hot damn!
so we bought my mom a lexus.
dad and I have been hunting for a new (used) car for mom for some time now. when the first few cars we looked at weren't working out, including the accord that got such a bad inspection at the shop, we were about to give up for awhile. dad just got a huge job for his business and is going to have to travel next month to wisconsin to investigate a company he wants to buy, so we're running short on time if we want a car by christmas. but! then, the clouds parted, and god smiled down on our household, finally, and said, "you know what, preussers? I'm tired of seeing you get fucked. hold onto your seats, it's gonna get wild around hurr!!"
and sho' nuff, the very day of the accord tragedy, an ad is discovered for a used 1998 lexus sedan. a black lexus has always been mom's dream car. this one isn't black- it's more metallic gray- but it's the prettiest damn machine I've ever seen.
dad went to see it on friday night and fell so head over heels for it that he insisted we all go look at it come saturday morning. so, we all woke up uber early and made the trek to auburn (w00t noel!) to go see this magical lexus. and lemme tell ya... DAY-AM, gina.
the guy selling it is named vladimir. he is, in a word, adorable. he's anxious to get rid of this car- his FOURTH lexus, and he now owns his fifth- because he needs the space it's taking up. I was heavily distraught, but amazed, to learn that vladimir was just married, and his wife is already pregnant; he owns his own tiling business and has been in lots of business partnerships already; he's owned, like, ten zillion luxury cars; he's been in america for ten years, and- here's the part that makes me sorta wanna kill myself- he's twenty. twenty!! and his wife is just barely 20! and I felt like, FUCK, man. here I am- almost 23, jobless, spouse-less, childless, fancy car-less, business-less, my own apartment-less. and for a minute, I thought, quick, run me over with that car's perfect spotless tires! but that would have ruined mom's special day, I think.
...ANYHOW, (*sigh*), the car is in the most amazing condition. it has 90,000 miles on it, the engine is immaculate, all of the factory settings and features are still there... it has a 6-disc cd changer, heated leather seats, and a badassed security system (necessary since my mom works in a shady environment where cars gets broken into/stolen a lot)... vlad bought it in california, of all things, with a salvaged title from an auction. it had one little accident, but no way can you tell, inside or outside. it's quite literally perfect. and he's selling it for about a third of what it retailed for!!
look! there's vladimir in the background! ^^
mom is absolutely ecstatic. she'll be even more excited once we get to bring it home, which should be sometime by the end of the week. first, we need to get it inspected, just like the accord- just to be absolutely safe.
I can't even begin to express how much my mom deserves this, and how thrilled I am. dad was so excited the night before we went together to look at it that he couldn't sleep. after mom drove it and said how much she loved it, dad stamped his feet in glee. we went out to celebrate for two meals that day, my parents and I, and we all had such a wonderful time. it's been a really good week for me family-wise. first the grandparents' anniversary dinner, now this!
we decided to go to the supermall in auburn afterward because we had to go get our cell phones worked on by verizon. the supermall, I've decided, is the place where miracles happen.
my parents, back in the day, used to frequent an asian collectibles shop downtown by westlake. the store was run by a chinese couple and we have lots of different asian things in our house that was bought from them- mud men statues, a buddha, a silk screen painting, scrolls, snuff bottles- and then, one year, the shop vanished. but while we walked around the mall yesterday, we made a happy discovery- the chinese couple had opened a new store in the mall!!
I was drawn inside by a display of exquisite chinese furnishings in the window. the display was a black table with six stools, a matching jewelry box, and a matching lamp. I was in love with it. everything was decorated with chinese women made out of mother of pearl and gold leaf flowers and branches. we walked around the whole shop in awe of the things before us- swords, vases, paintings, sculptures, dolls. we asked the couple running the front desk about the window display. I was originally most interested in the lamp, but I came to realize that the jewelry box was incredibly perfect for me. my knees buckled when mom said, "do you want it for christmas?" and dad nodded and said that I should have it. before I knew it, it was being wrapped up and mom was cutting a check and I was dumbfounded by the fact that both of my parents, in their happiness from the new car, had been so quick to buy me such an elaborate present.
then, dad got to talking about a vase in the back he admired. the woman said she'd sell it to him for cheaper than the price because we bought the jewelry box. then, she said she'd give us the stand for free. dad was amazed that the price was what it was- he'd imagined it to be at least four times as much, because of the vase's size (about 3 feet tall) and the fact that it's decorated with real 24k gold. he said, "well, mom got a car, kristen got a jewelry box... I'm getting this for myself!!" and then we were at the register yet again.
dad got really excited- he shares my love of asian decor, and so does mom- and he got to telling the couple about the store downtown. then, they both lit up and said, "that was us!! that was our store!" and there was a very happy reunion between the kind shopkeepers and my parents.
caught up in our shopping spree and good luck, we also ended up buying the matching lamp to my jewelry box. we talked about having it put on layaway and coming back for it, but then, mom said, "what the hell! let's just get it now!" I was absolutely dumbfounded. this was a real first for my family- it was like christmas came early this year.
since this entry's running long, I'll post the photos of my new asian things into another entry. but all in all, it's been a really excellent weekend, and I think the worst of 2006 might just be- *knock on wood*- over.
