Good-bye My Love
I was never very good about keeping it clean or waxed. I didn't change the oil as often as I should. I didn't give it a name or think of it as "she." It was just "my car." "The Mercedes." Sometimes, "the Benz."
2002 S-500. Black, of course. What other color could it be? So big. So agile despite its great size. So damned fast. How many Priuses have I terrorized? How often have I blown the doors off some Subaru? How many times have I schooled some NASCAR wanna-be who thought his pick-up had pick-up?
Good times. Good times.
But it's just too much for Italian roads. So today I traded in the Benz for a Toyota RAV 4. Red. I'll ship the RAV to Italy, cheaper than buying a car with Euros. I'm sure it's a fine, little car. I got the V-6 and hey, it's quick.
I actually teared up today at the dealership. My wife's face was a study in sympathy. Okay, not sympathy. More like contempt mixed with disbelief. There were hurtful, sexist remarks about "boys."
But the truth is I doubt I will ever have another human-car relationship quite as intense as the one I've had since 2001 with my beautiful, black Mercedes. God damn, I love that car.
This entry was posted by Michael Reynolds, on
Saturday, March 29, 2008.
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5:02 AM
Michael Reynolds:
I thought I d never say this but "I feel your pain" as I think the Clintonian formula goes.
No woman, however perfect, can even begin to understand it. Let them cuddle slobbering pugs, naughty children and ... us. They don t have their priorities right.
BTW, if you stay longer what about an Alfa 164 or 159 V6 3.0? No Merc, but good of it s kind and adapted to the place. Or a "yearling" 2007 C-class C 350 T (station) from Stuttgart. Better value for money is hard to get in that class if you can live with last series.
3:06 PM
Hey--I just want to let you know I would've been happy to have taken care of your car! Don't know about the bumper sticker, though.
3:32 PM
No woman, however perfect, can even begin to understand it.
Excuse me?
That's the kind of sexist remark that really burns me.
4:03 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.
4:16 PM
Amba:
Just my experience. My wife and all the significant women in my life (my mother, a cple of girlfriends, my secretary, my daughter) have at some time or other poked fun at my collection mania in re: Montblanc pens, books (books, books, books), laptops (years back, fiendishly expensive for a poor student), guns (very hard to get in my jurisdiction), classic english style pipes (yes for tobacco) and my interest in cars and other inanimate objects. Are they right? Well...I take the 5th on that. Will I change ? Hell, no.
Now my little boy has started out on his own with a terrific 25 inch plastic aeroplane. Ouch. It is difficult enough btw to get him out of the drivers seat of my little silver Merc.
QED. Quod erat whatsit. I just know men are like that. Want to take part ? You are welcome. Like the one (one !) perfectly nice lady among the 110 members of the shooting club I go to. Do you think she gets to blast away in peace ? Well, suit yourself.
BTW I know yr blog. Never seen the cars there though.
So, correction: "No woman, however perfect, except Amba, can even begin to understand it."
How about getting off my back and administerimg some spiritual solace and comfort to poor michael reynolds now ?
11:51 AM
Dude. I'm sorry. That's how I felt letting go of my convertible 3-series BMW.