Funny Farmer Funmobile Flunks

Last Thankful Thursday we posted on the illness - possibly unto death - of our decrepit Funny Farmer Funmobile.

Yesterday we received the sad news it's on life support and we're going to have to pull the plug.  It has a blown head gasket and even if we could find enough change hiding under the bed to help pay for very expensive repairs, the cost would be more than the car is worth.

It's had a long hard life, first as a company car (the old company name was still visible on the driver's door), and then with a new engine it transported one of Jan's brothers to Atlanta 3 times a week for dialysis.  He gave it to Jan when he entered the hospital for the last time.  So even though it's hasn't been a fun car to deal with, it has survived 14 years of being driven up and down a 5 1/2" curb.  Mainly, it has great sentimental value.

We're going to miss it.  Jan, especially.  She could transport us, 30 lb bags of litter, 30-odd pound bags of dog food, and she could unload them at just the right height to not cause a flare-up of  back and neck pain. Yep, we dogs are going to miss it.  The cats, not so much, since they didn't like trips to the vet.

Jan's says she needs one of those old-fashioned little red wagons so she can hitch up us woofies to it and let us run the errands.  Ha ha, Jan, get real!  Do we look like a little red wagon pulling Husky team? 

In case you've never seen such a sight, here's Halo the husky pulling her modified little red wagon.


If the video doesn't play, click here.

Today we have decided to be thankful for the years the temperamental old guy served our needs. Farewell, Funny Farmer Funmobile.  We will think of you every time Jan hitches us up, pops the "reins" and hollers, "Move it!"

Funny Farmer Funmobile

Hi, Merci here, with today's Thankful Thursday post. You kitties might think this a bit strange but me, Buddy and Sam are thankful for our Funny Farmer Funmobile, even if Jan forgets to take us with her any more.  Other dogs will understand how much we love it.

This photo was taken before Sam came to live with us, the day Buddy tried to practice for his driving test so he could get a license.  I'm the little redhead.  Do I look nervous?  Well, I was!  You can tell how excited Buddy was by the look in his eyes?


This is what our Funny Farmer Funmobile looked like nine years ago. It's nowhere near that good-looking now since it's a 1987 model. Guess in car age, it might be older than Jan. (She's elebenty-hundred-six and creaky.) Well, it used to be when Miss Mother was alive and we dogs used to ride in style every day to visit her.  Sometimes a kitty would get to visit too.  We usually only get to go to the vet in it now, but Buddy, Sam and I have been trying to convince Jan she needs to start taking us out again on occasion so we can have some fun.

But when Jan started the engine yesterday, smoke poured out the exhaust.. The consensus of opinion is it blew a head gasket, which would cost hundreds of dollars more to fix than Jan has.  She says the entire car probably isn't worth that much.  A mechanic said he will come out next week to see if the problem really is a head gasket or something less expensive to fix.  All of us are hoping for the something less expensive. Much less expensive, please!  :)

 

So what is there to be thankful for after Jan tried to blow up our Funmobile?  Well, first of all that she didn't actually succeed.  :)  But mainly that if this had to happen, it happened in our front yard where Jan didn't have to have the car towed (yet), and she didn't have to hike home, with or without the groceries she was supposed to pick up for us.. 

Yeah, guess there's a silver lining even in an unexpected white cloud.  Just like there was one the day Buddy practiced driving without moving the car.  If he'd had the car key, he would have practiced for real.  And, you might not know this, but that dog is DANGEROUS!  Don't believe me?  Read The Driving Lesson for yourself.