Good-bye, Old Friend

I'm saying good-bye to an old, reliable friend today.  The Accord and I were together for fifteen years.  It logged almost a quarter of a million miles for me. At an average of 30 MPG.

A good car.

But nothing lasts forever.  It had some body damage, a little bit of an oil leak, a malfunctioning lever or two - nothing unexpected for the age of the car.

Which is why I bought Buttercup two weeks ago.



I was pondering how to pass the Accord on, as I didn't want it reduced to scrap.  I debated listing it on Craigslist, but was too chicken to allow strangers to test drive it, either with or without me along.  Couldn't find any friend or neighbor who had use of it.

So one afternoon I talked about it to my daughter.  She has a very creative mind.    After we talked about what I wanted and what I might like to do with it, she came up with a great idea.  She placed an ad in Craigslist offering to barter the Accord for a decomposed granite walkway which would go from my patio through the backyard, through the gate and around to the driveway.  NINE contractors responded!  My son in law researched them, talked to several, and picked one.  The three of us met and worked out a deal.

Now I have a walkway, Justin's little sister has a sturdy reliable car, and my daughter and son-in-law have my appreciation and thanks.   My friends can park on my driveway and walk around, avoiding the steps in the front.
My neighbors no longer have to look at a damaged car.
The junkyard will have some business, as Justin plans to buy a new hood and headlight there to replace the damaged ones.

A win-win for everyone except the car repair place!