A couple of years ago, I donated my old truck to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I’d like to sit here and tell you I did it out of the goodness of my heart, but, really, it was because 2004 was the last year you could write off vehicle donations at a reasonable blue book value.

I got that truck for my 17th birthday. As a reward for staying off of drugs and alcohol until then, my parents told my sister and me that we could have the cars of our choice, within reason. My dream vehicle was a 4x4 truck.

One day I came home from baseball practice, and my mom kept nagging me to take out the garbage. I kept refusing. Finally, after she resorted to some now-forgotten threats, I relented and, with much surly huffing and puffing and sighing, I took the trash out to the Toter by way of the garage.

In the garage, occupying the spot where my mom’s truck normally sat, was a nice, big, blue GMC Sierra K1500 4x4. Right next to it was my dad’s camcorder on its tripod, red light beaming, recording every expression on my face. The wheels in my head turned very slowly, so it took me a couple of seconds to realize what was going on, but suffice it to say, I was one happy 17 year-old kid.* It was mine. All mine.

Throughout the rest of high school, this truck was my baby. I washed her once or twice a week and kept the interior spotless. I upgraded the stereo system from stock to a $3k, custom dual-12" woofer setup with a 6-disc changer and 160Wx4 amp. It was AWESOME. I had a lot of great times in that truck.

Fast forward to October 2004. The truck was still in good running condition, though it had enough minor annoyances to cause me to relegate it to Step-Child status: it was still part of the family, though not quite as loved. Wanting something that “just worked,” I bought a used Toyota Tacoma from my friend Paul. You know the rest of the story as far as the Step-Child is concerned.

Fast foward to today. As I was driving south on Watt, I was stopped at a stoplight just over I-80. As I was sitting there waiting for the light to turn green, a blue truck going through the intersection caught my eye. Spiral rims. BF Goodrich tires. Diamond plate toolbox and trim. Holy ***! It was my Baby! I couldn’t believe it!

She looked like she was still in good shape. I didn’t get a good look at the guy driving, though I did see he had a lawn mower in the back. All I can say is that if the SGKBCF didn’t strip the stereo before they sold it, the new owner has one heck of a work truck.

Anywho, thanks for indulging my stroll down memory lane. That random sighting made my morning.

* Okay, only 16.5, but they got such a good deal on the truck, they bought it for me 6 months early.