New Experiences
Apr. 3rd, 2008 10:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maychorianHas it been as long as it feels since my last entry? I dunno. I keep having all sorts of interesting thoughts, and finding things that I want to share with you, dear internet friends (and RL friends), but I still don't have internet at home and I don't usually have time to blog at work. If I could, I would probably write something every day--lots of times I have something to say.
I'm thinking that by June I'm going to try to get internet at my apartment, but I don't want Comcast, which is what has been available up till now. Just recently the place was wired for FiOS, and that would be awesome. But a little expensive. So we'll see. I need to take care of some financial stuff first. A tax refund and the whole "economic stimulus" package will help. That's why I'm thinking June, not April. :)
Since my last writing, I've had a couple of new experiences.
First, I now I have a new car! Yes, the Blue Raspberry is retired. :( That poor car definitely deserved a rest.
My dad got this thing in the mail from the Chevy dealership in Auburn about repossessed cars released from lien, five hundred dollars to buy, limited time offer, etc. etc., so we drove up on a Saturday two weeks ago to see what was up. After looking around the lot, we realized that this wasn't what I was looking for at all--the "$495 to buy a repossessed car" advertised in the flyer would be to "buy" the privilege of taking over payments. No thanks. Plus they were all trucks and vans and SUVs and not me at all. And every single one was black, white, red, or blue. I told Dad that I preferred something a little more unusual. Not that color is really that important, but you know. I'm not a fan of normal.
We didn't want to waste the trip, though, so we went the Preferred Auto and talked to a salesman, just to get a feel for how they operate. I felt good about the company and thought that with some more research, I might get a car from them. Then, as we headed out of town, Dad took a different road than the one we came in on. I didn't really pay attention, though--we were talking about my sister Bethany's wedding, and all the planning and stuff that has to happen before May, and how nervous we both were about the whole thing. It was just nice to have a good conversation with my dad. We don't often spend a lot of one-on-one time together.
Finally I figured out, and he told me, that we weren't heading home. We were heading to Hicksville, Ohio, to check another dealership. (Yes, there's a town called Hicksville. And it's in Ohio. Isn't that delicious? I've known about it practically my whole life and it never ceases to delight me.) Dad likes the Jim Schmidt Ford there, which is where he and Mom traded the family van last time it ceased to be useful. Yes, this happens on a fairly regular basis. My family has terrible luck with vehicles. Either we get a really good one and it gets totaled right away, or we get a not-so-good one that putters along for two years and then develops the bends and keels over in a whiny metallic heap, squealing pitifully and asking to be left alone.
Dad felt that the folks at this Ford dealership were very honest and straightforward with them, and gave them a fair deal. It's hard to find a good dealership, and since they've moved out here from Illinois more than twenty-five years ago (my parents both grew up in a small town called Roanoke, near Peoria), Dad hasn't really found a dealership that he trusts as much as he did the one back "home."
We went in, and Dad asked for the salesman who had worked with him before. But that fellow is apparently selling combines or something now. So we talked to Terry. I'd never been shopping for a car before, mind you, and I don't what's good and what's bad. We hadn't done any research--we were just on our first excursion. I was really glad to have my dad with me, but he's not exactly a car person, either.
But I felt comfortable there. I felt like the salespeople were straight up with me. Sometimes when I think about it I doubt whether it was just my perception, something that salesmen have to project in order to do their job and not truly sincere, or if it was genuine. I'm inclined to think the latter, but I don't know for sure. Usually when I buy something big like this, I research on the internet in all sorts of places, read lots of customer reviews, search ebay and half.com and Amazon and Yahoo shopping for the best price--all sorts of things to be sure I'm getting the best quality at the best price I can. I had done a little of this looking into cars, but only looking at couple of models on kelleybluebook.com, not really sure what I was doing. At that point I was thinking I would probably end up getting a KIA Rio, which is really, really cheap and really, really fuel-efficient.
But Terry asks a few questions, like what kind of payments I'd be willing to make (I said two hundred or less), and then he calls in another guy who "knows the inventory better." And this other guy thinks for a second and says, "Well, when I think of 'wow' cars, cars that would just pop, we have a 06 HHR down at the Chevy dealership, and a black Malibu with leather seats and a moon roof... Does that sound good to you?"
I was just like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Come on. That sounds like way too much car for me. I was expecting to find some junky old sedan, maybe a 2000 if I could find it cheap enough. An 06 HHR? A Malibu with leather seats? How could I possibly afford that? And what's an HHR? That sounds like some stupid sports car that gets 10 mpg. I don't want a stupid sports car that gets 10 mpg.
