from Texas to North Carolina, with two dogs in the car!

We brought our first child home in the Camry.

(Even if he isn't quite this innocent anymore...)

I assure you, unfortunately, that I was never as good to my car - on the inside or outside - as my car was to me. We were in several skrimishes together - literally, on every corner of the car, the front, the back.... I ran into my husband, my garage, and a pole. And at least once, for the record, someone ran into me instead of the other way around!

I was never so great at taking care of the inside of the car, either. It wasn't clean very often - and in it's last few days, it was downright filthy! When the door handle started eating my finger, I did put a "bandaid" on the problem... literally. You can see it here on the door handle.

I will admit, however, that I did take good care to the engine. I had regular oil changes. I had a great mechanic. I got new tires more than once.

But overall, I am sad. Although I never gave the camry a proper name, or the TLC it deserved, it was a good car - - a great car, even, and I loved it. I had it from 15 miles, and even have the original bill of sale. All said, I put over 140,000 miles on the car. It was paid off for at least 1/2 the time (and probably more) that I owned it, and I never had to make a large repair for any engine problems. I will miss my Camry, but I look forward to a few fond memories in my upgrade (by 10 model years) to the 2012 Honda Civic EX-L.

Love: My Camry.
Hope: I learn to love the Civic... ask again in a week!
Do: Move on, I suppose. Don't know why it's hard for me with the car!
Number: 140,000 - for the number of miles I put on the car