THE LAST FIVE ...

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101 in 1001
American Road Trip, 1998


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Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 1:36 p.m.

Take care of your car and it will take care of you

You know how you go on those little spending binges, where you might not buy anything particularly expensive, but all those $10 and $30 things add up? And all of a sudden, with that hotel from the wedding you went to popping up, and Mom's birthday present, your credit card bill is several hundred dollars, when for the past year, practically, you've been able to pay it off every month? And so you decide to put a halt to your spending: fewer lunches out during the week, less elaborate and more economical weekend plans, no special extra things for yourself (DVDs, games, CDs, etc.).

But then when you've got your spending under control, when you can feel yourself unwilling to simply fork over the money for another book you won't read for a few weeks (or, if you do read it now, will prevent you from reading another unopened book for a few weeks) � WHAM! � you're faced with that inevitable, unavoidable sign of adulthood: The Necessary Responsible Purchase.

This time, it was the New Tires For The Car. I've had the Grand Am for three years now and I've put 67,000 miles on three of its original tires. The fourth was replaced in March when I discovered it nearly flat one morning. Of course, all the technicians and literature and everything tell you that it's better to replace all four when you buy new ones, and because of the sale at Sears, I did. I needed the alignment and balancing too. It was all good, though, and good for me. I'd been noticing my "low traction" light coming on more frequently over small bumps and when I used the tried-and-true penny test, ol' Abe Lincoln nearly had full head clearance through my treads. The ultimate relief came when I got in the car afterwards and immediately felt the difference, not just in the smoother ride and sharper cornering (not to mention grip), but in the enhanced braking. Not to mention that I should get slightly better gas mileage now too.

Unfortunately, now, the car looks hideous: On top of all the rain (and driving in the rain) from the past few days, my wheels are now grimy and dirty and my tires are dull with the marks of new tires here and there.

It's time for a wash.

After payday.

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