Car trunk mystery unfolds

Well, I’m back.

If you don’t take breaks from things, even things you love, one day you will wake up and find yourself totally sick of it and not be able to proceed a step further. That’s what happened to me. And I do take a break from blogging every weekend, but I guess I needed a major break. Anyway now I’m fully recovered and ready to roll.

Perhaps you’re wondering what decomposing former life form I found in the trunk of my car that weekend? The answer – good news for me but no doubt disappointing for you – is: nothing. I can only conclude that it is the car itself emitting signs of its last gasp. Instead of that “new car smell” you experience in a brand new vehicle, this must be the “dying car smell.”
Here is a photo of the trunk in question. My car’s 12 or 13 years old and a hundred little things are starting to break and go wrong. (It must be about my age in human years.) The things are little but expensive. Like the rubber strips around the doors starting to break up -- you wouldn’t believe how much it costs to replace that. The locks are loose in the doors. The driver-side window needs to be helped up with a firm hand.

Up till now I’ve always kept it in good repair. I’ve faithfully had body work done (for it and me) after every crash, and the upholstery is immaculate and has no holes or worn spots. People comment on what great shape my car’s in – for which I thank them politely. They’re not looking into the crooks and crannies to see the rotting rubber and the loose screws and the visor hinge popped out and the jiggly mirror and the missing radio knob.

I’m not willing to dish out the money it takes to attend to these details. If I had money to burn, I would, just to preserve a good car that’s done a great job for me. I believe in preserving things instead of just letting them go to ruin and end up in the landfills. So I feel bad but it’s not going to happen.

Lindi and I still haven’t decided what car we’re going to replace our two cars with, to become a one-car family. (For history on that, click here.) But we take long with these decisions. Been talking about getting cell phones for three years now....