Fer real, I am keeping this sucker short. For one, I don't really have a topic in mind and two, I'm sucking in barely enough air through one nostril. I guess I am in the grips of a cold, which sucks. I can normally deal with the blocked off nose, but the cough is just annoying. Especially when it wakes me up in the middle of a sound sleep. Poor Joe is suffering too, but I'm trying to blow my nose as quietly as possible. Oh well, chances are he'll get it from me soon anyway and then we'll lovingly keep each other awake.
But instead of rambling about illness again, I have more exciting news to offer- I am about 90% a car-owner. Yes, I am happy about the car and no, I have no idea as to what I will obsess over instead. And I cam upon it very much the same way I happened upon attending Towson University. Back then I didn't exactly have schools pounding on my door, so my options for college were a tad limited. I was certain I was set to go to one school (Virginia Wesleyan) and while it is a nice school I still wasn't sure it was the school for me. As we drove home from looking at it I could tell I was depressed because I would be going there because I hadn't any other choice, and not because I really wanted to go there. When we arrived home, there in the mail pile was an acceptance letter from Towson University. I remained objective when we finally went out to see that school the following weekend, but in the end I knew the fit was right. Oddly enough, Fate once again intervened to help me make my big decision....
Last Friday I was scrolling through the latest car listings on Autotrader and happened upon what looked like the car I had been waiting for- small, low mileage and reasonable price. And bonus- a sunroof! I don't know why but I was secretly gunning to have a sunroof in my next car.
I tried to calm my excitement as Joe and I drove to the dealership to take a look. It was getting dark and cold so I was only able to take a brief look at it before the salesman was already to start talking numbers. Things were moving so fast and I hadn't even taken it for a test drive yet. I finally asked the guy if I could and as he handed me the keys Joe stayed behind to watch the dog (whom he had brought with him, since we didn't know how long we'd be). I sat in the car and waited for the salesman to join me in the front seat. Instead he just handed me the keys and waited for me to close the door, then walked back inside. Umm ok. I had never been in a test drive where the salesman didn't accompany me, so that was weird.
I realized I would be flying completely solo- probably not the best idea since my sight isn't the best at night and I had little familiarity with area (and no one to advise me). Still I pulled out into traffic and decided to see what the car was like at higher speeds. I suddenly realized the road I was on became a long stretch of highway. I tried to keep myself calm and just told myself I'd simply get off at the next exit. Unfortunately there were few signs and only one other exit..that lead to I-95.
To make matters worse I realized that the headrests in the back seats were obstructing my view from behind and I hadn't had the chance to play with the mirrors, so I'm basically driving blind..while driving blind. Meanwhile I'm bouncing up and down and gripping the wheel like life itself, trying to get used to the very "truck-like" feel of this car that I was warned about on many automotive sites.
Finally I see a blessed streetlight, but with no easy way to turn around I simply make a right....down onto ANOTHER (yet smaller) highway that eventually lead to a mall. A few more turns there, and trying like hell to remember my way back, I found myself bouncing all the way back to the dealership, where I promptly handed back the keys and told him I'd think about it.
As we came home I was downtrodden that the car I was so excited about turned out to be a dud. But little did I know that Fate had something ELSE in mind....
The sequel tomorrow...
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