Out with the old and in with the new

We purchased this 1988 Dodge Ramcharger in 1988 from Anchorage Chrysler Dodge when I was married to my kids mom. A few years later we divorced and my pick up got totaled so I acquired it back from her. I drove it regularly until this summer.

I named her Flo because she went along with the flow of things. It never left me stranded until recent years. All I had to do was normal maintenance and it was done by me. The last few years it would be done by my oldest son or the shop where he now works because I wouldn't have the time to do it.

Flo was a gentle beast. She would drive through any snow storm, any mud or any hill. She could carry a lot of stuff. In the picture at left I had 7 coolers of frozen salmon in it and she drove like she was loaded with Styrofoam. She wasn't much to look at with her faded paint and white spoked wheels, but she was dependable.

The price of gas went up to $3.00 a gallon and it was costing me about $75 a week to drive her. It was time for a change. I had hesitated even though the type of job I do, what I drive reflects on my image. Well if old and dependable is what they saw, they were right. But the gas bill was gnawing at me. It had outlasted wives, girlfriends, lovers, jobs, volcanic eruptions and a lot of others things, but the price of gas was turning me away from her. I had wrecked 2 other cars with it and the most it received was a scratch on the bumper. It was time to shop for a new Flo, $3.00 a gallon was way too much.



One of my accounts is South Anchorage Dodge which is owned by Lithia Motors. We went shopping and they treated us like a customer should be treated. He showed us the 2007 version of Flo, a new Durango. She has room to seat 7 people comfortably and it can carry 9 coolers of frozen salmon. She gets about 7 miles per gallon better than Flo. She has air conditioning and cruise control. A lifetime drive train warranty, WOW! We took her home. If we didn't like her we could take her back within 3 days. She's still here 3 months later and I think she's a keeper.

I named her Lucille. I'm a fan of B.B. King. If Lucille is a good enough name for his guitar, then it's good for my new Flo. She fits into my work image, old dependable guy in nice new truck, er excuse me SUV. That term didn't exist when Flo was new but neither did fuel injection in a Ramcharger.

She's the first vehicle I ever bought that doesn't have a cigarette lighter. That's OK! I quit smoking over 7 years ago. She rides nice and handles well. She's my Lucille.

I kept Flo. She sat for a couple months at the house. She's now with my youngest daughter Cassie. Her first vehicle. Flo is big enough to take on anything and I know Cassie will be OK. Flo will take care of my baby girl.