Goodbye Allison!

Wikipedia:

The Pontiac Aztek is a mid-size crossover marketed by General Motors from model years 2001 to 2005. A 4-door crossover with a front engine and four-wheel drive, four-speed automatic transmission with a V-6 engine.

A commercial failure that is commonly cited as one of the worst automobiles ever produced.

It’s June 4th, 2001. We just moved back from Dallas 2 weeks prior. And this was our “welcome home”, Tropical Storm Allison.

 

4 feet of water in our new home. We were homeless for about 3 months, friends from church took us in and put us up in their garage apartment. 2 of our cars were flooded out. We had insurance money and that’s when we met Allison!

The much derided, made fun of, mercilessly mocked car in the history of cars. The Pontiac Aztek. (BTW, was the grand prize on Survivor that year, never saw an episode.) We loved it! It looked like a lady bug! It rode smooth, not like a truck cause it was built on a Grand Am chassis. The space between the 2 front seats was a 6 pack cooler! It had a tent!

We never, ever used the tent! We are not campers.

But I am writing today because sometimes a car is MORE than a car.  Sometimes a car becomes an intimate part of your family.

Allison brought Faith home from the hospital.

Allison took us to Michigan to live, and back again.

Allison took us to all our family vacations, too numerous to count.

I am pretty sure, I heard both my kids sing for the first time while Allison took us down the road. I remember specifically Liam singing Love Stinks by J. Geils Band and Faith singing Honky Tonk Badonkadonk by Trace Adkins.

For years, Allison took our family to church every Sunday morning.

Allison took Kelly & I to our church to renew our vows, Verona’s and the Arena theater for our 10th anniversary celebration!

Allison took us places we needed to go for over 173,000 miles.

Allison was there when we learned how to drive in the snow.

Allison is where the kids would get very excited because “Mr. Darren’s station” was playing all Christmas music. (WNIC Detroit)

Allison took us to the movies, kids sporting events, concerts, and even to The Wiggles.

Allison moved furniture, hauled groceries, carried bags of mulch and took the dogs to the vet!

Allison is where I listened to my radio stations (KIKK, KILT, The Drive, The Fox). And when I went into the record business, I heard music from Lady Antebellum, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Eric Church, Little Big Town, Eric Paslay, Darius Rucker and many more for the first time through Allison’s speakers.

Allison took me to the airport and safely back home for the last 9 years.

Allison and I taught Liam how to drive.

There are not many things in this world that last for 17 years.

There are not many things in life that you totally trust with your children.

For 17 years, Allison has been there.

Today she will drive away with a new owner, someone who needs what Allison has left to offer. And so you know, in the listing to sell the car, I called her “Allison”. When the gentleman came to see the car, he called her Allison. I may have took a little less money, to get the “right person” for Allison. (And yes, my eyes watering, those are allergies.)

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