Monday, August 3, 2020

Mine, All Mine



This is a picture of my car. Well, the car that was formerly mine, as I just traded it in, but when it was new (to me) it was one of those weird commercial moments where I got a car for Christmas. Sort of. It was for me, but seeing as how this was December 2015, it was also a safe, reliable car for FutureBaby. 

Exactly once this car housed a car seat (I installed it but then found out that if you get in a fender bender and the car seat is in the car, it's no longer considered safe, so the seat went into the back room closet until it was donated), and there's picture evidence somewhere but I can't find it. Which I think is actually okay, that some of these things are not easily accessible. 

In the past two years, this car started to cost me a lot of money -- it needed new brakes, new wheel bearings, new ball joints, I had the exhaust completely rebuilt, it had a new timing belt, and it recently got new tires and a new battery. All good things, but the car was already 70,000+miles in when I got it and it fast went from super efficient and cost effective to "Uh, WHEN can I expect a bill less than $1200???" 

After the replace-the-battery-at-2-a.m.-at-the-emergency-animal-hospital incident, I was driving home from picking up stuff from a student who discovered a bunch of library books she hadn't returned and my brake light went on. Like, the light that comes on when your emergency brake is engaged (mine wasn't). At the next stoplight I turned the emergency brake on and then off, but the light stayed on. So I called Bryce, and he looked it up while I continued home and it turns out, PSA for you guys, that if your BRAKE light comes on while you are driving it means that your brake fluid is dangerously low. So I drove it straight to the dealership, which was unfortunate because it was full of crap from my classroom and a box or two of things my mom gave me from my childhood and a bunch of plant markers and evidence that I used it to haul plants and mulch recently. I did not know I wouldn't drive it again. 

By the time they got to inspecting it (I was something like 15th in line when I dropped it off), it was determined that the brake lines had rusted out (EEEK) and it failed inspection with another wheel bearing and ball joint that needed replacing, and the total cost was nearly $2,000. At this point, a significant percentage of the value of the car. 

So, we talked, and did some research, and decided that it was time. I am so embarrassed at the state of my car when they evaluated it. I don't doubt that impacted the trade in estimate, which was abysmal, but I also couldn't drive it off the lot without fixing the stuff, so I was a bit nabbed by my metaphorical balls. 

But, I found a used Sunshine Orange CrossTrek that was only 2 years old and had only 28,000 miles, only to find that it was sold (and also that a 2020 was only a couple thousand more and had all the things like warranty and ZERO mileage). 

And so... I said goodbye to the car that was part for me, part for the mythical FutureBaby. 

I am actually smiling in this picture, which makes me concerned for the fall because instead of looking like I have smiling eyes I look a little mad. Or constipated. 


And I said hello to my new little Pumpkin Pie, my first EVER brand new car (I got REAL attached to the idea of sunshine orange): 




I love this car. It's fun, it's zippy, it's smaller than the Outback but can still haul stuff, and is perfect for just me and Bryce. It's all for me, just me. It's for the life I have now, not one that we'd hoped to have but didn't. It's super safe, which would be great for a kid but is also wonderful for me, as I'd like to live, too. I will never lose it in a parking lot. I can't really sneak up on anyone, but that's okay, I wasn't into stalking anyway. It makes me smile every time I see it in the driveway.

Welcome to the family, little Pumpkin Pie! 

Want to read more #Microblog Mondays? Go here and enjoy!

20 comments:

  1. Ooooooh, that's a lovely car! And SO glad that you got the dealership safely with the brake light on - yikes.

    I remember going through the whole "if the repair is under $1000, that's a win" what seemed like every metaphorical five minutes for a time a number of years ago with a car, and it's awful. Getting a car that isn't doing breaking down constantly is wonderful - and it's lovely that you have found something that fits the life you have now.

    Congratulations on Pumpkin Pie!

