In Memoriam

I’d like to take a moment and pay my homage and due respect to two important and influental automobiles in my life.

I had a 1996 Jeep Cherokee for about 4-5 years and it was a fine ride. Its' ticker was composed of a 4.0 liter in-line V6 so it had good power (especially low end). It also had a supernatural turning radius.

With the middle seats folded down, you could easily fit a bike in the back (with the tires on) and it was plenty large to crash back there for the night if the weather was soggy.

The driver’s side door was slightly off, so there wasn't a complete seal. It also had loud tires and was geared low. When driving down the freeway, it sounded like you were riding in the back of an open cargo plane.

One fateful morn as I was attending the University of Utah, traffic backed up coming off the freeway on my way to school and I got blindsided by a Ford Expedition. The Jeep was pronounced a total loss by our friends at State Farm. Whether it was salvaged is a mystery to me, but hats off to a solid auto.

When I was pretty wee, my Dad bought a new 1991 Chevy Silverado (Blackie). Blackie was the complete package- a free spirit, a workhorse, a tug boat, an athlete, a concert hall, a beast of burden, a gentleman, a scholar; a symbol for good (weeping).

One Saturday morning about 6:30 or 7:00a.m. I got a call from my brother Kevin (the proud owner of Blackie at the time). He and a couple of friends had gotten a little rowdy about half way up the side of Mt. Timpanogos the previous night and had blown out a shock. I ran up a new one and we proceeded to surgically repair the wounded limb. The procedure went off without a hitch and Blackie came out of the situation stronger than ever. You couldn't help but stand in awe at the composure, grit, and fortitude exhibited by Blackie under the given circumstances- a real lesson in perseverance and nobility.

Blackie now resides in a semi-retired state finishing out its days in Lehi, UT.