I’ve had my car for about four years, and in that time, it’s been through a lot with me. It’s survived some minor fender benders, but it’s always gotten me where I need to go. My old job required a lot of driving, and I’ve taken it on trips all over the Midwest, so it’s already at about 90,000 miles. I’ve put it through the paces, no doubt, but it’s never let me down.

Friday morning was no exception. The temperature was about -10 when I was getting ready to leave for work, and while I had complete faith that my car would start, I still held my breath as I turned the key. It started without a problem. It was running a little slower than usual on the drive to Angie’s List — the defroster took longer to work and the numbers on the display took a little time to change as I scanned the radio stations — but hey, I was running a little slower, too. The cold will do that to you. Other than those few things, it was the same trusty car I’ve always been able to count on.

Unfortunately, I know my car will most likely have problems as it gets older. While most issues now are ones that I’ve somehow caused (after all, I’m the one who hit a piece of plaster — or something; I still don’t know what it was — on the highway, putting a dent in the front bumper), there will probably come a day when more age-related issues begin to pop up. But at least I know I’ll be able to count on Angie’s List for a reliable mechanic to take care of those issues.

Actually, I’ll probably need the List for car-related fixes before that. Did I mention that I locked my keys in the car Friday morning? If I hadn’t had a spare set inside, I would’ve no doubt been doing a search for a locksmith.