I Still Love My Car

but I just noticed it smells funny...

This past May, on an absolutely beautiful sunny day, I decided to go out on my lunch hour. Normally, I work through lunch, because I’m a sucker, that’s why. Driving along in my LeSabre, window down, it was just perfect to get a dose of fresh air and sunshine. Beats the heck outta my cramped and crowded cubicle. So, as I was at a dead stop in the street, about 5th in a line of vehicles waiting for the 1st car to make a left-hand turn, a Big GMC pickup with big ol’ dualies in the back and a Gigantic front grill failed to notice all of us there waiting until the very last minute, when it was, of course, Too Late.

I watched him driving up behind me, and he was definitely enjoying the beautiful Spring day, looking all around. To his left, mostly. I screamed at him to LOOK UP, but alas, he didn’t hear me.

Since I always make a habit of stopping well behind the vehicle in front of me (I stop so that I can clearly see all of their tires on the pavement and then a little some), the damage to the front of my lovely LeSabre was minimal. Its ass-end, however, took a beating.

The pickup truck driver was very nice and apologetic. Just a moment of inattention. Hey, we’ve all been there. I was nice back. The older gal driving the Lincoln in front of me was quite nice, as well. Turns out, she and the pickup truck driver’s mother were acquaintances (everyone knows everyone in my town, or knows someone close to everyone, it’s like only 2 degrees of separation, max). So the 3 of us chatted until the cops showed up. And, yep, the cops were real nice, too. Of course, it helped that no one was seriously injured. (I’m sure my reaction would have been much different should my kids have been in my car.)

Anyway, over $6,000 damage to the ol’ LeSabre. Took 3 weeks to get it fixed, and insurance covered all of the cost. The car looked great when we got it back. Though, of course, it’s just not the same. There are a few little squeaks and whistles where none previously existed. Since May, we’ve not only learned to live with them, we’ve forgotten about them.

But... this past Wednesday, I suddenly realized that my car stinks and that it has been stinking for about 4 months. It has a faintly musty odor. In the past 4 months, on occasion, I’ve searched my car for left-over odor causing items. Initially, I did find a food item under the passenger seat, and I thought it was the source. Though, now I think about it, the food was dry as a board. Dried up food doesn’t generally smell, it’s the juicy, molding stuff that stinks. Another time, my son left clothes in there from football, all sweaty and stinky. So, anyway, I just realized, hey, my car STINKS and it’s been stinking steadily for several weeks. Then I took a box out of my trunk. This cardboard box was sitting on top of a blanket that was thrown into my trunk in a careless manner, not folded up all nice and neat. The blanket and the bottom of the box were both damp. My whole trunk is damp. And smelly. I don’t know how I didn’t notice this before. I must always be in a helluva hurry when using my trunk. I truly wish I had noticed this earlier. Actually, I wish I would have tested the trunk out for leaks when I picked it up. Doncha just love hindsight.

So now I have an appointment to take my car back to the body shop. But I don’t have much hope for a complete recovery. I’ll probably have to drive a stinking car around now for years. Albeit a very comfortable stinky car.