Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Apr 1: April Fools' Day

[Actually, it's Apr 11th. My Internet has been very unreliable for a month. I think I've figured it out and now have a work around so I'm back on the 'net and backposting a couple things]

April 1st is April Fools' Day and I'm waiting for Alan Funt Jr or Ashton Kutcher (Mr Dinty Moore) to tell me I'm on Candid Camera or I'm being Punk'd.

1) April 1st and it's snowing! Fortunately, it's not cold enough for the snow to stick, but snow in April! Nature's prank on us.

2) My car's warning started flashing again. I just had some work done on the car and the dealership looked at the light yesterday.

As I went to work while S had to deal with the car, which I greatly appreciate... I received the call from the dealer and could tell by the tone that I was in for more repair.

The verdict was the beginnings of a cracked cylinder head with oil getting into the radiator. In other words, the repair cost is more than what the cars worth.

Hmmm... My car had 143,000 miles and over 10 years old (1999 model purchased in 1998). I suspected that eventually something like that would happen - cracked block or a blown head gasket. When cars go, they don't just fade away. They go out big... lol.

My only real option was to buy another car. My preference is a new car. I'm not a spur of the moment type. I like to analyze and mull things over. Analysis paralysis. lol. This time I went the opposite and just bought what looked good with a decent price and good financing [Thank you President Obama].

S picked me up and we went to the dealership.

I half expected someone to come up with a TV camera telling me that I've been punk'd. No such luck.

My old car: 1999 Saturn SL1
Photo from 2004... enjoying the snow.


My new car: 2008 Saturn Astra XR
Windows Rain-X'd and ready to go.


Leaving my old car at the dealership, I felt a tinge of sadness. At that time the SL1 was the largest purchase I made on my own. I drove through the South and halfway across the US to Washington State, plus numerous other road trips.

However, I left the dealership with a new car with fancy bells and whistles! Woo-Hoo!

That evening we went through the stuff collected from my old car.

Change, old receipts and mystery bits. "What's this spring?" Remember, back in '02 when DD chewed up the hand break when he was a pup? Well... That's the spring to the parking brake release button. The button shot off with the spring. I haven't used the parking/hand brake in about 6 months. "What's these plastic parts?" That one is for the passenger sun visor that fell off 2 years ago. That's lever for the seat belt height adjustment. This one here is the dry cleaning hook. This is the lock for the arm rest compartment and this is the parking brake release button. Looks like my car was falling apart, I'm hoping to get another 10 years out of my new car... lol

2 comments:

Shawn said...

Congratulations on your new car! It's a beauty.

Eat4Fun said...

Thank you! :) Want me to take you out for a drive?