Personal

There are 12 days left in the year, assuming that I retire Big Red on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. I was listening to Tim McGraw’s song, Live Like You Were Dying as I drove to work today.

He said, “I was in my early 40s with a lot of life before me
When a moment came that stopped me on a dime
I spent most of the next days looking at the X-rays
Talkin’ ’bout the options and talkin’ ’bout sweet times”

I asked him when it sank in
That this might really be the real end
How’s it hit ya when you get that kind of news?
Man, whatcha do?
And he said

“I went skydiving, I went Rocky Mountain climbing
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu
And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter
And I gave forgiveness I’d been denyin'”
And he said, “Some day I hope you get the chance
To live like you were dyin'”

It seems almost unimaginable at one level that I plan to retire Red as the year comes to a close and won’t have a vehicle until April. At one level, I question my decision – I could get the frame fixed on my truck – Goval Welding in Colonie works on these Silverados, maybe a couple hundred of the year welding in replacement mid-frame sections and other parts. The thing is I know it will need at least new mid-frame sections on both sides, which are about $270 each, plus I am pretty sure the the rear shock mount is getting rotted, and once they pull the bed they’ll figure that needs replacing, and I’ve known for years that the trailer hitch is rotted out. Plus there is rot is Center Front Section that my mechanic identified as being needed to repaired.

Two different mechanics I’ve talked to says Goval Welding does excellent work, but to get the frame up to decent conditions we are talking multiple thousands of dollars, between parts and labor which involves pulling the bed, shocks, gas tank (boom?), among other things. The thing is Red is now old, and like everything it has a lifespan. Sometimes it’s best to know when to quit when you’re ahead. Maybe if I was facing a car payment I might have a different thought about it, but I’ve had money specifically earmarked for replacing Red for a few years now, and last year formally too action to close out CD that had previously locked it up.

It’s weird when you know what was the future ends in 12 days.

I thought a lot about this day 14 1/4 years ago. Did I know it would have hard date, December 31, 2025 back in September 2011? No. But it”s been a good ride.

Really very few repairs in grand scheme of things, you can’t count getting rear-ended on expressway or that time the idiot neighbor bumped my then brand new truck with his bro truck. A bad wheel bearing with 35s on a half ton, is to be guaranteed, and I think I might of replaced a shock bushing or two, and maybe a control arm and ball joint years ago now. I don’t even remember at this point it was so long ago.
And I continue to look the options, researching frame repairs, repair kits and procedure, and while I think Goval would do excellent work, I’m not convinced it’s the right option at this point.

And I’m like Googling “can I fit 35s on a stock F-250”? Because I’m extremely mentally ill, and I’ve not made up my mind or bigoted but I do like those big trucks, though my mind says I should be responsible get a Taco truck. But April is a long ways off, and first I’m going to learn how to explore the city on a mountain bike and city bus.

I should get a mourning bunting to put on my truck.

…. How fast the years come and go.