Ode to a Lost Friend

3/12/06 Car Crisis is Over - Some of you already know, but aparently my lament below was short lived cause the car was found this past Tues.... Guess whoever took it finally figured out it wasn't worth anything for them ; ) Actually it was found a block or so the tow lot where it was towed after it was found, and it cost $268 for the tow and 1 night storage (would have cost ~$700 if it was in storage for like 3-4 days). Can we say scam / maybe the tow company did it (which everyone in the Bay Area knows the tow companies tend to operate on the shady side)... All the same crisis averted and a HUGE THANKS to Lorraine and Carlix and my dad for everything you guys did to help me manage this from Peru!

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I'm sure some will find this strange and maybe materialistic, but there are some out there (esp. from my past) who will understand...

Today my car was stolen.

I wanted to dedicate a page to my lost "friend". My car has been in my life for almost half of it. I have never owned another vehicle, and will never own another of its like again. What made this car special was not the metal and other materials that made it up (although I did think it was a pretty nice looking car) but all the memories that it carried.

It carried the memories of my high-school friends hanging out the moon roof and the other windows as we raced down the road in the middle of the night because we had nothing better to do. It carried the memories of my college buddies taking a quick break to drive to the courts across campus for a pickup game. It carried the memories of my stint in the film industry schlepping scripts, reels, coffee and many other and sometimes strange items around LA. It carried the memories of being the designated driver for nights out in DC with grad school friends. And most recently it carried the memories of driving around SF, especially down the PCH on my favorite drive by the ocean or over the Golden Gate bridge.

It got me and my stuff from TX to LA, from west to east and back again and up and down the west coast. It showed me the stars in the Arizona desert, got me a ticket in Vegas, helped me tool around the DC Mall, and let me see the Grand Canyon.

I've been through so much in that car and really didn't know when if ever I would give it up. When I got in an accident in it 5 years back, I almost thought I lost it because the insurance company for the person who caused the accident didn't want to fix my car. Fortunately, my insurance company fought for me, and I got the car back. Of course, the scariest experience was when I last used it for work about 2 years ago to drive almost 2 hours a day round trip and it broke down twice. The second time it broke down it had no electricity which is not a good thing for a black car on the freeway at night. Luckily, I was able to get it on the shoulder before it completely died and the tow truck was able to get to me before anything serious happened. It wasn't up to hardcore driving after that, but it still got me where I really needed to go.

So maybe now this is fate's way of telling me to let go. Hell, its not like I didn't put that car through a lot and parked in some bad areas throughout the 15 years I had it. Its actually kinda funny that it was stolen in a nicer area of the Bay Area (where it was stored) than where it usually resides. And its kinda frustrating that I won't feel the full effects of this loss till I get back from the project I'm currenlty on till the end of May.

The world hasn't ended, and I know I am very fortunate in many respects (especially as of late with work and travel) and sure, it was just a car. Still it became a friend because it helped me be a bit of an explorer and always reminded of the good times with all the friends who have ridden shotgun with me. And right now, I am a girl who had her car stolen (a car that was worth more to me than anyone else could value a 15 year old car), and I can't help but feel some precious memories are gone and my wings have been clipped a bit.

So here is my ode / my goodbye for my "friend". As Bob Hope said, "Thanks for the memories." and more importantly thanks to all of you who were part of making those memories.

3/5/06 - I wanted to do a quick note for those wondering, I'm leaving for Peru tonight and will be gone till Mon morning 3/13/06. In lieu of what happened yesterday, I am postponing posting Guatemala for a few weeks or so but will try to post something on Peru when I get back. And I wanted to also give a huge shout out to my friends Lorraine (esp.) and Carlix and my parents for helping me take care of all the things going on with my car from so far away. Thanks and I love you guys!