But yeah, turns out that it wasn't too much car for me after all. Terry showed me a picture of an HHR, and it's like this little mini-van with tiny windows and a long hood, and styling that makes it look like a car from the '60s. I wasn't sure about it all. But, dude, I test drove it, and it had a hundred cool things about it. And it was cheaper than that KIA I was thinking about. And my payments are two hundred a month.
I also drove a Taurus, which is a Ford sedan, the sort of thing I thought I'd be getting. It was a great car. But it wasn't as cool and fun as an HHR. After I drove that, it grew on me steadily. Okay, so it's dark red, and not a cool color like light green or purple or burnt orange. But come on. Check out my Henry:
Okay, that's not my particular car. But it looks just like it. Driving is a pleasure now, instead of an act of terror. (Seriously, there are times that I was sure the poor Blue Raspberry would shake apart around me.) It has features that I didn't even know they made for cars. All of the speakers work. And it has a CD player, so I can listen to my happy music. No crack across the windshield. All of the lights turn on. Battery doesn't die every other day. The hood and trunk open easily, without grunting, hitting, swearing, or calling for help. The support on the driver's seat hasn't worn through the upholstery, so I don't have to pad my seat with a pair of sweatpants to be able to sit in it. All of the fan settings work. It has more than three interval settings on the windshield wipers. Granted, I'm comparing an 06 to an 89 Honda Civic that had a million things wrong with it. It's a little like comparing a gourmet meal with something the cat threw up. But still. I love my Henry so very much.
Oh, and the mpg is decent, too. Not as good as my Blue Raspberry, or as good as the KIA would have been, but not horrible. I can eat tacos while I'm driving more easily, since it's automatic. (Eating tacos while driving a stick shift is a lot like juggling. Granted, I got quite good at it, but I'm glad I don't have to anymore.) And trunk space! The passenger seats aren't covered with crap because I'm too lazy to haul it up to my apartment. All the crap is in the back, out of the way until I quit being too lazy to haul it up to my apartment. And remote start! I can start it from my apartment, then walk down the two flights of stairs, and it's warm for me! Oh, car. It's a good thing you're too big to hug, because I'd probably squeeze you to death. And that would be sad.
Um, I've had it for two weeks now. Maybe the joy will wear off? I dunno. Thing is awesome.
I was going to write about passing out in this blog entry, too, as that was also a new experience (not connected to the new car thing), but I think maybe this is long enough.
I'm thinking that by June I'm going to try to get internet at my apartment, but I don't want Comcast, which is what has been available up till now. Just recently the place was wired for FiOS, and that would be awesome. But a little expensive. So we'll see. I need to take care of some financial stuff first. A tax refund and the whole "economic stimulus" package will help. That's why I'm thinking June, not April. :)
Since my last writing, I've had a couple of new experiences.
First, I now I have a new car! Yes, the Blue Raspberry is retired. :( That poor car definitely deserved a rest.
My dad got this thing in the mail from the Chevy dealership in Auburn about repossessed cars released from lien, five hundred dollars to buy, limited time offer, etc. etc., so we drove up on a Saturday two weeks ago to see what was up. After looking around the lot, we realized that this wasn't what I was looking for at all--the "$495 to buy a repossessed car" advertised in the flyer would be to "buy" the privilege of taking over payments. No thanks. Plus they were all trucks and vans and SUVs and not me at all. And every single one was black, white, red, or blue. I told Dad that I preferred something a little more unusual. Not that color is really that important, but you know. I'm not a fan of normal.
We didn't want to waste the trip, though, so we went the Preferred Auto and talked to a salesman, just to get a feel for how they operate. I felt good about the company and thought that with some more research, I might get a car from them. Then, as we headed out of town, Dad took a different road than the one we came in on. I didn't really pay attention, though--we were talking about my sister Bethany's wedding, and all the planning and stuff that has to happen before May, and how nervous we both were about the whole thing. It was just nice to have a good conversation with my dad. We don't often spend a lot of one-on-one time together.
Finally I figured out, and he told me, that we weren't heading home. We were heading to Hicksville, Ohio, to check another dealership. (Yes, there's a town called Hicksville. And it's in Ohio. Isn't that delicious? I've known about it practically my whole life and it never ceases to delight me.) Dad likes the Jim Schmidt Ford there, which is where he and Mom traded the family van last time it ceased to be useful. Yes, this happens on a fairly regular basis. My family has terrible luck with vehicles. Either we get a really good one and it gets totaled right away, or we get a not-so-good one that putters along for two years and then develops the bends and keels over in a whiny metallic heap, squealing pitifully and asking to be left alone.
