• my mom and dad just bought a new used-car. it's the family run-around car, but i get to drive it to school. so here's a letter of commemoration to my old pickup, my trusty old friend, The Rocket.

my dearest Rocket,

we have shared many experiences together over the past few months. for example, being pulled over by a state cop and getting a very expensive ticket, crashing into my cousin, sliding on the slick roads, and trying to keep your driver-side door from falling off.

let me be honest, Rocket, when i first saw you, i was very disappointed in how you looked and sounded. you had paint peeling off your hood, you were dirty, your door was basically off, and you sounded like a dying dinosaur. but after spending 4 months with you, i really came to appreciate how hard you worked just to get me to school and back. but i don't think i ever fully appreciated you until the day you died. you were stranded at the smelly old station, just waiting for my dad to fix you up. i truly did miss you, dear friend.

now you are retired, you are almost 20 years old you know, so don't feel bad. i really miss your automatic shifting. this new used-car is stick-shift, and i am having troubles adjusting to it. but thank-you for your patience with me, and remember me always.

your admiring friend,
presli