It has been a long day. I had at least three days today.

I had already planned to take the day off in order to navigate the bureaucratic morass that is the Texas Department of Transportation. In Texas, if you want to get a Driver’s License, you must own a car. That car must be registered in Texas. Before getting registered, the car must pass an inspection. Each step of this process is cash only and requires a bunch of identification and other paperwork.

I had accumulated all of the proper documents and withdrew a fat wad of cash and then headed out to face these trials. I was defeated almost immediately by the vehicle inspection. I knew that two of my oxygen sensors needed to be replaced and this had never blocked an inspection in Albuquerque. Not so in Texas. The repairs would cost hundreds of dollars.

This, coupled with the fact that the A/C needed repairs (for $2000), prompted my decision to forgo this tedious process and just buy a new car. New cars came with Texas registrations built in, so all I needed to do was get a driver’s license.

I came home, did some research, found out that I could not afford a hybrid or a new vehicle of any kind. I then hunted around on CarMax and found a few prospects. They all looked good on paper and were in my price range. So I went down there to have a look at the vehicles in person. I really like SUVs, so that was what I started looking at.

My car buying methods are fairly mystical and involve sitting in the driver’s seat to see if the car speaks to me. There is a lot of gut instinct as well. When I sat down in my new car, I knew immediately it was the right one. I looked at others after it, but I could tell we weren’t a match.

I had to say goodbye to my trusty Rodeo. It is one of the few material objects I have a bond with. We had been through so many adventures and hardships. But I had to let it go before I pushed it too far.

So I am now the proud owner of a PT Cruiser! It looks like a sleek, burgundy scout ship, at home dodging asteroids and delivering contraband to the rebel forces.

I feel like an era has ended and new one has just begun.