I was thinking on one particularly smooth piece of Texas Interstate that the ole 4.8 has been running really well this year. She just sits there.. content at 84MPH soaking up asphalt. She knows... something exciting is in place tomorrow for the boredom of today.

And so it was. Delightfully uneventful. Quiet but for when I hammered the gas. And all of that made me think:

How? What? Why?

is it that I can so gleefully and freely venture off in an 11 yr old car? What makes *me* think my cooling system can handle Houston, TX heat an humidity?

• Ohhhh, yeah. I replaced all of that because it was old, not because of the miles I expect from the parts, before anything failed.
  
• I spent a few weeks testing and finding the solution to my concerns about the transmission or parts related.
  
• I've been seeking the oil change interval right for me. I have found it, and I have adjusted it based on my experience, not the lights.
  
• My trusted indy and I have an agreement. If it leaks, seal it. If it squeals, replace it.
  
• I milled around at 35, flirted over another hundred, and negotiated what might be the sh!ttiest streets my X5 has ever seen.

And we drive on dirt.

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