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    1. Thank you! Yeah, I was like...TODAY IS NOT A GOOD DAY TO DIE. :) I'm glad all's well that ends well (minus the new bill) and my car is now a super reliable, brand-spanking-new little pumpkin. I just got the rust inhibitor and interior preserver done, so hopefully I can avoid some of the issues I had with the other car. Rust in this area is pretty much a given due to all the salting in the winter.

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  2. I LOVE your new car. And as someone who didn't get to choose their car color - not losing your car in the parking lot is HUGE! (My car is white...) This is an awesome color!

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    1. Thank you! I am so excited that hopefully there won't be a sea of sunshine orange cars in parking lots. :) It makes me so happy!

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  3. Congrats!! Love the orange! I can see your smile in your eyes don’t worry :)

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    1. Thank you! Oh I'm so relieved. I feel like I have to practice smiling with my eyes and hope that the masks with clear windows that I got don't fog up... to teach without a full range of facial expressions is going to be sooooo challenging. (Although I'm not as worried about the 8th graders, they have INSANELY EXPRESSIVE eyes, lol.)

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    1. Thank you! While not great for the unexpected expense, I sure am glad to have a safe car (and a shiny orange car!).

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  5. Yes!!! Congratulations and Happy New Car!!!

    I love this: "It's for the life I have now, not one that we'd hoped to have but didn't."

    And I love that your new car makes you smile. <3

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    1. Thank you! It sure does make me smile. We have to take those moments wherever we can, right? Yayyy right-sized car for me!

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  6. I am so excited for you! It's kicky and awesome, just like you! It's a special kind of joy, a new and perfect car. Enjoy!

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    1. Awww, thank you! I like that, "kicky." I've never had a new new car before, so this is super exciting. I am so scared someone is going to mess it up!

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  7. Wow - you colour-coordinated with your new car (including your mask)! It is a fabulous colour and size for your life, with no regrets surrounding it. I hope you love driving it.

    Also - I'm sooo glad you were able to retire your old car before anything worse happened. I also know that feeling (April last year for me) of having to empty your old car and never drive it again. (Fortunately I had my shopping bags there, so could fill them up with all the junk in the car.) It's weird, but there's also nothing quite like driving that new car home, is there?

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  8. Ha! I swear, SWEAR I didn't color coordinate on purpose! The mask did match my dress though, I did do that on purpose. I LOVE driving this car. It's not super sporty, but it definitely has more kick than the Outback and is more nimble. And I love the moonroof!

    It's the worst having to clean out an embarrassingly cluttered car without prior notice. I had boxes in the car from my classroom (and for my classroom) and so that was super helpful. And the grocery bags, which since we've been doing pickup we haven't been able to use (you get pickup groceries in paper). I am determined, DETERMINED to keep this car neat and tidy! So hard when I kind of live out of it during the school year, but I'm going to do it! :)

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  9. It is adorable, and I love the name. Congratulations!

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  10. Love the color! It’s always exciting to get a new car- I’m sorry you had such a bad experience with your old car- it sounds like a terrible car to have so many problems for such low mileage!

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    1. Thanks, I love it so much! Ah, so we bought the old car with 70,000+ miles, by the end it had almost 130,000. Still low for a Subaru though!

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  11. Congratulations on getting a car that is new, fun, stylish AND safe! :)

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  12. That is one hot car! You deserved some fun, Jess. Enjoy.

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  13. Omg Jess why have I never run across your blog? Oh yes because I'm over on freaking WordPress oy vey! Anyhow I'm a survivor of six failed donor egg IVFs, miscarriage, 3 failed adoptions (international and domestic including one fraud) and 1 attempt at foster care adoption that was pre-empted due to one of the girls' severe behavioral issues which basically was the sign for us to put the 5 years behind us and focus on going from childless to child-free.

    and I really want to trade in our Subaru for something smaller and cuter as well... We got this wagon because it would fit both a kid and a dog and now it just reminds me of that đŸ˜”

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