Out with the old, in with the new!

We finally had to put our 1998 Nissan Pathfinder to sleep today : ( She was a good car for a long time, but it was time to say goodbye. In 2004 Adam and I had been dating for 10 months and we decided to go out on a limb and move to Colorado together. We sold our cars and bought a used, but in mint condition, Pathfinder together. A HUGE STEP for both of us! We packed her up with as much stuff as we could fit....And some things that we didn't need, like the huge sub-woofer Adam felt was a necessity. I didn't know he had packed this monstrosity until we got to Breckenridge. Little did I know, I had to leave shoes and bath towels behind because of this speaker that we never used ONCE, I might add.

We took a few days with a stop in Vegas, and one stop in Utah before we got to Breck. This was the first test to see if our relationship was going to work. If you can spend 3 days in a cramped car with someone and not fight, it's a good sign! We had a blast and have a lot of funny memories. Like trying to tape garbage bags together to put on top of the roof to keep the soft top from getting wet from the rain/snow. After about an hour of taping and attaching this in strong winds in Vegas, it blew off the car the second we got on the freeway! We ended up buying a tarp at a dollar store that made it the rest of the way!

I learned how to drive in the snow in 4 wheel drive with this car. She took very good care of us, never broke down and always started up in the morning, regardless of the -10 below temperature. After a year and a half of using her in the mountains, it was time to pack up (sub-woofer included) and let her (and me) thaw out in sunny California! We took 10 days to come home. Driving up to Jackson Hole, seeing the Grand Teton Mountains and amazing wildlife, on through Montana, Idaho, Seattle, Washington, Oregon and the beautiful California coast. We saw great friends along the way, and stopped in some amazing little towns that we would have never known existed if we didn't have our little Pathfinder to take us there.

We saw her turn 100,000 miles old on our way back from camping in Big Sur. It was her last hurrah! She had a good life, and has plenty of wrinkles to show for it! Now, with a crooked head light, deteriorating rubber door seals, torn upholstery, a glowing "check engine" light, bruises, and scrapes, it's time to say good bye. It was sad leaving her in the lot with a man holding a huge marker in his hand anxious to write "CLUNKER" on her windshield, but it had to be done. It's amazing how attached I am to this car.

Now, we have a new life to look forward to with a new love! We are welcoming a new 2009 Honda CRV into our family! Her shiny wheels, comfy leather heated seats, sparkling sun roof, and unblemished body are ready to to explore life with the Antons! I have had this car in my possession for less than 4 hours, and have actually been in it for less than 15 minutes, and Owen has already made himself very comfortable. For example, after we got in the car from the park, he insisted on taking off his shoes which were full of sand, and dropping one on the floor below, while tossing the other one into the front seat, leaving a small beach on our new passenger seat. This car has no idea what she is in for! I hope she likes kids! : ) Time to invest in a Dustbuster! I can't believe we have gone two years without one!