Milestone News As Promised

Back in the 70s and 80s, you rarely heard of people driving cars with much more than 100,000 miles. Nowadays, its fairly common. The new watermark of high mileage is now 200,000 or better.

Yesterday, on February 22, 2007 at 3:13PM, my 1997 Pontiac Grand AM just eclipsed the 200,000 mile barrier! And let me tell you, it was every bit exciting as you would think. To be honest, this narrative really won't do the experience justice. So I'll do my best in chronicling the minute of so leading up to the apex of odometer longevity.

The last 20 miles or so as I watched the odometer roll as I thundered down the interstate were filled with anticipation. So much so you could cut it with a knife it was so thick...

...199,983. A quick exercise in mental math revealed that I had 17 miles to go. I continued unabated at 68 miles per hour in a northeasterly direction to work.

...199,992. Traffic density started to increase as a few other interstates converged at my location. If this increase in traffic continues, I thought, I'll have a veery difficult time pulling over to take a picture of the odometer if the "big roll" occurs. 199,995....I trudge on.

...199,997. Only three miles to work and coincidentally, only three miles to the promised land. Will I have to drive a few laps around the parking lot to finish the job or will it have to wait until my trip home?

...199,999.0. I'm at the stop light right around the corner to work. This is going to be close...

...199,999.8. Should I try for the parking lot or should I wait? ehhhhh....crap. I quickly make a sudden change in my trip and veer down another a less traveled street to increase my chances at finding a spot along the side of the street so I could snap a picture of the odometer

...199,999.9. Stop light turned red. Damn. The anticipation is killing me.....there go the digits....slowly. Speed: 27 miles per hour.

...199,999.995. Okay, so odometers don't have two or three decimal digits but if they did, I would have had something to document during that 0.005 miles of road.

...200,000 FINALLY!!! The milestone was reached. I felt the power. It was the greatest natural high one can achieve legally.

As all the numbers finished their tumble, I paused briefly to reflect what me and wife have been through in our travels since the Grand AM's purchase. I put'er into gear and finished my trip to work. The next milestone: 225,000.