carless

Driving home from work on Wednesday night, I hit a deer; it came bounding from the left and took out the grill and right quarter panel or the black Prius. I haven't been back to that section of Route 27 between North Brunswick and Franklin to see if there's a venison feast for the flies and vultures... I'm rather hoping that the damn thing lives six more weeks in agony and is finally ritually disassembled by a pack of feral canines.

I've got well over $10,000 worth of damage, and the estimate says I might get it back around mid-December. I was initially afraid that the insurance company would declare it a total loss, but even with almost 6,000 miles on it, Kelley Blue Book lists it at about $18,000 actual cash value. I didn't initially see how bad it was, because I drove it home in the dark, but in the cold light of Thanksgiving morning, it was clear that the whole front of the car had damage. We limped it over to Dennis and Don's, our reliable body shop. The Excellent Wife (TEW) has had work done there before, and assures me that I won't notice a difference when I get it back. Hrmph. I'll know it's different.

Because of the holiday weekend, getting a rental took a bit of doing; I initially had a choice of an expensive pickup or a more expensive SUV, but the rental agent fellow took pity on me, and by midday Saturday had me in a Ford Focus that's only a few bucks a day more than the insuror is offering for rental reimbursement.

So while we got to the in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner, I was mostly stuck idle until today, when I got out for a few chores in the Focus. I hate it because it's not my car, it's different, and it's costing me money. It took a while to figure out how to turn the headlights on, and the radio doesn't shut off when you shut off the engine and remove the key. The gas cap is on the wrong side. The parking brake is on a lever rather than a pedal.

No, you don't get any damn pictures. I don't want to remember my Prius looking like that.

I just want it back.