A Time of Joy
[cue Hallelujah Chorus]
I have a tendency to be rather cautious about being too exuberant about things. I think it has something to do about that “pride goeth before destruction” thing. I sort of fear there is a sister verse that they forgot to include that says something like “joy goeth before sadness, and exuberance before a mighty plunge,” but right now, I’m feeling pretty exuberant. My search for a car has finally ended!! After hours and hours and hours of browsing the Internet, Wheels & Deals, and used car lots, I'm finally done--hopefully for another 7ish years.
Back when I purchased my basics-only Stratus, I promised myself that if I put up with the basics for a period of time, I would save money and my next car purchase would be a nice one with all sorts of luxuries. I reminded myself of that promise over and over during the ensuing 7+ years as I hand cranked my windows, leaned over to lock/unlock passenger side doors, and got out of my car to talk to people because I couldn't roll my passenger side windows down from the drivers seat. I endured the quirks and inconveniences of the car, reminding myself that good things come to those who wait.
Then I got the crazy idea to go to school. I felt like I pretty much blew that promise all to bits...or at the very least delayed it. As I wrote out my tuition checks, I saw a sunroof disappear here and a CD player disappear there. The small luxuries that my heart so longed for were disappearing, piece-by-piece.
And then the day arrived that I committed myself to buying a new car by taking my car down to Sara. During the following weeks, I dragged poor Martin here and there looking at cars, only to walk away disappointed because they always wanted more than we felt the car was worth or more than I could justify spending on a car with impending tuition bills. I gave my number out to more men than I ever have in my entire life. I always got the same old "that kind of car is going to be really hard to find; everyone is looking for that kind of car" or "I'll keep an eye out for something" but never got any satisfactory calls back.
I got really discouraged each time I filled my loaner SUV up with gas and checked the mileage. I discovered that I must be laying a trail of gas everywhere I went. 16 miles per gallon just doesn't cut it on a part-time-working-tuition-paying budget!
I figured that I would have to either up my budget or lower my standards--probably a combination of both. My dreams of owning a Honda Accord would simply have to be boxed up for a few years. After all, good things come to those who wait, right? Sounded pretty hollow to me, but maybe it would help with the packing process. One piece of that promise I would NOT be packing up was the part that included power door locks and windows. One simply must experience some joy in their life.
So I began to consider cars other than Japanese cars. I backed off of my insistence that the car would have Better-Than-Average-Reliability from Consumer Reports, but I was hopeful. I compiled a list of Sharon-Approved-Not-Totally-Humiliating models that I would consider acceptable and continued my search. I was pretty sure that I'd probably end up with a Ford Taurus or something similar. The Taurus does drive nicely and the Ford dealer is not too far from home and they usually make repairs in a timely fashion, so maybe I could accept it. My luck was still not so great.
And then last Wednesday my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number but when I answered it was the owner of a company that I had been in contact with that will give quotes on cars and if you accept the quote, they go search for the car at auctions until they find it for you. The problem was that they usually only deal with 4-year-old or newer cars, which soundly put me out of the running. The owner now said that he had gotten a small SUV in that he had traded for simply because he knows it to be a good vehicle. I was somewhat hesitant because of the notorious bad gas mileage that SUVs get. We made arrangements for him to email me a video he had taken of it, and I would call him the following day.
I had been telling myself that I may not have an SUV, as much as I like them, because it would be ridiculous to have one in this day of high gas prices and low income. But I was just desperate enough to consider it. And then, less than an hour later, the office phone rang. It was the local Honda dealer. How could it be that I almost never got a phone call from the many people I'd left my number with, and then in one day I got two within an hour of each other?
He told me about an Accord that he had there and said that I was welcome to come and try it out. Dare I hope? My dilemma was that I had class that evening until 9:15 and would be leaving for it in less than an hour and wouldn't have time to go see the car. Then I had class the next morning, so the soonest I could go see it was mid-morning on Thursday. I prayed that God would save the car for me if he wanted me to have it and went to class.
I stopped in at home on my way and sent the video of the small SUV to Martin and gave him the specs of both vehicles and asked him for his advice. He said that he thought the Honda would be a better value. I tried to stuff my hopes back down into their box. It was entirely possible that they could sell the car before I could get there so there was no point in getting them all worked up.
After I left class the following day, I called the dealership to see if they still had the car. They did. The salesman that had called me was not there, and I felt like an unwanted child as the other salesmen did a subtle "you take her; no, you take her" routine. The responsibility landed on probably the youngest salesman on the lot, and we went in search of the car. Just as he was about to go back in to find out where the car was, my salesman arrived, back from his errand. The young guy seemed quite relieved to hand me over.
We found the car, and the salesman let me take it out for a spin--by myself!! At some of the other sales lots I'd been to, the salesmen want to go with you. Who can try a car out and explore it with a beady-eyed salesman watching them?? I stopped in a parking lot and explored the car. I liked it.
