The Goose May Be Heading South this Winter

So yesterday, the Gray Goose decided to start molting...literally on a pretty main highway which has a speed limit of fifty which means I usually go close to 65 or 70 depending on how late I am running.  The boys and I were heading to pick Josie up from school and had just merged onto Route 28 and the particular ramp we get on at is on the left hand side which meant that when I looked in my driver's side mirror and saw the long piece of metal flapping out from my car, I had to figure out crossing three lanes of traffic(safely) to pull over.  Miraculously made it over to the side and hopped out keeping my body planted smack next to my car as I went to rip the piece of metal off and continue on my way.  Then I realized quite quickly that this would not happen as the piece was being held on by large screws under the rear blinkers.  Despite the fact that I have a random mass of junk inside my car, no duct tape or item close to it to secure the metal flap.  Thus I threw on the hazards and continued on our merry way to the closest exit about a mile and a half down the road, praying that this metal "feather" would not come detached or come into contact with any of the much nicer cars on the road(which equals any other car). We wound around the exit ramp and began to merge onto one of the side roads as I watched in horror as other cars swerved further to the left lanes to avoid the Goose's stray feather.  I frantically called A.J. at work to go grab Josie and of course he didn't pick up.  Thankfully got in touch with friend who teaches there who may or may not have kept Josie in her classroom in the past for me;) I start to pull into the first gas station I see which is next to a place called Mr. Tire.  See a kind gentleman outside Mr. Tire as I pull in whose eyes bug out as he looks at my car and says:"Looks like you need some help." Isn't that the understatement of the year??  A huge thank you to John at Mr. Tire who immediately went and grabbed several tools and freed the Goose's feather for me.  Apparently this thin side panel had rusted out where it had been attached.  John carefully placed the metal piece in the back of my car amidst the bulky stroller, bags of give away clothes, and a baby bouncy seat on hold for a friend.  This whole process happened within a matter of minutes so I really could have grabbed Josie at second pickup, but she'd already headed to a classroom to wait for her crazy mother.  Thank you, Julie, for once again herding one of my monkeys!
A.J. informed me that hopefully we will be getting a new car for me around Christmas time.  Said car will most likely be a behemoth soccer mom Suburban to fit all the "stuff" that comes from having four goonies and an overweight coonhound.  In some ways, I know I will be sad to say goodbye to the Goose as she heads south.  In other ways, I am quite excited.  And in other ways, I fear I may need to attend some sort of truck drivers' ed.  I have never been a great driver or the most knowledgeable about cars(quiet down, family and friends, I hear you laughing already!).  Several examples to illustrate this statement:
- may have rear-ended a guy in highschool who I liked at the time because I was following a bit too closely
-may have also gotten my mother's '68 Camaro convertible wedged on a bank of snow while parallel parking on a side street by our high school.  It took about three strong guys to help push it off of the snow bank
-may have hit the bumper of another friend's car while parallel parking along same street another time
-may have "killed" our VW Scirocco my junior year of high school while making a left turn INTO a minivan...during morning rush hour....had to get out of car while in my Catholic school uniform as gawkers looked on and drove by.  One said gawker- my brother-in-law's brother who later told my b-i-l: "I think I saw Cami in an accident this morning".  Pete- thanks for NOT stopping!:)
-may have turned into another car in a metro parking lot while on the phone with A.J. when we were dating which caused me to scream and throw the phone which might have freaked A.J. out a bit at the time
-and A.J.' s favorite, the time the Durango may have caught fire on Gallows Road at rush hour(when I was heading from work to pick Josie up at my parents'), but was really just smoking, and I might have called 911 only to be talked down by the operator who I also may have apologized to afterwards for my freak out.  Happy now, A.J.?  It's out there:)

I didn't even include a few tickets here and there. I also think I may have forgotten some other "incidents", but there is not enough time in the day to mention them.
Bring on the next Goose if the gods feel it is time.  Til then, I will drive this car into the ground!