Old Car/New Car
My car is going to be totaled. Turns out it had suspension damage as well as body: before the shop even touched it, they estimated the repairs at $10,500. I found out yesterday, today I got all my things out (hopefully I got all of them!), by the end of the week I get the money, a week from today I fly to San Antonio. At least I've handed my taxes off to the accountant, because otherwise I would really be freaking out.
Is it strange that I'm sad about the death of my car? I've never felt an emotional attachment to any car (that I owned*) other than the white Prius that Erik and I haggled for as a team in the last days of 2006. It was the first car that I bought, and I loved it. Really. After the vibrating of the blue Saturn his mom gave us, the Prius was a calming presence in my life. Vibration makes my whole body hurt, especially my hands, and, I realized after my car stopped doing it, stresses me out. I no longer hated stop and go traffic. Instead of feeling dead after car rides to LA, I felt merely tired. Yes, if you like, it was a home to me, and gave me a sense of freedom, like Serenity. (If only it flew through space!)
Now I have $11,500 coming to me, roughly a week to get a new car before Texas, and roughly three weeks before I leave for England. And not much idea what to get, much less energy to face the daunting prospect of actually buying a car. (Or leasing? Does anyone do that? How does it compare, financially?) I think I need to rustle up a posse of Big Strong Men to distract the salesmen so I can get a deal without trying so damned hard. I hope I can actually take my cousin Steven, who's 6' 4" and actually knows about cars, which is a plus. And I do need a car. This is not a public transit friendly location, especially given that I never want to get on AC Transit ever again and I need to see the ocean regularly.
If you have an opinion on what car I should get, please expound upon its virtues in the comments.
*As it happens, I love fancy and vintage cars. My very favorite car is at the Blackhawk Museum (formerly the Behring). Unfortunately, I can't remember specifically what it is! which clearly means a trip is in order. It's a 1910s or 20s racing convertible with a custom body built for an Italian countess. This is by far the best auto museum I've ever been to, by the way, so if you like cars . . .
Is it strange that I'm sad about the death of my car? I've never felt an emotional attachment to any car (that I owned*) other than the white Prius that Erik and I haggled for as a team in the last days of 2006. It was the first car that I bought, and I loved it. Really. After the vibrating of the blue Saturn his mom gave us, the Prius was a calming presence in my life. Vibration makes my whole body hurt, especially my hands, and, I realized after my car stopped doing it, stresses me out. I no longer hated stop and go traffic. Instead of feeling dead after car rides to LA, I felt merely tired. Yes, if you like, it was a home to me, and gave me a sense of freedom, like Serenity. (If only it flew through space!)
Now I have $11,500 coming to me, roughly a week to get a new car before Texas, and roughly three weeks before I leave for England. And not much idea what to get, much less energy to face the daunting prospect of actually buying a car. (Or leasing? Does anyone do that? How does it compare, financially?) I think I need to rustle up a posse of Big Strong Men to distract the salesmen so I can get a deal without trying so damned hard. I hope I can actually take my cousin Steven, who's 6' 4" and actually knows about cars, which is a plus. And I do need a car. This is not a public transit friendly location, especially given that I never want to get on AC Transit ever again and I need to see the ocean regularly.
If you have an opinion on what car I should get, please expound upon its virtues in the comments.
*As it happens, I love fancy and vintage cars. My very favorite car is at the Blackhawk Museum (formerly the Behring). Unfortunately, I can't remember specifically what it is! which clearly means a trip is in order. It's a 1910s or 20s racing convertible with a custom body built for an Italian countess. This is by far the best auto museum I've ever been to, by the way, so if you like cars . . .