R.I.P. My Pretty Pretty Jeep
My pretty pretty Jeep is no more. I hit a 200 pound deer at fifty-five miles per hour. As my friend Dave would say, "Do the math, motherfucker!" The above pic is my Jeep in happier times, this summer, parked at a local cemetary. I broke my leg last year and after getting the ok to put weight on it, I started walking again, and after I started walking again, I needed a new vehicle to drive. My Jeep was rescued from my Dad's barn, fixed by my brother who got it started, and then fine tuned by me; the hood release needed to be repaired, the doors were frozen and needed to be unstuck, among other maladies. After a few weeks I had to replace the starter. After that it was something else that I can't remember, but I didn't care. This is definitely the best vehicle I have ever owned. It has a sunroof, something I have always wanted. I got lots of sun this summer because it was always open. It has a 10 cd player which means I have Live Springsteen On Demand. I've never had anything more sophisticated than a tape player in anything I've ever drove. The back seat folded down to make room for my bike. It has
electric start for Chrissake! My Jeep was a way out, it was my freedom and allowed me to live my life with a sense of adventure. I actually washed and waxed it. Here it is near my Grandmother's gravesite:
My uncle planted that tree nearby to make his parents' markers easy to find. Here it is post-accident:
I've never been emotionally attached to a vehicle but if my Jeep was a chick, she could really do a number on me. If you have ever been in a vehicle that hit a deer (or anything else I guess) there is a strange crunching sound. I thought a window had shattered. I drive at night all the time, through Mendon Ponds Park and Clover Street in Honeoye Falls, where deer are
everywhere. When I drive home at night I don't get above forty-five. This damn deer was running full-speed (according to the driver behind us) when he jumped in front of me. I braked and swerved slightly but it was no use. I had a sinking feeling since I've owned it that it wasn't going to last long. I'm sick. With any luck I can get it repaired although, moron that I am, I didn't have collision insurance on it. The person that I wish I was could take it apart piece by piece in my Dad's shop, replace parts as I went along, and put it back together good as new. We'll see what the real me does. My Mom suggested already that I should start looking for something new (new to me). To me, that's like suggesting someone should pick up a new kitten on their way to the vet to put the old cat down. My poor Jeep. Please send donations in lieu of flowers.
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