Out with the Old, In with the New

In early 2004, I bought a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire...actually I should say it was purchased for me.  It started with 60,000 miles and got great gas mileage...I got 33 mpg on one roadtrip! (nevermind that I kept the AC off and suffered miserably just to see how good I could get : )

Flashback Summer 2005
Dad: So Tif, I have a question for you.
Tif: Ok...
Dad: I found Chelsie a car.
Tif: Good!
Dad: It's exactly like yours.
Tif:  ....loooooong pause...
Dad: It's a really good deal.
Tif: Well, that isn't the most exciting thing I have ever heard.  *weighing how to respond graciously* I guess if that's the best you can find...

Needless to say, all through college, my dear sister and I drove the same car.  I was less than thrilled at first, but as time went by it became hilarious.  Especially times when we both needed to drive somewhere because I lived in Manhattan and she in Topeka.  My favorite memory of this type of travel was when the tornado hit Greensburg in 2007.  As I recorded back then:

Chelsie and I both drove down to Greensburg individually Friday night, her following me.  As we had nothing else to do, we were talking on the phone to each other, bluetooths in.  We pulled up to the police road block and each of us had an officer come to our window. (Don't forget we drive identical cars.)  The officer asked me where we were headed and what we were doing. As I began to answer his questions, I heard answer by answer coming back to me through the bluetooth.  Chel was copying everything I was saying and telling her officer!!! How in the world I kept from cracking up while trying to finish answering the officers questions I have no idea. I'm sure they got a good chuckle out of our matching cars...and answers..  

Flash forward to Present Day

Since, Chel has purchased a different car but my little Sunfire has lived on.  It has been an awesome car!  It survived hitting a frozen dead deer in 2005.  Getting hit by a deer in 2006.  A kayak, tornado, and hail storm in 2008. Another dear decided to be hit in 2012 by my brother-in-law.  And not exaggerating, probably hundreds of road trips.  It now has 222,000+ miles and still gets 30 mpg on road trips.  Dad had told me after 200,000 you never know what's going to happen so I have been saving for a new car for probably 3 years now.  I keep thinking any day it will die on us.  We met our savings goal back in Dec 2012 and have had a dealer looking for a car in our budget ever since.  He found one and so now...it's time to RETIRE the Sunfire!!

Welcome to the family newest addition!