So long, Schnitzelwagen.

All good times come to an end. After almost 10 years, I decided to
buy a new car and today, I traded the trusty Schnitzelwagen for a new
Audi A4. I can't believe that I've driven the Jetta for almost 10 years.
I still remember the day I picked it up from the VW dealership in
Bloomington. This was the first car I ever bought new, so I was very
excited. It was September 10th, 2001 and you can imagine, how the
excitement vanished the next day.

Over the years, I always enjoyed driving the Wagon around, especially
after using a rental for a while. There were ups and downs for sure.
I remember watching in horror, when a block of ice come of a truck
just outside Boston and hit the car at 70mph. The result was a split
oil pan. Or, when I pounded the steering wheel, because I needed to
drive from Boston to Detroit and the engine decided it was time to kick
it back at 1100rpm and don't worry about the gas pedal.
But, what is that against a nice spring day, the sun roof open and driving
along the countryside.
In the end, the Schnitzelwagen got a bit long in the tooth and the little
things just started piling up. I am hoping the new Audi will be as good
as the Jetta.

I also need a new nickname. The original Schnitzelwagen was derived
from Schnitzel-Wagon, but since the Audi is no wagon, that won't work.
I have to think about it.

In the mean time, I hope the Schnitzelwagen will find a nice home where
it can enjoy its retirement.

So long, Schnitzelwagen.