A Long Day

The Rattle Trap has stopped rattling. Let me explain for those of you who don't understand. When Jeff and I were only married for a couple of months we purchased a 1993 Ford Explorer. It's a manual transmission and makes a TON of noise when it's driven down the road. It literally sounds like something is going to fall off of it at any minute. I know when Jeff's coming home because I can hear him from half a block away - it's kind of a comforting sound now that it's been around for so long. For the last couple of years it's only been driven MAYBE 2,000 miles per year - we've tried to baby it a little bit because we know that it's on borrowed time. He's been taking it to the airport every week and parking it in the parkinglot on Monday morning and then driving it home on Friday night. This is for convenience sake. I don't like waking up at 5:00 to drop him off or trying to stay up until after midnight so that I can go pick him up. I don't like making my kids do it either. They're mean when they don't get enough sleep and so am I. Well, Jeff came home Wednesday night and had to park in the driveway because I had a "project" I was working on that was taking up his space in the garage. When he went to move it into the garage on Monday it wouldn't start. There's power but no sweet purr of the rattle trap's inner self. I have to admit, I was a little sad - and surprised - not to hear it roar to life. Jeff had to leave and go to sunny Florida this morning. He woke up at 4:00. By default, I also woke up at 4am. We drove to the airport and then I came home. I tried to go back to sleep but the thought of missing the school bus kept me awake. Then Ian and I cuddled and watched Sponge Bob. I'd already been up for 3 1/2 hours. *sigh*
I find myself wondering what we'll do with Old Rattle. I'm sure it's not worth much, at least monetarily. (We've developed a bond over the years) Maybe it's just the starter and we won't have to put the poor beast down yet. I just know that I'm not ready for a new car payment...