Meet the Grand Am.
I distinctly remember walking down the stairs to the garage at my Dad's house on December 8th, 2001. I turned to the left and saw a pretty, shiny white car with a big red bow on top...and I knew immediately that it was my 18th birthday present!! I screamed and grinned and jumped up and down, and when I got inside, I couldn't believe how nice and new and fancy it was. I loved the pink/amber display lights and the fact that it had a CD player. That night, I drove the car to one of my last Nutcracker performances with Chattanooga Ballet.

Over the next 8.5 years, this car carried me to many more classes, rehearsals, performances, and events. I took it to college (the picture above). I took it to medical school (below). I drove it thousands and thousands of miles to visit Stephen while we were in a long-distance relationship. I drove it thousands of more miles to most of my medical school and residency interviews. I cruised the streets of Chattanooga, Jacksonville, Nashville, Memphis, and Lexington peering through its windshield. I braved snow, rain, ice, and heat from within the protection of the Grand Am. And I shed many a tear on long drives home while my trusty car listened and didn't try to interrupt (how thoughtful of it!).
Over the years, the Grand Am was surprisingly reliable. Despite 148,790 miles, it gave me relatively few problems--just a few flat tires, 2 dead batteries, a blinker problem that was fixed under Pontiac's recall, and typical maintenance issues (timing belt, brake pad replacement, wheel alignment, etc.).

Recently, however, Grand Am (which was never given its own name, interestingly enough) has begun to show its age...in many ways, it is similar to an aging human. There's a big crack in the windshield (scars). The alignment is messed up (something in the frame is bent), so the car shakes every time you get to 20-45 mph (I think of it as a limp secondary to stroke). The steering system has some rusty joints, so the car moans every time you turn it right or left (arthritis). The brakes have started making a scary squealing noise after it rains (...?). About a month ago, the engine began stalling at stop lights and "coughing" as I pressed the accelerator, and we found that a hose was rotted through and had to be replaced (COPD? pneumonia?). One day later, another flat tire. Last week, the Low Coolant light came on, and the engine temperature began to rise. We realized that coolant was leaking out of the engine and forming a big puddle on the driveway; by the next day, ALL of the coolant was on the ground (kidney failure...or incontinence). My car, was in fact, dying.

Today, we took the Grand Am to its final resting place. I felt like the undertaker as I cleaned out my junk and tried to clean up the dash, steering wheel, etc. It performed surprisingly well (after being topped off with coolant, of course) on the drive to the dealership. As we dropped it off to be traded, I got a little nostalgic...but I knew it was time to let go. So, RIP 2001 Pontiac Grand Am. You were a good little car, and you served above and beyond your purpose.

But now, it's time for an UPGRADE!!!!Presenting....

the NEW 2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI!!!

I LOVE IT!!! It has a freakin' awesome panoramic sunroof...
A touchscreen iPod media system and Bluetooth...
Plus black leather interior, a 42 mpg highway-averaging turbo diesel engine, a big ol' trunk, and that delicious new-car smell. :)

Can I just interject here that I love love LOVE my wonderful husband (my sugar daddy) for wanting to get me a very nice, very safe new car that was a serious upgrade from my old car??? He is awesome. I couldn't ask for a better hubby.

We are heading to Marietta this weekend (in the new car, of course!) for Mother's Day!!

T-minus 21 days til M.D.
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