bitter sweet change

6 years ago (and just a few days), i arrived in los angeles.  it was just me and my car "lego".  we had driven the more than 950 miles from portland together.  just the two of us.  it took almost 16 hours and we made very few stops.  it was a long arduous journey, but we had each other.  and we made it.

up until arriving in LA, i loved that little gray jetta.  she was nearly new, having only been purchased a few months previous to my move.  but the love faded quickly after arriving in this city of perpetual traffic congestion.

i hadn't foreseen the move to LA when i purchased lego.  and i made the error of opting out of the automatic transmission to save a few pennies.  my first cars were all manuals and i had no problem shifting gears.  in fact, i always thought it was kind of fun. . .and sporty. . .and i liked the control.

but that wore off quickly after a few times stuck in stop and go traffic, trekking across the city. . .12 miles that could take almost 2 hours.  horrible to say the least.  and for the last 6 years, despite our tight bond, i have resented lego.  her neediness had become unbearable. . . constantly needing an extra push of the clutch. . .shifting up, shifting down. . .over and over again.

and so yesterday, it all came to a bitter sweet end.  lego has been replaced. . .upgraded even.  my new ride needs no extra attention.  she does it all and then some.  in fact, so far, she's proven a bit smarter than me.  but i have a feeling we'll get along just fine.

and lest you think i haven't a heart.  don't be mistaken.  i was sad to see my lego go.  she had been good to me.  she was paid off.  she had never had any significant problems.  she was representative of youth and freedom.  we had a lot of great memories and she will be missed.

but please welcome the new audi a4.  she doesn't have a nickname. . .she's much too mature for that.