Back in 2006, we bought a 2005 (used) Ford F-150 truck. It was maroon and it was shiny back then. We paid it off early and we’ve been enjoying it ever since. Not having a car payment is Heaven and I was DETERMINED to drive that thing into the ground. And, I did!

The wonderful, beautiful, absolutely magical thing about that truck was it NEVER BROKE DOWN. Sure, the battery died a couple of times over the years. It needed new tires a few times. A politician in Florida bumped it, breaking one of the rearview mirrors. And, the air conditioner needed repair in the summer of 2019. But, it never broke down. It ALWAYS took us where we wanted to go. No engine problems ever!!

After leaving Maine in 2011, we started noticing some bubbling in the paint. No big deal. The resale value on it by that time was probably $3000 or so. Yet, it kept running. The bubbling became cracking. And, the cracking eventually turned into metal chunks falling off the sides of the bottom. No kidding! Yet, it kept running!!

A few months ago, I had to go pick up Mason and it was raining when I got into the truck. And, that’s when I noticed a drip, drip, drip coming from above my head. I arrived at my destination, opened the door, stood up from the inside, and inspected the roof. Two ginormous holes surrounded with rust were there. I had no idea they were there! And, yet, THE TRUCK KEPT RUNNING!!

So, Brian came to the rescue, and filled the holes with Bond-O for me. No more leaks!! It was, by far, the ugliest vehicle in every parking lot we visited in town but, again, IT STILL RAN!

Around November, another huge metal chunk was hanging from the side. When they start dragging on the ground, they can make quite a ruckus! I asked Brian to cut it off for me. He did. He also took the truck to run an errand. When he came back, he said, “I’m worried. Your truck isn’t going to live much longer.”

I kind of knew that in the back of my mind. But, dang it, it was STILL RUNNING!

Then, last month, I was pulling out of the parking lot here and I heard a “flub, flub, flub.” I pulled back in, and asked Mason to check the tires. The front right one was very, very low. Now, I’m a tightwad but I’m not dumb enough to buy tires for a truck that is literally falling apart on the road. It was time. I had to bid my dear friend goodbye.

I have spent every spare moment since then shopping for just the right replacement truck online. Countless forms submitted through dealership websites. More countless emails exchanged with pushy, rude salespeople. Some of them managed to get me to give up my phone number. Many of those did not end well (for them). Covid has made car shopping simple because it’s all done online, including the negotiations. But, many dealerships simply won’t offer additional discounts beyond what is featured on their website.

I LOVE haggling. Family members take me along when buying a car because I’m VERY good at it.

To make a long story even longer, I FINALLY finished the dreaded task and, yesterday, I drove my new truck home. But, it’s not an F-150. There seems to be a shortage of those available right now and I wasn’t willing to fork over THAT much money for one.

Is it weird that I’m missing my old one? I wonder where she is. She was in really bad shape so I doubt she’d even make it to auction. Have they already smooshed her down? Are her remains sitting forlornly in a junkyard somewhere? Does she…miss me???

All sad kidding aside though…my new truck looks awesome and Mason, who will start driving in June, asked if he could use it to pick up chicks. I told him, “Sure! But, take good care of her because we’re going to have her forever and we’re literally going to ‘drive her into the ground.'”

Maybe she’ll outlive ME!! 😉

RELATED

• House Hunting Kinda Sucks!
• Troubling Truck Stop Bathroom Conversation…
• Weird Things Witnessed by a Trucker Lead to Books That Will Blow Your Mind! – by Chris Hanly
• First Week in St. Pete? A Car Accident AND a Tropical Storm! Whoop!
• ANOTHER Accident!

Angela Hoy lives on a mountain in North Georgia. She is the publisher of WritersWeekly.com, the President and CEO of BookLocker.com and AbuzzPress, and the author of 24 books.

Follow Angela: twitter | facebook | linkedin

Angela is the creator of the Original 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
Learn more here: https://24hourshortstorycontest.com/

HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY

Angela Hoy's popular online class is now available in book format!

Remember Your Past
Write It and Publish It
in as little as 12 weeks!

Angela Hoy's book will get you started!

• Using Angela's MEMORY TRIGGERS, recall memories that have been dormant for years
• Record those memories in chronological order in your memory notebook
• Using the memory notebook as your outline, write your autobiography!
• Also works for biographies and memoirs!

Read more here:
https://booklocker.com/books/4764.html

90+ DAYS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK ONLINE: Your Book's Daily Marketing Plan by Angela Hoy and Richard Hoy

Promoting your book online should be considered at least a part-time job. Highly successful authors spend more time promoting a book than they do writing it - a lot more.

We know what you're thinking. You're an author, not a marketer. Not to worry! We have more than a decade of successful online book selling experience under our belts and we're going to teach you how to promote your book effectively online...and almost all of our techniques are FREE!

Online book promotion is not only simple but, if you have a step-by-step, day-to-day marketing plan (this book!), it can also be a very artistic endeavor, which makes it fun for creative folks like you!

Yes, online book promoting can be EASY and FUN! Let us show you how, from Day 1 through Day 90...and beyond!