This morning is somewhat bittersweet. The feeling in the air is somber...because the Skipfiniti has a new owner (breathe). The picture above is the last one I will ever take with her. Sure, I have a smile on my face... perhaps due to the venture ahead, onward with the set of wheels that is (I say begrudgingly) "replacing" her... perhaps due to the value I was offered way above reasonable expectations. Regardless, I am sad to see her go and the grin is nothing short of a facade.
Those of you that knew me before or at the time I bought this car have known me for a long time. She is a '99 Infiniti G20, fully loaded. She and I met in 2002 at a cramped pre-owned lot at Dean Team Kirkwood in the St. Louis suburbs. Back then I traded in my prized '91 Nissan 240SX - it was a trade up. I was in the market for something to make me look the part of a successful young eligible bachelor... enter the good times.
I have a LOT of memories with this car. I've been driving it for over 10+ years, so by my quick calculation (seeing that I am just shy of my 31st birthday) for one-third of my life! Hell, I've only had my driver's license for 15 years, so I've had this car 200% longer than all the other (3) cars I had before her!
The Skipfiniti has gotten me home on the wings of angels quite a few more times than I'd like to admit. However, most of the memories are positive - and quite a few of you have shared in these good times with us. We have been to Gulf Shores, Al and Pensacola, Fl, KC, Chicago, StL, Springfield, Branson, Lake of the Ozarks, and more places than I can remember... Those of you who are reading may have been driven to one of these places, driven home, or just tagged along around town. I invite all of you to join me in wishing her well on her next journey and hope that she gets the love and care that she deserves and has so greatly earned.
The Skipfiniti, sadly to say, was not in her best shape when we parted ways - it pains me to admit that. She was dirty, had some mechanical and physical issues, and was in desperate need of regularly-scheduled maintenance. It was such a risky box to be inside that not only did I feel unsafe driving around town for work, but since we found out that Kristen was pregnant, I wouldn't even allow her to ride in it. The car hasn't been driven more than 50 miles on one trip in over a year. When I said goodbye, her odometer read just over 166k - but her engine is solid and she has kept on ticking (in a good way). Had I taken better care of her, I know I could have gotten many more miles. However, every once in a while in the life the "plan" changes and we're required to make decisions that not only impact ourselves, but involve one or more other humans that must rely on us for our ability to make such decisions and the quality of which we do so. Our currently expanding family is the main reason to make this move, and to upsize to a new family vehicle. We've chosen a more practical and kid-friendly car and I just hope she produces as many if not more great moments as my Skipfiniti...
Goodbye, old girl. Godspeed and good luck. You'll be missed.
With love-
Your previous driver
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