Dad felt that the folks at this Ford dealership were very honest and straightforward with them, and gave them a fair deal. It's hard to find a good dealership, and since they've moved out here from Illinois more than twenty-five years ago (my parents both grew up in a small town called Roanoke, near Peoria), Dad hasn't really found a dealership that he trusts as much as he did the one back "home."
We went in, and Dad asked for the salesman who had worked with him before. But that fellow is apparently selling combines or something now. So we talked to Terry. I'd never been shopping for a car before, mind you, and I don't what's good and what's bad. We hadn't done any research--we were just on our first excursion. I was really glad to have my dad with me, but he's not exactly a car person, either.
But I felt comfortable there. I felt like the salespeople were straight up with me. Sometimes when I think about it I doubt whether it was just my perception, something that salesmen have to project in order to do their job and not truly sincere, or if it was genuine. I'm inclined to think the latter, but I don't know for sure. Usually when I buy something big like this, I research on the internet in all sorts of places, read lots of customer reviews, search ebay and half.com and Amazon and Yahoo shopping for the best price--all sorts of things to be sure I'm getting the best quality at the best price I can. I had done a little of this looking into cars, but only looking at couple of models on kelleybluebook.com, not really sure what I was doing. At that point I was thinking I would probably end up getting a KIA Rio, which is really, really cheap and really, really fuel-efficient.
But Terry asks a few questions, like what kind of payments I'd be willing to make (I said two hundred or less), and then he calls in another guy who "knows the inventory better." And this other guy thinks for a second and says, "Well, when I think of 'wow' cars, cars that would just pop, we have a 06 HHR down at the Chevy dealership, and a black Malibu with leather seats and a moon roof... Does that sound good to you?"
I was just like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Come on. That sounds like way too much car for me. I was expecting to find some junky old sedan, maybe a 2000 if I could find it cheap enough. An 06 HHR? A Malibu with leather seats? How could I possibly afford that? And what's an HHR? That sounds like some stupid sports car that gets 10 mpg. I don't want a stupid sports car that gets 10 mpg.
But yeah, turns out that it wasn't too much car for me after all. Terry showed me a picture of an HHR, and it's like this little mini-van with tiny windows and a long hood, and styling that makes it look like a car from the '60s. I wasn't sure about it all. But, dude, I test drove it, and it had a hundred cool things about it. And it was cheaper than that KIA I was thinking about. And my payments are two hundred a month.
I also drove a Taurus, which is a Ford sedan, the sort of thing I thought I'd be getting. It was a great car. But it wasn't as cool and fun as an HHR. After I drove that, it grew on me steadily. Okay, so it's dark red, and not a cool color like light green or purple or burnt orange. But come on. Check out my Henry:
Okay, that's not my particular car. But it looks just like it. Driving is a pleasure now, instead of an act of terror. (Seriously, there are times that I was sure the poor Blue Raspberry would shake apart around me.) It has features that I didn't even know they made for cars. All of the speakers work. And it has a CD player, so I can listen to my happy music. No crack across the windshield. All of the lights turn on. Battery doesn't die every other day. The hood and trunk open easily, without grunting, hitting, swearing, or calling for help. The support on the driver's seat hasn't worn through the upholstery, so I don't have to pad my seat with a pair of sweatpants to be able to sit in it. All of the fan settings work. It has more than three interval settings on the windshield wipers. Granted, I'm comparing an 06 to an 89 Honda Civic that had a million things wrong with it. It's a little like comparing a gourmet meal with something the cat threw up. But still. I love my Henry so very much.
Oh, and the mpg is decent, too. Not as good as my Blue Raspberry, or as good as the KIA would have been, but not horrible. I can eat tacos while I'm driving more easily, since it's automatic. (Eating tacos while driving a stick shift is a lot like juggling. Granted, I got quite good at it, but I'm glad I don't have to anymore.) And trunk space! The passenger seats aren't covered with crap because I'm too lazy to haul it up to my apartment. All the crap is in the back, out of the way until I quit being too lazy to haul it up to my apartment. And remote start! I can start it from my apartment, then walk down the two flights of stairs, and it's warm for me! Oh, car. It's a good thing you're too big to hug, because I'd probably squeeze you to death. And that would be sad.
Um, I've had it for two weeks now. Maybe the joy will wear off? I dunno. Thing is awesome.
I was going to write about passing out in this blog entry, too, as that was also a new experience (not connected to the new car thing), but I think maybe this is long enough.
