Making the Very Best of a Very Bad Thing Cars are something I grew up with in Detroit. The '52 Dodge was Dad's "Blue Angel", then came the Plymouth station wagon that became mine and proceeded to drop its transmission a week later. Over the years, I've driven everything from a Renault Dauphine to a Lincoln Continental, but most of them were like the beloved Dart, one step, and a short one at that, from the junkyard. The exception to that rule was our 1969 Volvo, bought with the assistance of a wonderful boss, Tamiko. Sharra lasted through December of '98, in spite of being the victim of a drunk driver. She made the trip to Washington State and managed the hill up James Street without a hiccup for years, but a winter trip out to Lake Stevens threw several rods in the engine and the repairs were just out of range. Access Vans are supposed to assist people with mobility problems, but every time we had a doctor's appointment we waited for them to arrive, then waited for them to pick us up. They don't carry oxygen... We had a friend who offered a '86 Chevy station wagon. We were able to fit the folding wheelchair in the back of it. OK. We were grateful to have it, and nursed it along very carefully. On one chilly day in January 2001, we headed to the local shopping mall to get Cheryl some drapes. We looked, but there wasn't anything she liked and the tank we had on the wheelchair was heading toward empty. When we got to the parking lot... The car was gone. Some idiot had taken the car, with the spare O2 tank. Cheryl was getting panic stricken, and the mall cops muttered something about this being a prime area for stolen cars. I felt this was less than helpful. I called my insurance company and the Geico Rep said things would be handled. He put me through to Enterprise and less than 15 minutes, they were pulling up in a Windstar. They took us back to the house, got her back on the concentrator, then took me back over to their office to rent the Windstar. When I took the car back, the nice gentleman said they had several good buys on their fleet cars, 1999 Taurus models. I looked at them, trying to figure how I could afford to actually buy a practically new car. I did have a small, really small credit union account, but Enterprise and the Credit Union worked their magic and the Credit Union and I owned a car. That was January 2001. We named her in honor of the faithful Volvo Yesterday (January 7, 2008) I made the last payment! Sharra, (of course I name cars, don't you?) is still in excellent condition. I'm careful with cars, and this one has been a sweet one. So, join me in a toast to Geico and Enterprise and the Watermark Credit union! Sharra's mine, all mine. {A few weeks later, the "Civil People" found the Chevy, in the parking lot of the Muckleshoot Bingo Parlor. Since I've never been there, and have no plans to ever go there, we think they were looking for something they could sell. Good luck on a somewhat battered O2 tank that was probably of gas within 24 hours.)
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