dad and I have been hunting for a new (used) car for mom for some time now. when the first few cars we looked at weren't working out, including the accord that got such a bad inspection at the shop, we were about to give up for awhile. dad just got a huge job for his business and is going to have to travel next month to wisconsin to investigate a company he wants to buy, so we're running short on time if we want a car by christmas. but! then, the clouds parted, and god smiled down on our household, finally, and said, "you know what, preussers? I'm tired of seeing you get fucked. hold onto your seats, it's gonna get wild around hurr!!"
and sho' nuff, the very day of the accord tragedy, an ad is discovered for a used 1998 lexus sedan. a black lexus has always been mom's dream car. this one isn't black- it's more metallic gray- but it's the prettiest damn machine I've ever seen.
dad went to see it on friday night and fell so head over heels for it that he insisted we all go look at it come saturday morning. so, we all woke up uber early and made the trek to auburn (w00t noel!) to go see this magical lexus. and lemme tell ya... DAY-AM, gina.
the guy selling it is named vladimir. he is, in a word, adorable. he's anxious to get rid of this car- his FOURTH lexus, and he now owns his fifth- because he needs the space it's taking up. I was heavily distraught, but amazed, to learn that vladimir was just married, and his wife is already pregnant; he owns his own tiling business and has been in lots of business partnerships already; he's owned, like, ten zillion luxury cars; he's been in america for ten years, and- here's the part that makes me sorta wanna kill myself- he's twenty. twenty!! and his wife is just barely 20! and I felt like, FUCK, man. here I am- almost 23, jobless, spouse-less, childless, fancy car-less, business-less, my own apartment-less. and for a minute, I thought, quick, run me over with that car's perfect spotless tires! but that would have ruined mom's special day, I think.
...ANYHOW, (*sigh*), the car is in the most amazing condition. it has 90,000 miles on it, the engine is immaculate, all of the factory settings and features are still there... it has a 6-disc cd changer, heated leather seats, and a badassed security system (necessary since my mom works in a shady environment where cars gets broken into/stolen a lot)... vlad bought it in california, of all things, with a salvaged title from an auction. it had one little accident, but no way can you tell, inside or outside. it's quite literally perfect. and he's selling it for about a third of what it retailed for!!
look! there's vladimir in the background! ^^
mom is absolutely ecstatic. she'll be even more excited once we get to bring it home, which should be sometime by the end of the week. first, we need to get it inspected, just like the accord- just to be absolutely safe.
I can't even begin to express how much my mom deserves this, and how thrilled I am. dad was so excited the night before we went together to look at it that he couldn't sleep. after mom drove it and said how much she loved it, dad stamped his feet in glee. we went out to celebrate for two meals that day, my parents and I, and we all had such a wonderful time. it's been a really good week for me family-wise. first the grandparents' anniversary dinner, now this!
we decided to go to the supermall in auburn afterward because we had to go get our cell phones worked on by verizon. the supermall, I've decided, is the place where miracles happen.
my parents, back in the day, used to frequent an asian collectibles shop downtown by westlake. the store was run by a chinese couple and we have lots of different asian things in our house that was bought from them- mud men statues, a buddha, a silk screen painting, scrolls, snuff bottles- and then, one year, the shop vanished. but while we walked around the mall yesterday, we made a happy discovery- the chinese couple had opened a new store in the mall!!
I was drawn inside by a display of exquisite chinese furnishings in the window. the display was a black table with six stools, a matching jewelry box, and a matching lamp. I was in love with it. everything was decorated with chinese women made out of mother of pearl and gold leaf flowers and branches. we walked around the whole shop in awe of the things before us- swords, vases, paintings, sculptures, dolls. we asked the couple running the front desk about the window display. I was originally most interested in the lamp, but I came to realize that the jewelry box was incredibly perfect for me. my knees buckled when mom said, "do you want it for christmas?" and dad nodded and said that I should have it. before I knew it, it was being wrapped up and mom was cutting a check and I was dumbfounded by the fact that both of my parents, in their happiness from the new car, had been so quick to buy me such an elaborate present.
then, dad got to talking about a vase in the back he admired. the woman said she'd sell it to him for cheaper than the price because we bought the jewelry box. then, she said she'd give us the stand for free. dad was amazed that the price was what it was- he'd imagined it to be at least four times as much, because of the vase's size (about 3 feet tall) and the fact that it's decorated with real 24k gold. he said, "well, mom got a car, kristen got a jewelry box... I'm getting this for myself!!" and then we were at the register yet again.
dad got really excited- he shares my love of asian decor, and so does mom- and he got to telling the couple about the store downtown. then, they both lit up and said, "that was us!! that was our store!" and there was a very happy reunion between the kind shopkeepers and my parents.
caught up in our shopping spree and good luck, we also ended up buying the matching lamp to my jewelry box. we talked about having it put on layaway and coming back for it, but then, mom said, "what the hell! let's just get it now!" I was absolutely dumbfounded. this was a real first for my family- it was like christmas came early this year.
since this entry's running long, I'll post the photos of my new asian things into another entry. but all in all, it's been a really excellent weekend, and I think the worst of 2006 might just be- *knock on wood*- over.