Well, it came to pass, I had to say farewell to my reliable old friend.. my motor, the wheels, the jamjar, the boat - as the kids used to call it - yes the mercedes.
They are kids no longer (in age only), and I don't really need a car now to run them around the country (we lived in the sticks), and I am living in the city again too - well mostly.
Served us well, but really, things were starting to tire in the 18 year old, and parts were proving difficult to find(and pay for!). Public transport is great of course in London, and retaining the boat just to get to my weekly swim, and for the odd trip back to Ireland began to seem extravagant. It was.
I found a good home, I think, and literally gave it away for a few bob, knowing that I no longer needed, nor indeed could justify to myself running the old beast; it had of course predated all of the recent environmental advances in car technology of course, and as I have gotten greener too, the blue just had to go..
So now I am free again, and unshackled by bad carbon karma.. ding ding.