I went back to the lot and told him that I was interested in the car. We did the whole "he said/she said" bit, and I wrote a check for it. I ended up paying a couple hundred dollars more than I had hoped I could talk him down to, but (don't tell him) I think I would have taken the car even if they hadn't budged on the price. I figure I would have ended up laying that money in a gas trail on the road anyway if I hadn't taken the car...and I wanted that car!
I left Martin’s vehicle there to be picked up later in the day and drove my car to work. I was about halfway there when it suddenly occurred to me that I could put all of my windows down at the very same time—while driving! I decided to ignore the heat outside and rolled my windows down, just because I could. (I rolled the back passenger side window down first.)
I have really been enjoying the car. It doesn't have a sunroof (maybe next time) and it's green (I was wishing for champaign or white or any color that doesn't show the dirt as well). But it's got power door locks, mirrors and windows, a cassette AND CD player that plays beautifully, a console in the middle, an odometer that works, reading lights, and more. Some of you may say that stuff is nothing, but for me, that is luxury!! I feel like a rich woman. I also sort of feel like a 16 year-old again. I volunteer to drive places, wonder if that Honda driver I just met noticed that I have a Honda too, and look forward to going somewhere just because I’ve got a nice little ride to do it in.
Upon refilling my car for the first time, I was very thrilled that a check of my gas mileage revealed a sweet 27.2 miles per gallon. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! I was somewhat dismayed as I watched the tripometer with the second tank of gas. I was nearing the half tank mark and it only had 100 miles on it, when the previous tank had used only about a quarter tank for 100 miles. I was about to call my salesman to find out what kind of WonderFuel they had put in it, when realized that it was on Trip B, not Trip A. (Yup, it has two.) The second time I got 28.4…I’m really liking this.
And so the other night I threw away the miscellaneous classified ads, Wheels & Deals, and Sharon-Approved lists that cluttered my desk and floor. Autotrader.com, BuySell.com, Edmunds.com, KBB.com, and various other websites will really miss me, and I’ll have a lot more time on my hands. I drive by no less than five car lots on my way to school—more, depending on my route—and I have not yet been able to break the habit of peering at the lots to see if anything new has come in. It will take some time.
Oh, did I mention that she has hail damage? No? Yeah, she does. No worries. It’s the only reason that I could afford to buy the car. Without the hail damage, the car would have sold for $2,000-3,500 more. If I keep the car dusty, as I am wont to do, most people probably won’t even notice. So she has a few flaws…so do I. We’ll make a great pair.
[Hallelujah Chorus fadeout]
I have a tendency to be rather cautious about being too exuberant about things. I think it has something to do about that “pride goeth before destruction” thing. I sort of fear there is a sister verse that they forgot to include that says something like “joy goeth before sadness, and exuberance before a mighty plunge,” but right now, I’m feeling pretty exuberant. My search for a car has finally ended!! After hours and hours and hours of browsing the Internet, Wheels & Deals, and used car lots, I'm finally done--hopefully for another 7ish years.
Back when I purchased my basics-only Stratus, I promised myself that if I put up with the basics for a period of time, I would save money and my next car purchase would be a nice one with all sorts of luxuries. I reminded myself of that promise over and over during the ensuing 7+ years as I hand cranked my windows, leaned over to lock/unlock passenger side doors, and got out of my car to talk to people because I couldn't roll my passenger side windows down from the drivers seat. I endured the quirks and inconveniences of the car, reminding myself that good things come to those who wait.
Then I got the crazy idea to go to school. I felt like I pretty much blew that promise all to bits...or at the very least delayed it. As I wrote out my tuition checks, I saw a sunroof disappear here and a CD player disappear there. The small luxuries that my heart so longed for were disappearing, piece-by-piece.
And then the day arrived that I committed myself to buying a new car by taking my car down to Sara. During the following weeks, I dragged poor Martin here and there looking at cars, only to walk away disappointed because they always wanted more than we felt the car was worth or more than I could justify spending on a car with impending tuition bills. I gave my number out to more men than I ever have in my entire life. I always got the same old "that kind of car is going to be really hard to find; everyone is looking for that kind of car" or "I'll keep an eye out for something" but never got any satisfactory calls back.
I got really discouraged each time I filled my loaner SUV up with gas and checked the mileage. I discovered that I must be laying a trail of gas everywhere I went. 16 miles per gallon just doesn't cut it on a part-time-working-tuition-paying budget!
I figured that I would have to either up my budget or lower my standards--probably a combination of both. My dreams of owning a Honda Accord would simply have to be boxed up for a few years. After all, good things come to those who wait, right? Sounded pretty hollow to me, but maybe it would help with the packing process. One piece of that promise I would NOT be packing up was the part that included power door locks and windows. One simply must experience some joy in their life.
So I began to consider cars other than Japanese cars. I backed off of my insistence that the car would have Better-Than-Average-Reliability from Consumer Reports, but I was hopeful. I compiled a list of Sharon-Approved-Not-Totally-Humiliating models that I would consider acceptable and continued my search. I was pretty sure that I'd probably end up with a Ford Taurus or something similar. The Taurus does drive nicely and the Ford dealer is not too far from home and they usually make repairs in a timely fashion, so maybe I could accept it. My luck was still not so great.
