Sassy's Limo Has Been Sold

I often had Sassy wait for me in the driver's seat, which made her look like my chauffeur to amused observers.

Someone needed a car, and we were at the point where repairs would be a burden. Ranger Bob did all he could in fixing things up.

It was a fun day, because three people came - the lady who would buy it and two relatives who loved cars. They favor Lincoln Town Cars and our 1994 model is the Executive, often used to make stretch limos. We called it the limo, but Bob named it "The Aircraft Carrier."

The men took it out for a drive, which included Interstate 49. They loved the car, especially when they saw the Chilton Repair Manual inside - a gift for them. They knew what to do, which was a relief for me. Rock Auto Parts and do-it-yourself makes an older car a bargain.

Our only major repair in 10 years was the AC unit. Other than that, we had batteries, tires, the usual repairs. An insurance check from a hailstorm (minor little pings on the surface) gave us the money for some life-extending repairs. I wanted two more years out of the car and got four more.

 Sassy was the star of the dog park when we were both younger.

Sassy had the key seat for ordering at McDonalds, since only the back window on that side worked. I had to shout out her window, and she poked her nose close to the speaker. I would order my sandwich, then Chris', then after "anything else?" - a vanilla ice cream cone. Sassy would bark her happy bark, which begins with a piercing, overjoyed yelp.

Next, paying for the food meant a lively conversation with the cashier, often joined by two staffers laughing and saying hello to her. Sassy often let go with a series of barks.

The food window got her the biggest smiles. The cone was handed to me like a gold medal. We began sharing cones in Phoenix, when she was 10 years younger. There she tapped my shoulder if I did not hand over her part soon enough. In the Lincoln, she raked the back of the leather seat to make noise.