Fun Things About Owning a Convertible

In this first week of owning a convertible I've learned a few things.

1.  It's not a good idea to blow bubbles while driving with the top down.
2.  In Oklahoma, in May, when driving by Cotton Wood trees, you can get it stuck in your lip gloss.
3.  Having some headbands and big hair clips in the glove compartment is a good idea.
4.  Heated seats and floor vents make it possible to keep the top down even if the temperature drops.
5.  When faced with an out of town trip, while head over heels in love with the EOS, Shawn will start researching pricing on U-Haul trailers.  
6.  After purchasing a car that seats only 4 of the 5 people in our family, we may or may not plan stuff around one of the girls being at a friends house for the night.
7.  I did a little happy dance when I filled it up for the first time.  
8.  After dark I still need sunglasses because there's a lot of stuff flying in the air.
9.  Bugs can get into the car....anytime they want.
10. I can dry my hair after a shower in a quick trip.

So, we're still in love.  And I don't ever see an end coming. 

It's a blast.

You're Welcome

So we buy a convertible and the very next day it rains. 

And rains.

And rains.

It appears the drought is over.

You're welcome Oklahoma.

So sorry we didn't do it sooner.

Our EOS!

Well, either hell froze over, or we just really want this car.  Shawn finally answered a call from Joe.  He said they'd sell us the car for the monthly payment we want....with the warranty still left on it...and with another one I think they were throwing in.  I was just hearing the 'We Get The Car' part!

Since we hadn't been pleased with the finance guy Joe told us the owner of the dealership was coming in to handle our paperwork.  Um, okay.  We were supposed to be there by 4.  Shawn took off work early and I met him there.  And I was a tad bit giddy.  For some reason we went to Joe's office first.  And chatted.  And chatted.  And chatted.  Well, Shawn did.  I just sat there and looked annoyed.  And caught up on Word Feud and Words with Friends.  He did have us sign one thing, but then we just sat.  When he handed me a pen to sign the one thing I commented on how cute the pen was.  It had a little VW car in it that slid back and forth.  I had to have one.  When he saw which pen I had he told me I couldn't have that and quickly took it out of my hand.  Um...okay.  He then said that we would love this car if we didn't mind that people thought it was a 'Homo' car.  Really?  Are you trying to sell us this car??  What is up with these people trying to ruin this for us?  Apparently they didn't really want our business.

At 4:35 I asked Shawn what exactly we were doing.  He turned and asked Joe.  We were told the owner was at the dentist and should be there at some point.  Excuse me, I had things to do.  Shawn read my body language and told Joe he had our address, if he wanted us to buy it, he'd bring it to the house.  And again, we walked out.

Close to 6 Shawn's cell phone rang and it was Joe saying that the owner was there but couldn't leave.  So since we wanted the car so badly, and wanted Joe out of our life, we headed back.  The owner was very nice and made the process incredibly quick.  After we signed the final paper he told us we could keep the pens we were using.  I told him that was good to hear since I hadn't even been able to hold the earlier one.  After he'd heard the story he promised me I'd get the sliding car pen.  So I got the cute car, and I had a pen coming. 

Bonus!

You know what?  It was all worth it.

So we were finally done with Joe.  And we are now the proud owners of an EOS.

And I did something I've never done before...I drove a new car off the lot.

I'm not going to lie, I was terrified.

So we now are a 3 car family.  Us.  The owners of the 2 car garage.  

The Taurus was nice enough to offer to stay out in our other driveway.  

And the EOS is already proving to be a savings in gas.  Which is good since we just drove it around 2 lakes, up and down the highway just for fun, oh, and all around town. 

And McKinley?  Who will be sharing this car when she turns 16?  She still wants a Mustang.  Ungrateful girl!  So I'll give her the Expedition and I'll drive the EOS.  Seems fair:c)

And the Search Continues....

The phone calls from the slimy Joe started last night.  After 10!  Shawn didn't answer.  I started getting calls today since Shawn has my cell number on his voicemail.  But slime ball that he is, he always asked if this was Shawn.  So I'd say no and hang up.

