Good Enough

I don't know how long most people own a car before they reach the point when washing it that they say, "good enough," but I've definitely reached that point with Anderson.

When I first got him, he'd get washed twice a week. Sometimes I'd even get up early, just to do it before heading to work. I'd obsess over every nook and cranny. No streaks were allowed anywhere and he'd get a full waxing every couple months. I'd even jack the car up periodically take the wheels off to clean inside the rims.

But now? This past year or so he's lucky if he gets washed every two months. I just want to get the dirt off. Every nook and cranny does not get obsessed over. I still want it to look nice, but let's face it: Anderson is eleven years old and no matter what I do he's showing his age. Because of the way I get in and out of my car, the driver side upholstery is in tatters (happens with every car I've owned). The one headlight that wasn't replaced five years ago has completely oxidized. All the black plastic trim has faded beyond repair, and the black rubber gaskets at the base of the windows are revealing themselves to be black rubber paint on top of metal frames. So that's why today, after wetting the car down, doing a quick wash, rinse and dry followed by an equally-quick once-over of the interior I announced "Good enough!" and packed it in.