Fifty Plus (50+) - Getting closer to buying my next bike (sniff).

I said good-bye to a trusty old steed today. I'm pretty sure that was a tear welling up in my eye as I watched her roll away down the road. But, the college lad who bought our '70 MGB-GT was overjoyed, and the car had served us well over the last 20 years. Our three daughters rode many a mile in the back seat (er, a, ledge) of that relic. Much to its credit it never let us down. Now, I've got the cash for some much needed fence repair and.......hopefully I will have enough left to look for a recumbent this fall. I know that once I find one, I won't ever be able to ride it without fond memories of that sexy little red MG....but I'm quite certain there'll be a smile on my face the whole time!!!!!

My worst nightmere is all of my kids standing around my casket and talking about how sensible dad was. Don't you think that we have a responsibility to leave them a more interesting legacy than that?

LOOK FOR A RECUMBENT THIS FALL! Man, you are posting on the 50+ board. We might not have all that much time left and every day that you delay is a day that you can never get back. Go out and buy the damm bike. Your daughters will respect you more for doing it - trust me.

Find something you like and you will enjoy it as much as the MG... not fun to let things go but they are just things. .. .. .. . .. peace

Good input, both. Let me apologize for not being clear. I tend to have a difficult time putting my feelings/emotions into words. Rest assured I will be shopping for a recumbent this fall, and it will be funded(partially at least) from the sale of the car. The emotion I was trying so awkwardly to convey is the sadness one feels (I do anyway) when a major chapter of our lives comes to a close. To me, that car was one reminder or representation of simpler times when our family enjoyed sharing time together as a five person unit. The festivals and shows that we took the car to were some of the events that provided those special times when our young familly was forming the bonds that should hold us together emotionally throughout the rest of our lives. Our family is currently embarking on the next exciting step. One daughter is heading to California at the end of May for six months, one is going accross the state in the fall to college, and her twin sister is heading to Milwaukee in the fall to college. Now we get to watch the girls go through some of their final steps of preparation for their own individual journeys through life, and though these are exciting times we can't help but fondly remember the "Good old days". We knew then, as we do now, that time continuously marches onward. We enjoyed our young family days and appreciated what we had then, as we do now. I know we all go through them, but these normal progressions through life can be bittersweet. Thank goodness for bikes. What a great escape and stress relief hobby.

Whew, I guess I did leave a lot of pertinent information out of my original post. Again, many thanks, the advise and insights were right on the mark.

I know of what you speak.

I have five daughters and four have now graduated college. One is still in high school. I recently drove to North Carolina, which took me through southern West Virginia and western Virginia. We used to live in WV and would go visit my parents in Florida by driving through that same area.

As I drove it again, I was flooded with memories of all of those earlier trips. This was the first time I'd been back through there since '93. The songs they used to sing as we drove through the mountain tunnels rang in my ears. The places we used to stop at called out to me as we drove past.

While it was a beautiful spring drive, through the flowering redbuds and dogwoods, and we had a great trip to visit one of my daughters in NC, now 24 yr old, I must admit that it was a difficult drive and I am still reflecting upon it.

Blame my Scots DNA, but I am definitely a saver, rather than a spender. However, I have never regretted splurging on the CyclArt paint job for the 1959 Capo, just as I seldom regret spending money on opera, concert, ballet, or theatre tickets. Economize elsewhere so that you can afford to pursue your passions.