The Ongoing Saga of Skeeter

Once upon a time, way back when I was a poor college student out in Colorado, a magical thing happened: a friend gifted me her car. To me, that was something that happened in movies and fairy-tales.. and yet, there I was with a car of my very own.

Me in June of 2002

It was a 1987 Mazda 323. Manual transmission, manual windows, no power steering and no radio.. still, it ran and it was mine! It was given on condition that it would retain the name "Skeeter" and, when I no longer needed it, I would gift it to another and pass on the joy. 

When I graduated from college, in 2004, I moved from Colorado back home to Wisconsin. I contemplated taking the car with me. However, doubting that Skeeter would survive the 1,000+ mile trip (including a strenuous pass through the Rockies), I had to consider that the humidity of Wisconsin would eat her frame in no time. No, Wisconsin was no place for Skeeter. 

So, I passed her on to my roommate who would be staying in Boulder for another few years to finish school. Skeeter's life with my roommate was much more posh; she had a dad who lived nearby and was skilled in the art of car mechanics and he spent many an hour updating and tweaking her engine. 

A few years later, after my roommie graduated, she got a nice job and decided she could afford a little more in a car. So, she passed Skeeter on to her sister. 

The other day, I got word that Skeeter was moving on again. Owing to my roomie's dad's loving ministrations, she's still running and, thanks to the dry, Colorado climate, her frame - while showing a little wear and small spots of rust, is still nicely sound. So, when my roommie's sister upgraded her car, she passed Skeeter on to another friend in need. 

They were kind enough to send me a picture update:

Skeeter in 2012

Long live Skeeter!