Goodbye Silver Bullet

ThinkKit wants to know what I said goodbye to in 2014 and the first thing that came to mind was my beloved car aka Silver Bullet.  Sure, she was 11 years old with stained upholstery and rust forming on her sides, but she only broke down once in the 4 years that we had her.  In fall 2010, JD's SUV engine completely died and it was going to be thousands of dollars to get it replaced.  Since we had just paid for our wedding, we had no spare change to just buy an engine so we had to save up for it for a few months.  At that time, JD and I fortunately worked for the same company in the same building so we were able to ride together to and from work.  We had a lot of deep conversations in that car we shared as well as a few laughs and a few fights over pop music or metal to listen to.  I really enjoyed our time together driving around, we weren't distracted by a tv, books, phones, or video games.  I don't care that the horn broke about a month after I got it, I loved that car.

Then, one fateful early June evening, I was alone in Silver Bullet at a gas station waiting to go right but the traffic was crazy due to rush hour.  There was a stop light near the exit of this gas station and a kind lady in a Suburban waved me out to get in the right lane so that I would not be stuck waiting forever.  All I remember is I was pulling out and suddenly a black SUV comes swerving into me and fortunately my airbag did not activate (I heard those can cause broken noses), but I knew the crunch I heard was not good.  The lady who had waved me out already drove past the scene so I did not have her as a witness, but this woman (WHO HAD EARBUDS IN HER EAR THAT WAS ATTACHED TO A PHONE IN WHICH SHE WAS STILL HAVING CONVERSATION) comes barreling out of her SUV and starts yelling at me that she had the right of way while I explained to her that I was waved into the lane she was swerving into by the Suburban she must have seen was stopped.  She then LEFT the scene of the accident and pulled her car into a parking lot down the street!  I got a hold of the cops and kept my car where the accident was because that is what you're supposed to do until the cops arrive and I surveyed the damage.  The front of my car literally fell off and was on the ground.  I'm not too technical with car part names but after the cop arrived, he had me very slowly move the car to the same parking lot the lady WHO STILL HAD earbuds in her ear had parked. I took a glance at her SUV and saw a light scratch on her passenger door.The SUV destroyed my car with barely any damage at all!

The cop obviously acted like he didn't want to be there and bluntly told me it's illegal for someone to wave you into traffic (did ANYONE learn this in drivers' education?!).  The lady I guess was mad the Suburban had stopped and must have figured that she would go around it and get back into the right lane without paying attention since her phone call was so important that she had to have headphones on.  The cop actually duct taped pieces of my car together and said since I lived a mile away that I could drive it home slowly so that I could have it at my residence.  While helping me, the headphones wearing woman (yes she STILL had her headphones in) asked if she could go in which the annoyed cop said yes.

My insurance company totaled out my car and I'm not sure if they put that woman at fault but I got a check and my car was towed away.  I miss Silver Bullet, it did well for a used car.  I had good memories using that car.  Headphones lady destroyed my car that I loved.  

A couple weeks later, JD and I decided we would purchase a new car in order to have a warranty and for safety ratings with our toddler.  I have a Kia Soul now and I have to say that I love it!  I don't love making car payments but I know my family is safe in that car and we will have new and happy memories to make in the Green Bean.  I do miss you though, Silver Bullet, you were a good car to me and hope you are looking down on me in car heaven.