An expensive birthday not exactly on the calendar.

Hey, Bro’, this post is for YOU! So park your lake freighter or whatever vee-hickle you’re driving at the moment, siddown, shaddup, and READ! 😉

100,000. I noticed the odometer reading when it was at about 99,982 or so. We were in the green Honda and had just gotten onto the southbound freeway at Harrison and I planned to watch it turn over to 6 figures. But I forgot and the next time I looked at it, it read 100,011.

The scheduled maintenance light had been blinking for about the last month. Tentative May travel plans had finally firmed up and required both Hondas. It was time. So Wednesday morning, I called up Howard Cooper and asked when I could get it in. “How about 8 am tomorrow?” Okay! That was perfect! I figured I’d drop it off and walk home.

And then I remembered that I was supposed to meet Sandy for breakfast at The Broken Egg at 8:30. The Broken Egg is on the corner of N. Main and Miller. Was this going to work? Could I get there on time? Yeah, I figured I could. Howard Cooper is out on State St., almost all the way to Briarwood. I could drop my vee-hickle off at about 10 to 8. That never takes more than a couple minutes and I’d have approximately 40 minutes to walk into town. Piece of cake.

Except, did you ever hear about the best laid plans? I got to Howard Cooper at about 10 to 8, as planned. As soon as I mentioned The Magic Number, the usual short vee-hickle drop-off conversation catapulted into a long discussion about the timing belt ($740) and platinum plugs ($170) and, oh yes, the regular service ($320, but $255 if I did the timing belt). Total: $1060. With coupons.

I should’ve been expecting something like this but my jaw was just about on the floor. Even though I knew it probably needed all this stuff, I didn’t feel quite prepared to make an executive decision. I called the GG’s office. No answer. I called the old Master of the Universe phone. Straight to voice mail. So, I gave Steve the service guy the keys but put a hold on the whole thing until I could get back to him. By this time, I’d spent 15 minutes there and I realized I was going to have to really book it to get across town in time for breakfast.

I started galumphing along down State St. simultaneously engaging in a frantic volley of phone tag. The GG’s office again. No answer. The Master of the Universe phone again. Why I bothered with that, I don’t know, it was obviously turned off. Finally, I had the inspiration to call the EPA front desk and have the GG paged. No luck but I left a message and that did the trick and he finally returned the call. Yes, go for it. So I left a message on Steve’s voice mail. Do it! He called back to confirm. Yeah, go for it! Whew! That was over!

Or not. When I got home, Steve called again, this time rambling on about ball bearings and engine splash shields and whatnot. More phone tag ensued and when all was said and done we were talking $1438.60 — with coupons — and an overnight for the vee-hickle. Whoosh! I have to admit, I was just *dying* to spend 1400 bucks on something.

Okay. This vee-hickle is (knock on wood big time) the best vee-hickle I have ever owned. It has 100,000 miles on it. It drives just about like it did when it was new. The body is in good shape except for some little parking lot type dings. But whaddaya gonna do? Zee veendshield vipers do not turn on all by zemselfs. It has had exactly *two* problems in its entire life. The alternator went bad at about 3000 miles, obviously a warranty repair. And once, the check engine light came on. I forget what caused that but it was some minor thing like an oxygen sensor or whatever. By contrast, we didn’t quite hit 100,000 with the POC but, by the time we sold it, it had been through at least two sets of brakes, two major air-conditioning repairs and countless other problems, large and small. One time the darn thing was on the verge of falling apart. And zee veendshield vipers turned on all by zemselfs. Definitely spent a lot more than $1400 fixing problems on that vee-hickle over a similar number of miles.

Happy birthday old Honda! May you have another 100,000!

It was my brother who suggested the Honda Accord when I decided I wanted to get a sedan, so thanks old boy.

And, yes, I did get to The Broken Egg for breakfast yesterday morning. I was late but I made it.

7 Responses to “An expensive birthday not exactly on the calendar.”

  1. Webmomster Says:

    Wow!! Congrats on the 100K mileage and *gag* re the $1400 maintenance bill O_o

    I think – for the first time in my life – I will have a car that will reach 100K in my DGSLD….also a HONDA!! Interesting that, while Jim basically chose the Accord Coupe for me (and I dearly loved that car and still – at times – miss it), *I’m* the one who chose the CR-V, because I was finding myself increasingly needing the doors & cargo space…and Jim pushed me into trading the Accord for my beloved DGSLD (so, he obviously did not disagree with my choice 🙂 )

    …just surprised he’s not yet “haunted” me into at least vacuuming it out…but with the nice weather now, I just know I’m gonna get “urged” to give it a good hand-washing.

  2. Webmomster Says:

    …BTW, the DGSLD is just under 34K, so I’m one-third of the way there 😉

  3. kayak woman Says:

    I dunno, I think that the old boy knows that we here on earth can only do what we can do. I’m planning on vacuuming my Hondas this weekend. But if I don’t get it done, the world won’t explode. 🙂 🙂

  4. Sam Says:

    Hey, our venerable and venerated Honda is at about 220,000 (miles not klicks). Sometimes, but only rarely, we have to get out the checkbook, too, but most of the time it keeps going and going and…. Right now it’s full of gas, so we’ll head out of town for a weekend spin (not as far as Siberia), and add a few more miles….

  5. kayak woman Says:

    I think Jay has us all beat. Her Honda went at least 250,000. Maybe she’ll chime in.

  6. Jay Says:

    1980 Honda Civic Sedan,
    280,000 miles and definately the best car I ever had.

    Then it was traded in (got $100) for the 2000 Mazda Protege – which is running well.
    The Prius is a dream right now (gas in Washington is at $3.40+-), and the 50 MPG is a true savior.

    Our latest acquisition is the one making the trip to Michigan – a 1996 or 1998 Corolla (I can’t remember the year). It seems to run OK with 129,000 +- miles on it. Just got the 120,000 mile work done, four new tires and it is getting aligned today. Ready for a road trip (cross all fingers, toes, etc)

  7. kayak woman Says:

    aha! That also answers a couple questions I had. I was wondering how Rey was going to get to town from the cabin without a car. If I had *read* more carefully, I’d have realized that you were driving *something* across the country. Somehow I was thinking you were flying. Which it isn’t all that easy to do if your destination is Sault Ste. Siberia. Interesting coincidence that Aimee is, as of this weekend, also driving out from the Seattle area. But she’s continuing on to Maine and sounds like you’ll miss each other.