From the title description, you might think I'm in the market to purchase a Volvo...but that's not the case. Please forgive me as this post is more of a vent than anything else.

My beloved 245(aka: Ol' Slate) has been down and in the shop for over 1 week now. Its suffering from a sporatic no spark/no start condition that neither myself or the shop owner has been able to pin-point the cause of(yet). My car has been down before in the past, but never for this long. Of coarse, the time down has been compounded by the Holiday Season since the shop is now closed for vacation until after the New Year. At least I can take a bit of comfort knowing that its parked inside, shielded from the elements.
In the mean time, I do have alternate transportation in the form of a 1982 GMC Suburban which was lent to me by my Grandfather. Yes, it does suck down LOTS of gas...but its still cheaper than a rental car. And, No...driving the beast does not quite give the satisfaction of cornering with IPD swaybars & poly bushings or hearing the subtle rumble of a Turbo exhaust.
And despite the recommendations from my immediate Family to "Get rid of her", I'm far from giving up hope that a permanant repair solution will be found. But I will admit that the entire situation has been quite discouraging. I suppose what I'm trying to say is...During this time of the year when we reflect and recognize what we're truly thankful for...and after you've taken time out to hug the spouse, kids, and/or parents & siblings...take some time to really appreciate what your brick does for you. `Cause you never fully appreciate those benefits until they're taken from you.