Somewhere along the way, I picked up a Very Good Idea: Always keep a bottle of sparkling wine chilling in the fridge. Do this at all times. No exceptions.
After all, one never knows when a celebration will break out, and one must be prepared. Often, good news arrives in an instant, leaving no time for chilling.
A couple months ago, I made a trek out to Wallace Winery, a small winery with surprisingly good wine – some of which I mentioned drinking at a long-ago birthday dinner – just west of Iowa City. They grow some grapes, but buy most of what they press from vineyards around the Midwest, and produce, hands down, the best Iowa wine I’ve tasted. They had added a Blanc de Blancs sparkling number to their starting line-up, and I wanted to check it out.
The bottle they had open in the tasting room was a day old and a dollar flat, but even without the bubbles, it had decent flavor. I took a properly corked bottle home with me that day and stashed it in the refrigerator for the appropriate occasion-to-be-named-later.
Then, last weekend, my car exploded. I’m driving a 1994 Toyota Camry with almost 215,000 miles on it, a hand-me-down from my parents. Although my mother has maintained since I moved to Iowa that I desperately need a new car, I keep trying to run this vehicle into the ground, no matter how long it takes.
Here’s my deep, dark secret: I am an only child, and every one of my cars has been a hand-me-down. I harbor a delicious fantasy of getting to 40 before having to actually purchase (new or used) my very own vehicle.
“I kind of admire your ability to stay off the grid in these matters,” my father said when I announced this to him last year.
But on that fateful Saturday, I started the car up and heard a loud noise, followed by a horrible grinding noise. I turned off the engine and sat there for a few minutes, contemplating the vision stretching before me. Car ads. Car web sites. Car. Dealerships.
I mourned as the tow truck hauled my car away. I ate a Reuben to make myself feel better. When that didn’t work, I went out for tapas. I developed theories of what was wrong with my car that included the phrases, “threw a rod,” “cracked the engine block” and “stripped the transmission.” I solicited a co-worker who recently bought a new car to go with me when I had to actually negotiate a deal.
Then I got the call last Monday night from my car repair place: A spark plug exploded. All the rest were about to go, and the spark plug wires also needed to be replaced. The total damage? Just less than $200, which is not chump change, but ain’t no downpayment on a new or used car.
I popped that bottle of Wallace Winery Blanc de Blancs that night. I had skated through. I had permission to continue running the car into the ground. It was cause for celebration.
on Mar 11th, 2008 at 7:12 am
We, too, are driving a 1994 (Mazda) car with many miles on it. I cringe at having to find the money for a different car, even though this one is on its last legs with some frame rust, etc. I hope our next repairs are as minor! Can’t think of a better way to celebrate!
on Mar 11th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Let’s hear it for not wasting a large portion of one’s salary on car payments!
I drove my parents hand-me-down 1990 Ford Escort for 3 yrs after college until it started breaking down all the time, then I bought a 2000 Ford Focus, paid it off in 2 years, and have been driving it ever since. It shows no signs of wearing out, and I’m sure will last at least another handful of years.
on Mar 11th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Hm, I had not heard of this winery. I’m going to have to check them out. I normally pick up some wines in the Amana area when we head out there for the annual beer festival. I love Amana. It’s so charming. :D
on Mar 11th, 2008 at 9:10 am
I LOVE this story, it give me hope that I’ll reach (is exceeding too much to ask?) my goal of 300,000 miles on my car.
Most definitely an occasion to celebrate!
on Mar 11th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Close call, Genie! Bear in mind that you can always buy a used car when worse inevitably leads to worst. I’ve had four used VWs over my adult life–two Rabbits, two Golfs, all bright red (of course). In fact, when I made the doleful call to the local used-VW place for the most recent less-used Golf a few years ago, the owner announced in his trademark accent that they already had the perfect one in house: “It is red. It must be red, jah?!” Jah. I mean, yes. My own fantasy is to one day win the lottery and plunk down the money for a brand-new, bright red Rabbit (I understand VW has revived it), but ’til then, used is absolutely fine. Especially with some celebratory wine!
on Mar 11th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I have never had a new car and the current incumbant (nine year old Ford Galaxy)led us a pretty dance over half term (a 300 mile tow from Inverness to Durham was not how we had planned to end our break). But whilst I occasionally yearn for a car that has all the right bits in the right places and maybe even a cd player (okay well maybe that’s a bit ott)I couldn’t ever bring myself to pay for a new one … and then watch it halve in value overnight!
Perhaps you should open a bottle every week to celebrate the fact it is still on the road LOL.
on Mar 11th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Now that called for a good celebration. It’s not often we get good car news … I managed to go to the ripe age of 41 before co-purchasing a new car. And last year, I got another one …
Ben’s comment reminded me of a time when my ex-husband and I were driving between Ottawa and Montreal in a very old VW Rabbit. The motor literally blew up – there was a huge bang and the car started spewing out smoke. That was the end of the car … back to bicycles and walking for several years.
on Mar 14th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Nancy, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you end up with only minor repairs in the future.
Radium, cars that run forever are the best.
Jen, I like Amana but am not a big fan of their wines. I definitely recommend Wallace!
Ali, you have that goal, too? I’m glad I’m not the only one!
Ourfriendben, that cracks me up…I love that your dealer knew the color!
Gillie, a CD player is definitely a great thing to have, particularly one that you can run an MP3 player through. As for a bottle of champagne per week, I think that sounds like quite good medicine…
Kate, oh dear — a true explosion! I’m glad mine wasn’t that dramatic.
on Mar 18th, 2008 at 10:31 am
You have me thinking back to when our 1978 Olds decided to die on one of our state highways. Im laughing remembering the look on my husband’s face when he finally arrived home carrying all the detritus from the trunk. We went right out and bought another ’78 Olds which lasted quite a while!
So, what are your parents driving now? Tell them to be kind to it!
on Mar 20th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Jeanne, they have moved on from Camrys to Outbacks — they like to have matching cars, it appears!