Turning 100,000

So I watched my Little Green Machine hit 100,000 miles this morning …

It hadn’t dawned on me I was running close to the milestone until I glanced at my dashboard and saw 99,998. But I was less than a mile from my destination, and I wanted to make sure I caught it … Otherwise, I might have forgotten about it when the big moment came …

So I took a detour. And I drove along the lakefront -- one place I certainly didn’t imagine I’d be six years ago when I bought her.

I watched as it hit all nines -- and then 100,000 … Unfortunately, now I’ve just realized I didn’t document the song on the radio at the time of the milestone. Dang.

Me and “Bobby” as I sometimes call her -- because she’s Bearcat green; corny, I know -- sure have had a lot of fun in six and a half years …

I drove her off the lot in December 2001, fresh out of college, with just 17 miles on her. She was my dream car at that time … And I put more than 23,000 miles on her in just our first 10 months together. That was because I was taking her on a two-hour trip to Chicago to visit Kates every other weekend, on top of a few three-hour trips to Pine Lake … Just think, at that pace I should’ve hit 100,000 in about half the time.

We’ve had two or three minor collisions -- all caused by opposing careless drivers. Luckily all of them were so minor, none caused a dent or scratch … In fact the most severe injury was that freak stone that fell from an aqueduct a few summers ago. It shattered my windshield while I ducked for cover, thinking I was being shot at. Scared the crap out of me.

Until last year, she was our “nice car.” Our expanding family changed all that, of course … Now, she's been relegated to mostly just being my work car, which I suppose is probably good for her health.

We’ve been to Kansas City and back a half dozen times. And Chicago at least twice as much. And Milwaukee. And to St. Louis. Through Indiana and to Toledo. And packed like sardines inside her en route to camping trips.

We've driven through awful rain storms. And pushed through 2 feet of snow.

And now I'm driving her through the city every morning with my 1-year-old daughter strapped in the back seat.

We've come a long way, baby. Er, Bobby.