I love Sam. :)

No, I am not cheating on Philip. I still love him beyond belief. He is amazing and wonderful and spectacular and every other positive descriptive word. :)

Sam is my car. Sam is a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am. I have had her since high school. She was originally red, but now she's more of a dark orangish color.

Many people ask me why I continue to use Sam. They demand to know why I have not "upgraded." You see, some people choose to define Sam as a "clunker" or "Piece of Crap" car.

Not me. I love my car. She is awesome. She is paid for. She has no problems that interfere with her driving. Sure, she may have a few minor imperfections, but do those really matter? I mean, the point of having a car is to get one from point A to point B, right? Well, Sam does that perfectly. I get her regular oil changes and that's about it. She just continues to go. She will hit 200,000 miles very soon. :)

What are those imperfections, you ask? Well, here goes:

• She has some scuffs in the paint from when I was first learning to drive and backed into my uncles truck... not as bad as it sounds. It just scuffed up the paint job in a small spot on the back passenger side fender.
• She has some denting and defects around the front, driver's side fender. This is because she was hit by a school bus... while parked... at a school. A school bus driver hit and ran my poor, Sam (but I got Jack -- my oldest pup -- as a "feel better" present, so I believe it was fate).
• The gas gauge does not work. It never has. I just track the mileage every time I fill up. I know when I need gas.
• The light in the clock/radio does not work so I can't actually see what time it is or what station number is on. Eh, who really cares. I've got my cell phone to tell me what time it is... and, I already have my favorite stations programmed anyway. :)
• My back, passenger side window has come off the track. It won't roll up or down... but it does slide down. It's not a big deal. I never have anyone in the back anyway.

I think that's about it. There are some other minor imperfections regarding cosmetics, but nothing serious. So, what is wrong with my car? Is it really so bad that she has history? She's been through a lot with me. I feel a connection with my car. She is a GREAT car.

I will drive Sam until the day the wheels fall off. So, for those of you who think I should take on another expensive bill when, really, my car is just fine, mind your own business. I hope Sam lasts another 11 years. :)