It was finally time to say goodbye. For years DH has cared for our "loved" one but no to no avail. The 1991 Nissan has finally bit the dust and went to the junk man! I bought this car brand new for about $8K out the door. DH has painstakingly maintained this vehicle - changing the oil, brakes, etc. But now the damage is not worth the cost of repair. Seems the timing chain is off (I am not the best with car lingo) and can barely run. Smog is due in Sept. and she always seems to fails the test. The cost to repair is too excessive. Even to reap the $1000 that the lovely state of CA offers for vehicles that don't pass smog. Too much effort. Car does not qualify for the Cash for Clunkers Program because it already is cash efficient. But all in all, I think I got my money's worth. About 245,000 miles on the original engine and mileage was about 35 miles per gallon (estimate was about 28). DH used it for the last few years as his work car. So, I got $175 and the battery (DH gave the junk man a core so that there was no penalty) and a refund of $162 coming from cancellation of the car insurance. We had debated whether or not it would be a good time to buy a car. The answer could be debated both ways. DH would like a hybrid or something similar at some point but would like to wait until the technology has been around a bit longer. So we decided to wait. DH has shifted his driving to one of our other vehicles (a Dodge) that had been primarily stored in the garage. The Dodge is a 2005 model with 6000 miles total. No payment is good! Plus with a possible retirement coming I do not want any additional monthly expenses. When I retire I will lose my daily commute of 20 miles each way. I plan to ride a bicycle with cargo trailer locally for shopping, etc. to save even more.
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Off the car topic, does anyone have any quick ideas for my 11 year old DD for summertime? She is basically home with DH during the day. I do have a camp scheduled for her at the end of the month. We will have some family camping time in August before she starts middle school. Soccer will start in August. I am trying to restrict her "electronics" time -- TV, Nintendo DS, and Computer time can be brain-draining not enhancing if done too much! She is also reading books from the library but is complaining that she is too bored. Most of the activities that I think of are things that we do together. DH is not the type to take on crafts. So I am looking for things she can start on her own. I did ask her to make a list of things she likes to eat as well as things that she might like to cook. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.