And then last Wednesday my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number but when I answered it was the owner of a company that I had been in contact with that will give quotes on cars and if you accept the quote, they go search for the car at auctions until they find it for you. The problem was that they usually only deal with 4-year-old or newer cars, which soundly put me out of the running. The owner now said that he had gotten a small SUV in that he had traded for simply because he knows it to be a good vehicle. I was somewhat hesitant because of the notorious bad gas mileage that SUVs get. We made arrangements for him to email me a video he had taken of it, and I would call him the following day.
I had been telling myself that I may not have an SUV, as much as I like them, because it would be ridiculous to have one in this day of high gas prices and low income. But I was just desperate enough to consider it. And then, less than an hour later, the office phone rang. It was the local Honda dealer. How could it be that I almost never got a phone call from the many people I'd left my number with, and then in one day I got two within an hour of each other?
He told me about an Accord that he had there and said that I was welcome to come and try it out. Dare I hope? My dilemma was that I had class that evening until 9:15 and would be leaving for it in less than an hour and wouldn't have time to go see the car. Then I had class the next morning, so the soonest I could go see it was mid-morning on Thursday. I prayed that God would save the car for me if he wanted me to have it and went to class.
I stopped in at home on my way and sent the video of the small SUV to Martin and gave him the specs of both vehicles and asked him for his advice. He said that he thought the Honda would be a better value. I tried to stuff my hopes back down into their box. It was entirely possible that they could sell the car before I could get there so there was no point in getting them all worked up.
After I left class the following day, I called the dealership to see if they still had the car. They did. The salesman that had called me was not there, and I felt like an unwanted child as the other salesmen did a subtle "you take her; no, you take her" routine. The responsibility landed on probably the youngest salesman on the lot, and we went in search of the car. Just as he was about to go back in to find out where the car was, my salesman arrived, back from his errand. The young guy seemed quite relieved to hand me over.
We found the car, and the salesman let me take it out for a spin--by myself!! At some of the other sales lots I'd been to, the salesmen want to go with you. Who can try a car out and explore it with a beady-eyed salesman watching them?? I stopped in a parking lot and explored the car. I liked it.
I went back to the lot and told him that I was interested in the car. We did the whole "he said/she said" bit, and I wrote a check for it. I ended up paying a couple hundred dollars more than I had hoped I could talk him down to, but (don't tell him) I think I would have taken the car even if they hadn't budged on the price. I figure I would have ended up laying that money in a gas trail on the road anyway if I hadn't taken the car...and I wanted that car!
I left Martin’s vehicle there to be picked up later in the day and drove my car to work. I was about halfway there when it suddenly occurred to me that I could put all of my windows down at the very same time—while driving! I decided to ignore the heat outside and rolled my windows down, just because I could. (I rolled the back passenger side window down first.)
I have really been enjoying the car. It doesn't have a sunroof (maybe next time) and it's green (I was wishing for champaign or white or any color that doesn't show the dirt as well). But it's got power door locks, mirrors and windows, a cassette AND CD player that plays beautifully, a console in the middle, an odometer that works, reading lights, and more. Some of you may say that stuff is nothing, but for me, that is luxury!! I feel like a rich woman. I also sort of feel like a 16 year-old again. I volunteer to drive places, wonder if that Honda driver I just met noticed that I have a Honda too, and look forward to going somewhere just because I’ve got a nice little ride to do it in.
Upon refilling my car for the first time, I was very thrilled that a check of my gas mileage revealed a sweet 27.2 miles per gallon. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! I was somewhat dismayed as I watched the tripometer with the second tank of gas. I was nearing the half tank mark and it only had 100 miles on it, when the previous tank had used only about a quarter tank for 100 miles. I was about to call my salesman to find out what kind of WonderFuel they had put in it, when realized that it was on Trip B, not Trip A. (Yup, it has two.) The second time I got 28.4…I’m really liking this.
And so the other night I threw away the miscellaneous classified ads, Wheels & Deals, and Sharon-Approved lists that cluttered my desk and floor. Autotrader.com, BuySell.com, Edmunds.com, KBB.com, and various other websites will really miss me, and I’ll have a lot more time on my hands. I drive by no less than five car lots on my way to school—more, depending on my route—and I have not yet been able to break the habit of peering at the lots to see if anything new has come in. It will take some time.
Oh, did I mention that she has hail damage? No? Yeah, she does. No worries. It’s the only reason that I could afford to buy the car. Without the hail damage, the car would have sold for $2,000-3,500 more. If I keep the car dusty, as I am wont to do, most people probably won’t even notice. So she has a few flaws…so do I. We’ll make a great pair.
[Hallelujah Chorus fadeout]
posted by Sharon @ 3:35 PM
2 comments
