Crisis Averted -or- Never Say Never

I couldn't decide what to title my post so I thought I would put both up there and let you, the reader, decide which you want to be the title.

Crisis averted because I got a new vehicle and I don't have to worry about my broken car anymore.

Never say never because I am sure at some point in my life I said I would never drive a burgundy vehicle and I would never drive a mini van.

Feast your eyes on my burgundy mini van.

It is an '08 Chevrolet Uplander. It was a program car, so it has some miles on it, but it was cheap and it drives great and is still under warranty. It is perhaps one of the most unattractive mini vans on the market, but it is mine all mine, so I love it!

Don't judge me by my burgundy mini van. At least I carry really cute passengers and it won't cost me an arm and a leg every month.

A Holding Pattern and a Shower

Still no car. It seems to be in the shop getting worked on. Should be at least Monday before it could even potentially be ready. Sure. OK. I'll just keep driving Will's truck until someone gives me something else to drive. The guy from Green Gifford called today to suggest I look into either Nissan Altimas or Rogues, both of which I think are pretty cool, though I prefer the Rogue. With such amount down, and getting such amount for your trade we can lease you a car for such amount a month for such amount of months. Blah, blah, blah. Bottom line-I still have no car to drive that belongs to me. Hopefully we will get something resolved by the end of next week!

I spent the day today at Lee's parents' house with her sister getting things ready for her wedding shower that I am co-hosting tomorrow. I am really looking forward to the shower and I hope Lee has fun and gets lots of good stuff. We baked and cooked and concocted today and after working on a few things in the morning, I think we will have a successful shower. I'll post more about the shower later. Now if I could only remember to take my camera with me. . .

Having a shower and waiting on my ride. Sounds so simple. Oh, if only. . .

Cars and Insurance

They suck but you gotta have them. Can't afford to have them but you can't afford not to, either.

I am currently carless. Well, not exactly since my boss, Will, has so graciously let me borrow his truck until things get worked out. My car was totally devoid of all coolant this morning when I went out to get in it to start my car shopping journey. I filled it up and headed to High Cotton to make a quick pit stop before really getting on the road. About a mile from the restaurant, the menacing "STOP" light started flashing again. I was overheating. AGAIN! How was I supposed to drive to a dealership if I couldn't even get a few miles down the road? Ugh.

Will offered me his truck and found a guy to come take another look at my car. The guy, of course, couldn't see what needed fixing because it is hidden under the motor. So Will got someone to tow it to the garage to be fixed or patched or diagnosed or something. I also have a call in to a reputable car salesman who knows my story and is willing to help as much as he can.

I have been stressing over my car for the past week and it is really taking a toll on every aspect of my life. I am usually the positive one thinking we will find a way to get through anything. But for some reason, this whole episode has gotten me pretty down and I've had to adjust my attitude and start hoping for the best. Temporarily, I have left things to Will to figure out since he just seemed to jump right in and start making things happen. He is relieving my stress and I like that.

You've heard of the Tooth Fairy, right? Well, if anyone comes across a Car Fairy, please let me know. I'm desperate. Thanks.

If Your Mechanic Says to Get Rid of It. . .

You're in trouble. My mechanic told me that if he was me, he'd get rid of my car. And soon. I have a leaking radiator hose. Doesn't sound so bad until you find out that you pretty much have to take the whole engine out to get to the little hose that needs to be replaced. And Leon informed me that he had no idea how long it would take, and since he charges by the hour, he would guess it would be at least a few hundred dollars.

And don't forget the new boot that my front driver side wheel needs. Or maybe a new axel, depending on what damage has already been done by the missing boot. That will probably run a few hundred dollars.

Oh, and the water pump is loose and rattling. That will probably be a few hundred dollars. And I've known about a small oil leak for some time now.

Leon said he would fix as much or as little as I wanted him to, but it would probably get expensive. I confessed that if things got too pricy, I was planning on trading it in. He confessed that if the car belonged to him, he wouldn't put another dollar into it and he would trade it. And fast. And never get another Volkswagen ever again.

Don't get me wrong-I love(d) my car. I love the fact that it is a station wagon. I love the fact that it looks good and is comfortable. It is a safe car and gets pretty good gas mileage. The biggest problem (besides the now-obvious) is that every little fix is twice as difficult and twice as expensive as any other car on the planet. In an attempt to streamline the look, VW has hidden, covered and tucked away all things that need to be repaired. Do windshield wipers really need to cost $40 and be special ordered? Does a new battery really need to cost $175? Obsurd.

So I'm trading her in. Just as soon as I figure out what I want, what I can afford, and when I can find the time to go car shopping. Has anyone tried to car shop with an 8 month old? Can't imagine it will be fun. Will it be better than getting stranded on the side of the road somewhere with a car that has blown up? I'll let you know.

Oh Great.

On my way home from work today I suddenly noticed that my air conditioner had cut out. I was a little bummed but expected to check it out when we got home. Suddenly a light starts to flash on my dash and the word "STOP" started flashing quite menacingly! I, the rule follower that I am, pulled right over and stopped my car. I sat for a few seconds then started it again and it did the same thing. I turned it off and sat for about 2 minutes. I started it again and began to head home again. As I pulled in the driveway the lights started screaming at me again. I checked my fluids and noticed that the coolant was lower than the minimum line. A little more inspection showed that my car is leaking coolant. Great.

Grandpa was in the neighborhood and he stopped by for a quick visit. He and Mark checked things out under the car and couldn't tell where the leak was coming from but also noticed some sludge around the tires. According to Grandpa, the leak could be a hose (hopefully) or a busted radiator (major bummer). The sludge around the tire is a busted something or other having to do with the breaks or wheels or something. Both issues could be minor, but they also could be really expensive. Not good timing. Not at all.

Why is it that when you can barely even pay attention, you have to pay for silly unexpected major expenses? I'm not a happy camper. And to top it all off, my mechanic can't even take my car until Wednesday.

When it rains, it pours. At least I have fairly new $40 windshield wipers. (Gotta love a Volkswagen. Every part is twice as expensive. Great).