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You've got your (car) troubles, I've got mine

Sometimes, it's the little things that sway the vote towards change.

As I've blogged about before, I truly value my time listening to CDs in my car. Most of my time driving since I started driving has been accompanied by music. Since I've had a CD player in my car, I've never wanted to go back to listening to cassette tapes or fidgeting with the radio. To my ears, the sonic clarity of CDs still trumps the rather padded sound of an iPod going through a car's radio. So when my CD player decided to stop playing CDs this past weekend, I decided it's time to consider getting a newer car.

Now, the CD player is not the only reason why I've considered getting a new car. Rather, this recent turn of events has been the final, final straw.

The car has been good to me since I got it in October '03. I've had many good drives in it, including the first major drive where I drove between North Dallas and Fort Worth to get my drums from the house where the band I was recently fired from practiced. There were many great trips, but I think it's time to look for a gently used, newer model that has only a few miles on it. (And no outstanding parking tickets from the University of Texas police.)

In the past four years, I've had the catalytic converter replaced twice, and a major engine overhaul that cost a pricey $1,500 to fix. So, taking that into consideration, along with the CD player situation, I think it's time to find a new set of wheels.

Of course, this will mark a turning point in my life: a commitment to pay something off over a few years. As much as I might speak of the fear of being committed to somebody through thick and thin (when I doubt that person will stick with me through thick and thin), I've been able to handle some commitment, like apartment leases and cell phone contracts. I just am all too aware of the "adult" nature of paying something off. There are plenty of reasons why adult responsibilities scare me, even at the apparently adult age of thirty, but maybe it's time to build up a credit history. Just don't ask me about buying a house.

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