Another long, rambling incoherent Post that you have come to expect from Shirley Ujest
2004 will be the year that I fondly remember as the year we decided to throw all our money, what there is of it, into the winds and say, " Sometimes you gotta say, Let’s just flush it all."
In June, we took a 7 day vacation to the money sucking fun emporium that is Disney in the sweltering swamps of Florida. About $1200 total. Tickets, gas and food. (main hotel stay was free.)
In less than three weeks, we will be in Germany for three weeks (eek) with das/der familie and do side trips to keep me from lapsing into smalltown coma. Right now, our total cost is about $1500 ( this is car and taxes. The air tickets were free, minus taxes.) Tack on about another $1500 for expenses while we are there. Yes, I am being optimistic. It will creep up to the 2100 range, I am sure, once we figure in petrol and buying beer for the family.
Now, an Opportunity Has Presented Itself Which Cannot Be Ignored. The purchase of a new-to-us vehicle.
It is the stuff of legends that I love my 1993 Ford Econoline. I’ve driven one for 6 years and adore everything about the space, drive, handling, gas guzzling, ozone depleting Extra Grande Kick Ass UberSUV complete with a towing package. Fun to drive, fun to park ( though challenging) it has the capacity of a store-it-all rental unit and still room enough to dance and haul kidlets.
Last week, the water pump went ( I blame Mr. Ujest, he seems to be a magnet for my beloved Van to suddenly become a hypochonriac) and instead of taking it to a shop to have it fixed in a timely fashion for about $240, he spent every night until after midnight for five nights putzing around under the hood, fixing this, replacing that, breaking this, and making upteen runs to the local autoparts store for things. His repair job cost about $260, took days longer, kept me a prisoner at home with the kids, but he got a cool new tool out of the deal that puts him back on top for Alpha Male status amongst the pack.
But this isn’t about what could be the Beginning of the End of the Econoline. ( She has only 121K on her. She’s good to go for at least 60K more miles.) She hasn’t broken her hip. She’s middle aged baby and just hitting menopause. Tough, reliable, ready to take on all upstart comers and ram their cuteness up their own tail pipe.
It’s about seize the bull by the horns and shoving them right up your ass.
A friend of my husbands that he kept tabs on through a friend that actually saw him on a regular basis, died suddenly this summer. 38 years old. Exercise nut. Had a heart attack and died. Leaving behind a wife and three kids under 11.
He had a work truck that his wife has sold and she owns her own car that she has traded in for a minivan. But they had a http://www.autobytel.com/content/Research/Photogallery/index.cfm/action/ViewPhotos/make_vch/Chevrolet/model_vch/Suburban/media/photothat was used strickly for vacations. The husband was exceptionally anal about vehicle maintenence and it only has 60K on it.
The wife is having our mutual friend who owns a bump shop detail it out for selling. I’ve seen it’s pre-detailing state and it is in finer shape on its worst day than my Beloved Econoline’s best day. ( Kids, dog, dirt road, slovenlyness. I blame society.)
I took it for a long test drive. Learning from the past, to get a vehicle on the highway for shimmy’s and jerks. Find a parking lot to see how difficult it is to park and back up. ( I’ve only just mastered the Van. 6 years!This does not include parallel parking.) and learning new brakes, steering, acceleration. ( Not to forget ramming capacity for road rage 
)
Oh.My.Og. It’s cherry, baby.
We are working on a fair and decent price for both parties involved and trying not to buy the East Side Rims ( very flashy and just an object of ridicule around these parts and at least it doesn’t have a flo-master.) and it has oh dear og a CD and Cassette player (i’ve only had cassette players in my cars as this will be the newest car for me evar.) If I ever buy a car that is made around 2005 ( this would be in ten years) and they have this thing called MP3, I wouldn’t know what to do with all my cassettes.
And a small TV/DVD player. ( To be used only on long drives. I hate those used for local driving.)
I never thought I would be converted over to a Suburban, though they have been in my vehicular mastabatory fantasies for some 25 years, but I have been converted and now, I must face the harsh reality that I must end the affair with my Econoline. I’m trading her in for a younger model. A black one with leather, at that.
It will take us years to get back on track financially, but the emotional scarring will be with me forever.
