Karla's Kolumn: Goodbye 'Peggy Sue'

Two weeks ago I said goodbye to an old friend, Peggy Sue. That's what I named my red Toyota Corolla that my husband Alan and I purchased on a Memorial Day weekend in 2004.

She was brand new when we bought her but she didn't have the bells and whistles - no power windows or door locks, no cruise control (yes that proved to be an issue over the years) but she took me down a lot of fun roads.

On July 17 I sold her to a son of a friend and while I was sad to say goodbye to my old friend, I couldn't help smile as I saw the joy on his face as he slid behind the wheel – having to push the seat back much farther than I needed. The joy on his face of owning his first car, well that was priceless.

I've been thinking back on my journeys with cars since then. My first car I purchased was a black Ford Escort. My mother and I went car shopping in Riverton. I had saved enough money and it was nearing the end of my senior year in high school. My parents knew I would need wheels to get to and from Laramie.

I knew my price range. We looked at a number of cars, and I fell in love with the black beauty. She was a standard (but that was OK if you recall my sister had taught me how to drive one). We didn't buy that day because we knew we had to talk it over with dad.

As we talked about it on the drive home I realized while I had enough money for the car, it would leave me flat broke and unable to drive it as I would not have enough money to license it or pay the sales tax.

Needless to say by the time we got home I was feeling somewhat dejected. But, we talked about it and my parents consented to help with the licensing and sales tax if I really wanted that car.

My best friend Carole taught me how to speed shift in it, and it took me to and from Laramie for four years, albeit the last two years it broke down ... a lot ... carburetor that my dad said would need completely replaced.

You had to replace the fuel filter in it a lot as well.

I learned to carry some carburetor cleaner and some Heet in my car at all times, usually two cans of cleaner and two bottles of Heet. It would start acting up, chugging and then die. I'd spray the carburetor, give her a drink of Heet and off we would go. One of the cures may have been enough but I was always scared to try just one – I knew the combination worked.

When I began working at the Lovell Chronicle, after a few months my dad suggested it was time to look for a new car so off to Powell and Cody we went settling on a new-to-me Ford Tempo. (Yes, my dad was a Ford fan.)

I drove it a few years, paid it off and, then, yes, that was when I rolled it, fishtailing in loose gravel, rolling it on its top, with a full tank of gas and a fresh oil change. Ain't that always the way.

My boss was great, loaning me one of the work vehicles for a while until I could settle with the insurance company and have money to get a new vehicle. This time, there was no real looking. I knew I wanted a Pontiac Grand Am.

I found it here in Worland. My dad was crushed and made me at least test drive a Ford Focus. My heart was set on the Grand Am but he was my dad so we test drove the Focus and then I went and bought the Grand Am.

My dog Jake and I loved that car, and then enter the boyfriend, and later husband, who did not love that car. I told him it was perfect when I bought it as it was just Jake and I at the time.

After it was paid off, Alan couldn't wait to trade it in for Peggy Sue.

Peggy Sue was the only car I ever named. I was listening to Buddy Holly in her CD player one day and it just fit her. And yes, I informed the new owner that her name was Peggy Sue.

I probably did not treat Peggy Sue like she deserved. She cleaned up real nice for her new owner but the door where the deer ran into it still will not open and the front grill where I struck one deer was still cracked.

But at nearly 139,000 miles Peggy Sue took me a lot of places around the Big Horn Basin and Wyoming; work trips and fun trips and on some roads that a car like that probably had no business but when you are chasing a photo and those are your wheels you make do. I even lost a hubcap on a trip to Hyattville. It gave Peggy Sue some more character.

She drives nice and her small exterior makes parking a breeze.

My hope is that Peggy Sue's new owner has as much fun with her as I did and may it be one of many memorable cars he owns.