I like muscle cars. I have my father to thank for that. When I was younger we would often go to car shows (such as the annual Atwood Lake Fall Fest). He would tell me of his glory days in the 60's and 70's and share all kinds of stories about the various cars we would see. For the longest time he had a dream to own a 1969 Dodge RT Charger. However, the years moved on and so did his dream.
I am still not ready to buy a car again, but I did need to run some errands to some stores that would be much easier in a vehicle. Most muscle and sport cars are way too fuel inefficient and expensive on insurance to actually be a practical daily driver. A few years ago I realized I could at least "get my fix" by just renting one for a day or two.
So I walked over to the John Wayne airport and asked my Hertz Gold rep what they could do for me. Here is what they had for me.
The Good - A convertible is almost always a fun choice for the California sun
The Bad - a V6 just doesn't have the horse power or sound that I desire, but the fuel economy is slightly better (when I returned on Sunday, they said I just missed out on the Shelby GT)
I ended up visiting the stores I needed to visit then opted for a few hours of driving to my favorite seafood resturant in San Marcos, the Fish-house Veracruiz. I love the Fish Kabobs!
On February 6th I said goodbye to my car, a mechanical companion of the last 8 years. It saved me during a time of high fuel prices and I practically lived out of it during my move to California in 2015. As part of Volkswagen's "diesel gate" settlement, I sold my car back to them for a nominal sum of cash.
Car being Inspected at Dealership
A few years ago, when I lived about half a mile from work I had a question on my mind. What would life be like without a car? I've been driving in some shape or form for the last 20 years. I've dealt with all the financial implications including car payments, fuel costs, insurance, constant maintenance, expensive repairs, and a few driving awards from the state highway patrol. At that time, the harsh winters of Ohio reminded me that...well umm...idea would suck.
I had about a year to plan for this event. Yet, I spent most of that time feeling indecisive. Here were some of the other options...
Buy the Dodge Challenger R/T I've had my eyes on since 2009 - This is a throwback to a dream my father used to have in the 1960-70s. In 2013 I took one of the most amazing road trips of my life. Here are some photos
Buy the Ford Mustang GT as a throwback (update) to my late teens/early 20s
Here was my 1996 GT:
Buy another VW, a Golf GTI, a fun little turbo I rented a few years ago that I really enjoyed driving (strangely enough I actually still like the VW brand, even if they are professed cheaters)
Buy a cheap used minivan for my ultimate weekend surfing/camping adventures
Three of these options require me to go back into debt...I really want to avoid that state as long as I can. Two of these options support my surfing hobby;moreover, transporting an 8ft. board is not easy. I am still once bitten - twice shy from 2009's $5 a gallon gas prices.
Summary of Car Free Living-
For the past three weeks, my indecisiveness has meant quite a few walks to and from work (.65 miles one way) and many rides through the Uber App. Going to the Grocery Store requires extra planning as I either have to use a collapsible cart (I feel like a little old lady; absolutely ridiculous) or buy only what I can carry 0.8 miles. Going to my 6am workout on Tuesday and Thursday means starting out on a 1.7 mile run around 5:30am and hopefully having enough energy to run 1.7 miles back for a shower before another 0.6 mile walk to work. Going to the bank means planning a 4 mile round trip walk or bike ride (bike requires additional planning and prep + lock).
On the bright side, I am getting more exercise.
With a few business trips coming up, I don't feel any hurry to buy something that is just going to sit in the parking garage. Maybe I will rent a car for a day or two....Stay Tuned...
Recently, my mother paid me a visit. This was also occurring simultaneously on a half marathon weekend. What to do?
We started out on Friday with a train ride to San Diego. The goal was to visit the San Diego Zoo.
On Saturday we headed up to Long Beach and took a tour of the Queen Mary ship. I am really proud of myself for the number of times I did not make a Titanic reference. The tour and our guide was rather educational.
Sunday, race day, was mostly about me torturing myself with exercise while enjoying Huntington beach. I signed up for this one last year but had to skip it for a work trip. As far as half marathons are concerned, I had a very good run!