Since we are absolutely set on an EOS, Shawn and I met for lunch today and starting searching E-Bay....since Craigslist seems to never have heard of them.  We found 4 possible contenders.  They were in California, Long Island, Florida, and Wisconsin.  That's what stinks about E-Bay.  After the searching we decided the Florida was the best deal for the least amount of money.  But it was in Florida.  So we decided on the original one in Texas! 

But an orchestra concert that night, gymnastics, and tons of gas burning meant we couldn't do much about it.  After the concert I mentioned to a friend that we'd found the perfect car in Florida....and didn't know how to get it here.  She said that her family and her in-laws were going to Disney World soon and she'd gladly drive it back.  I assumed she was kidding but she said she'd be happy to.  Or since her father-in-law had always toyed with the idea of doing that in his retirement, he would.  It seemed like it was all coming together! 

Now, I just have to tell Shawn everything and see if he thought it would all work.  And hope he doesn't change his mind again!

And the phone calls from Joe keep coming....

The Search for a New Car

About 2 months ago I finally convinced Shawn we needed a third car.  I LOVE my Expedition but feel so guilty when I'm driving in my square mile of comfort and getting 8-12 miles per gallon.  Mondays are the worst because I pick up Kennedy and Reagan from school and take them to voice.  Then I go back to get McKinley and take her.  (Snow days added extra time to our day and for some reason high school had 17 extra instead of 5.  I never figured out why.)  Tuesdays during the musical were bad too because of Reagan's gymnastics.  I was just burning through gas.  Up to $300 a month.  Sometimes more.  And with a soon to be 16 year old it only made since to start looking.

When we were discussing what kind of car to get I wanted a convertible.  If we were going to get a third car, I felt like it should be fun.  I settled on a VW Beetle.  I wanted an old one and quickly found a '73 in a nearby town.  I thought it was meant to be since I am also a '73.  But Shawn didn't want an old car.  The Corvair of my dreams was crushed.  So I started the search for a new VW Beetle.  Craigslist was full of them.  I spent an hour and found about 20 to choose from in 3 states.  Shawn was pretty fired up about a few and I was giddy with the thought of getting a car.  We were trying to decide which one to go see when Shawn (always the voice of reason) suggested we go to our local VW dealership and actually drive one.  I married a smart man I tell you.  As we were approaching the dealership I was getting more and more excited.  He though was thinking it all through.  With taxes to pay and property taxes also, he just didn't think it was a good time.  So we pulled in to the lot...and right back out.  My day of a natural high was crushed. 

About a month later he brought it up again.  I tried not to get excited.  But I got on Craigslist just to look.  All the fun Bugs from the month before?  They were gone.  I guess when the weather starts getting warmer people start buying.  Sigh.  I still managed to track a few down.  He was using our bank website to find them.  In searching for a Bug he came across a couple of EOS's.  He knew a co-worker that had one and sent her a Facebook message to ask a few questions.  With her glowing report and locating one in the Dallas area we started getting excited about getting a convertible.  We found the same one at the dealership right down the road and tonight we went to look at it.  We met the corny salesman also.  Ugh.

About 10 seconds after getting into it, I was in total love.  When Shawn put the top down, I wanted it.  Badly.  I didn't even want to get out of the driver's seat when we got back to the dealership.  We walked into the Joe's office and said we wanted it.  But for the monthly payment our bank had approved us for.  Oh, and also for the price of the one in Texas.  $3,000 less.  After some number crunching Joe told us he could get us a better interest rate with VW financing.  We told him we were open to that but we wouldn't go above our set monthly payment.  I left Shawn there to do all the paperwork so I could fix dinner.  He said he'd call me when it was time to sign everything.  Almost 2 hours later I headed up there to get our car!  I met Shawn in the finance office and started signing.  As I was the finance guy was telling me about the service package they'd decided on.  The platinum one.  That made me think...how much was our monthly payment?  I had to be picked up off the floor when he told me.  In defense, the finance guy told us, VW parts cost 3 times as much as others so we needed that plan.  Um...was he trying to make a sale?  I turned to Shawn, who was also surprised, and told him I wasn't comfortable with that.  So we walked.  Joe was not pleased.

We came home defeated to 3 girls who were told to expect a surprise.  After explaining everything they were upset.  I understood, so was I.

So here I sit, sad again but still searching.  Next up?  E-Bay!