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12/19/2006 Archived Entry: "Vehicle-less experiment begins"

WHEN MY FAITHFUL OLD TOYOTA TRUCK died last week, I got lots of helpful disgnostics from the chivalrous mechanics of The Claire Files forums. But in the end, I decided to park the truck rather than take on another unrewarding expense in a year that's already had too many of them.

I've been on foot since Friday, and this afternoon a friend is coming over to help me mothball the Toyota per instructions from the TCF crew.

It's not just the money; I've been considering a vehicle-less experiment for quite a while. I live within walking distance of most places I need to go -- library, post office, grocery store, and hardware store. Bus or pedal-power should take care of most of the rest (although the walk to the nearest bus stop is a long one). So we'll see. I expect to enjoy experiencing more of my surroundings than I'd notice from inside the truck. And I may learn something about relying on friends and neighbors for occasional favors, like trips to Costco for dog food or hauling heavy stuff up the hill in exchange for something homemade. I've always found it hard to lean on people and am not looking forward to that part of things. But maybe it's a lesson I need to learn, both the receiving and the repaying.

Worst come to worst, if I succeed in going truckless for four or five months, I'll save enough to put the beastie back on the road. I expect I'll have periodic reports on my experiment.

Posted by Claire @ 11:18 AM CST
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