Movie Review Monday

I didn't watch movies or TV all weekend, so again I am without a movie review.

So instead, I'll talk about getting rid of stuff & my car. For over 30 years I've been a Star Wars collector. I have spent thousands & thousands of dollars on Star Wars collectibles. My car, however, is going on 22 years. It has been put to pasture once, rescued by my brother, repaired & now needs a new radiator, hoses, rear shocks, and a transmission check that will include getting a fluid flush, new seal, filter, & possibly a new pan. Hopefully that fixes the weirdness with the transmission & it doesn't need to have a whole new transmission. I love my car. It's a '89 Buick LeSabre. I paid right around 8 grand for it back in 1995. It was a one owner with less that 45,000 miles on it. It has been all the way across the country, from Ohio to the Texas coast. It has only broken down twice, both times due to the main computer board going out. It wouldn't have gone out the second time if the dealer had diagnosed the computer as the problem rather than the battery & alternator the first time around. I had to argue with them the second time & insist that they put in the new computer & not charge me the full price because I paid for a battery & alternator I didn't need replaced. After that I learned to replace most things myself. I've put in a water-pump, a harmonic balancer, two alternators, a coil pack, plug & wires, serpentine belt, fly wheel, fuel pump, reservoir tank, front & back brakes, tie-rods, headlight bulbs, window switches & working on replacing the head liner. Wow. That seems like a bunch. I'm sure there's more. I know I've had at least 3 to 4 sets of tires put on her. I've had at least 3 flats & 1 blow-out. She's been rear-ended sitting at the train tracks waiting for the gates to lift & I slightly tapped someone in front of me when I slide into them when they braked suddenly. No damage. Not to the car anyway. The woman that rear-ended me messed my neck up pretty much for life.

Anyway, I digress. My point is, I don't have a reliable vehicle. I have tons of Star Wars crap, but it sits there, staring back at me blankly. I can't use it to travel. I can't use it to get me from point A to point B. It takes up space in the attic, the shed & the house. I need a new or slightly used car. Since I purchased my Buick, car prices have risen incredibly. I want a new Buick. I love Buick. Unfortunately the cheapest Buick's are around $27,000. Holy crap. Even slightly used ones are out of my price range. How on earth do people afford cars nowadays? I mean $27,000 is over a quarter of what my house cost. That seems insane to me. Not to mention the cost to tag it, the taxes & the title cost. Good grief.

So I'm stuck. I have a nice little Honda Rebel I purchased when the Buick went to pasture that gets me to work & back, and sometimes a little farther, but I want to see the world. At least the United States. I work full time, plus I make a little on the side from time to time with my art & photography, but not nearly enough to pay for a new or slightly used reliable form of transportation for long distance travel. The mortgage takes over half of my monthly pay. The insurance, taxes, & upkeep even more. How on earth do people do it? I have quit buying Star Wars collectibles for over three years now. Most of the stuff I get now is donated by friends & gifts from family. I think it's time to purge. If only there was a way to trade most of it for a new or slightly used car. I'd do it. Right now. Oh sure, I'd keep some of it, but only a little. The stuff that has a place. The tubs in the attic & in the shed would go. I need to see this great country. I want to see Mt. Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and most of New England. I'm tired of only knowing Oklahoma. I want to KNOW the USA.