Ok.... silly emotional Tina Time! So... I put the cello in my Saturn and started my drive home from orchestra rehearsal... and it hit me... I may not be driving my Saturn for much longer. And I began to cry. Oh my. I may not even get a new car yet, but it hit me that it will mean saying good bye to an old friend. Here are some Saturn stories for you... Memories to enjoy.

The first time I saw a Saturn SL I fell in love. It was in the show room at the end of the GM ride at Epcot in Disney World in Florida. I had no idea it was not that expensive... to me it was the coolest car in the place. I was hooked. I had no idea that in less than a year I would have one of my very own.

Don and Dad came and took me to Saturn of Greenville. They had already test driven and talked to the people... it was just my job to choose. I really liked the blue-green one, but it had to have the tan interior. There were 2 on the lot, I drove one out of the showroom as they cheered and took my picture that night. I was not even 16 yet.

High School: Remember parking in the same spot on the front row. As I would walk out of school towards the lot, I would look at my car. It was so cool. It was a thing of comfort and pride for me. And let's not forget high school graduation where my car beat up my dad's huge Oldsmobile. The Saturn definitely won that fight.

College: So many memories. When I had my right foot in a cast. I let Ruth drive my car. I thought I would get in so much trouble b/c my parents had told me no one was allowed to drive my car but me. Ruth did great :) I also drove myself to class with the cast on. Talk about lead foot! That is when I would drive 2 footed. I would take the freshman girls to the airport. They called the Saturn "The Green Camel". Have no idea where that came from, but kinda glad it didn't stick.

Wisconsin: The biggest beating to the car. It had a tough year in Wisconsin. The Saturn made made the trip up there and back (who knew it would later go across the country). The trips Chicago traffic were painful (though I'll take it over LA anyday). The Saturn was covered in snow many mornings. I was impatient sometimes... and would try to run the windshield wipers too early. The passenger side front windshield wiper was iced down for 3 months. The engine burned out. I was amazed when it started working again. But the back windows were not so lucky... they still won't budge. That winter was tough... but the Saturn made it through.

Florida: The Saturn went from snow to sun in Florida. All the humidity and salt in the air. The more frequent trips to SC.

The Ultimate test: California. I drove the Saturn from Spartanburg, SC to Burbank, CA myself. All of it. In California the Saturn met traffic like it had never seen before. 60 miles commutes and lots of wear and tear on the brakes and tires. The Odometer stopped working. The Saturn is getting tired, I can tell. It has gone a long way from that 11th mile when I drove it off the lot in Greenville. It has some scratches, cello end-pin holes, stains, wear and tear to prove it. I can feel when it needs new oil, the fuel system needs cleaning, and when I need to turn off the AC to get a little more power. It has been a major part of my life for 13 years. It is sad to say goodbye to such a good friend.

I know there are tons of deep lessons to be learned... but for now... I will just clean out the Saturn and see what comes to pass in the next few days. If you read this far... thanks. I know many have you have ridden in the Saturn... and know how much I will miss it. Never let anyone say any bad about Saturns!! They are great cars!