197,000

I'm getting an oil change tomorrow on my 1999 Honda Accord.

When the mechanic gives me a new sticker, he'll write 200,000. That's a heck of a run.

I can remember when I was little my mom's car went over 100,000. It was a 1985 Cavalier station wagon. It had a manual transmission, uncommonly ugly and it died before I learned to drive. But when the odometer rolled over from 99,999.9, it was a big deal.

I wasn't riding in the car at the time, but if memory serves, it was all we talked at the dinner table for that month*.

Taking my car past the 200,000-mile mark doesn't seem like quite as big of a deal. Frankly, I probably won't be paying attention and I'll miss the change. It's a digital display anyway, so the tenths aren't even listed and that will limit the anticipation even if I were watching.

Forgetting all that. I think it's kind of cool.

My car has practically circled the earth 10 times, which is 10 more times than me.

For no reason, I just did the math. If "they"*** built a bridge that circles the world at the equator, it would take about four weeks -- 12 hour days times 60 miles per hour average driving speed times 20,000 miles equals 27.778 days -- to circle the earth once.

So basically it would take nine or 10 months of continuous driving to get my car to where it is now. And it's taken me 14 years or so, which really kind of makes me feel like a failure. It's taken 18 times longer than it should have. Whatever.

Three months from now, if my car makes it that far, I'll still feel like I've achieved something.

(*) My mom didn't drive very much

(**) Note to children and law enforcement officers: I never watch the odometer when I'm driving, just the road. And also I check my mirrors and make sure not to speed. And I NEVER text.

(***) Large conglomerate of rich, possibly conspiratorial organizations