Today was the day.

I transferred the title and accepted the transfer of the funds for my (not so) trusty N62 4.8is. The title reveals I am the 2nd owner in 2011 with just 11k miles at the time.

I have SO MANY pictures. A dozen years ago, I would have made a tribute. And maybe I will. It's bittersweet.

It goes to a kid at the local dealership who loves the uncatted AA tune and silly TQ. He's the kind of guy that is converting his E38 sporty shorty to manual. I did the seals and water pipe in 2016 and 106k miles or so. While (I hope) the water pipe will stay, the thing started smoking again. I'm just not doing seals again. Those, along with the leaking rear main were quoted at $16k from a trusted independent. The mirrors wiggle. The suede covered sunroof is separated, and allll the adoring things about a 21yr old smokey beast have become more acutely present since I started moving unicorn parts to the *OTHER* 2004 E53.

The 'Toaster,' a 2015 X3 3.5Xdrive was $less than $10k private party. Sure, it needs the things an N55 needs, and I will do them. That's in the plans. And some other silliness. If it's gonna be an appliance, we may as well make it toast better than most, amIrite? I drove it for work a couple weeks ago, 6hrs in the rain. Peppy. Easy.. mindless.. I'm in the shadows between 55 and 60yrs old.. Easy is what easy does. Baby girl was 7 when we bought the blue one. She cried about selling the 3.0 E53 to our neighbor. She'd come home in it when she was 4lbs 9oz.

This was the easiest transaction I have ever had. The new owner kid from the local dealership and I share the same bank. He transferred the cash into my account and I signed a title.

I have sooo many pics.. Many of them at the PCD Spartanburg homecomings for years as my little girl matured from car seat to front seat passenger. We took her to no fewer than 30 college campuses and 22 National parks in the E53.

Over 194k, we spent hour upon hour on RT66. We'd been to Acadia in Maine. Later that day in after climbing Mt Washington in New Hampshire, she emerged to announce that she just got her period. We'd just dropped her mother at Bangor for a flight home. She found a stranger who helped her through the things. I went to the beer aisle. I took her to the Ben and Jerrys HQ in Vermont for Ice Cream. It seemed like a last grasp of her youth for both of us. We visited the National monument for Women's Rights in Ohio on the way home. I wanted her to be acutely aware of the work generations of women have to to equate their role in our society. After that, we stopped into the Corvette manufacturing facility and museum. She really really liked the 'vette. I am not sure if that's something they grow OUT of or INTO. Gold chains will tell.

We took it to the Southernmost point in the Keys, Seattle a 1/2 dozen times, and both borders. Once she was done with the 12 trips to Disney, roadtrips became our calling.

We'll all miss my '04 E53 4.8is. It was a longshot lifetime buy in 2006 that became a reality in 2011. I think we did right after so long and so many miles, no matter how long or how much $ it took to find the joy.

I'm not going far. More on that tomorrow. We hope.

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