The Story of Cricket

It's only Wednesday, but it has felt like it should be Friday since Monday (does that make sense?).  We continue to have two to four inches of snow daily--enough to stress out my Civic (and me) on the drive to school, but not enough to actually have a snow day.  Last week, when we were also get a few inches of snow every day, I didn't think to clear the collected ice from "Cricket's" tires (yes, we name our cars...more on that later).  Our home is situated in such a way that I turn out of the driveway onto an incline on a County Highway.  Cricket was not happy about the snow and ice in its tires (the car is androgynous) and was difficult to control.  I thought I could get to the church two miles down the road to pull over and clear the tires, but I ended up spinning out (right next to a student's home).  Fortunately, there was no traffic in the other direction, I didn't hit anything, and I was able to clear out the ice and move on.  Now, I religiously check the tires each morning. 

Cricket is in its 13th year.  I purchased the car when I was 19, it survived my 20s and is still chugging along. Its original name was "Death Star" due to the two burns in its roof. No, not due to a cigarette (I've never smoked) but to a concave mirror.  I had gone to borrow a few supplies from a fellow teacher when I was first starting out, include a 12 inch concave mirror.  It happened to be a bright spring day and, as I casually placed the mirror in my car, I never thought about possible consequences.  Coming back to the parking lot after picking up some more equipment I opened the door and exclaimed in a not so casual voice, "Gee, what is burning?!"  I looked up and saw that a good patch of the roof upholstery was smoldering.  I did make the connection quickly, and turned the mirror upside down.  For several years in the mid-2000s, the car was known as "Death Star". 

Currently, Cricket has about 170,000 miles on it.  For a couple years due to a broken hood latch and a check engine light that never turned off I didn't drive it beyond a 30 mile radius.  But after a considerable 12th year tune-up (done in installments throughout the course of last year), I wouldn't hesitate to drive it across country (in fair weather).  The car gets great mileage, and is really quite reliable.  It is a standard and as of yet I have not had to replace the clutch. I also have been lucky enough not to have to replace the timing belt. 

My darling husband and I keep saying, year after year, what are we going to do when Cricket dies?  Would we get a pick-up truck so we can transport our animals and farm supplies more easily?  Do we get another compact car (or even a sub-compact?) because we've managed this long without a truck (thanks to gracious friends and neighbors)?  Do we forgo a second vehicle all together (it is possible!)?  I used to be very practical about Cricket's demise.  I had hoped for it to get me through grad school (in 2006).  Now that it has exceeded all expectations, I actually am becoming quite sentimental.  I believe I may be at the point where I will have a difficult time knowing when to "pull the plug".  Cricket has long been paid off and the insurance is minimal at this point.  How much am I willing to spend on its continual survival?  I suppose, at this point, only time will tell!