The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The good...

You may recall we had yet another college visit scheduled for today. In one of our sessions this afternoon I thought one of the panelists looked very familiar. When she introduced herself I bounced up and down in my seat just a little. She was the professor who taught my very first history of art class. She was fairly new to the university at the time and, since I always sat in the front row, we got to know each other quickly.

Her enthusiasm for her subject of the class was so contagious that I took another art history course, and then another, and another, and the next thing I knew I had myself a double major. When our art museum was looking for a new director, she asked me to serve as the student representative on the search committee. She was also largely responsible for the departmental award I received my senior year. I've kept up with her career and family through department newsletters over the years.

I went to speak with her after the session and she's just as warm and enthusiastic as she was twenty plus years ago. Many years have passed since I last saw her, she is the Chair of the department now, but we talked as though I had stepped out of her classroom days rather than decades ago. I have to say I'm still smiling!

The bad...

On to another topic; I am ready to smack a certain seventeen year old. I know she's tired, I know she's stressed, I know she has a lot on her plate. But so help me - the craptastic attitude has GOT TO GO!

The ugly...

I leave you with one last thing. If an automobile engine runs out of oil, guess what happens? I should have prizes for Ree and Susan. I'm just sayin'. *sigh*

When the phone rings after midnight

it is NEVER a good thing. The Saint and I were getting ready for bed Saturday morningFriday night and the phone rang. It was Precious Oldest - broken down on the highway 40 some minutes from home. She and a friend had gone to a concert and on the way back to campus her car just up and died.

We thanked God she wasn't alone. That no one was hurt. That the weather was cold but not frigid. That we had AAA. A wrecker towed her car to the nearest town and friends came from school to pick them up.

It was only the next morning, after the Saint talked to the driver of the tow truck, that it came to light WHY the car had "just up and died". Let's just say the car will not be "up and running" any time soon.

The Saint drove two hours with a friend (a GOOD friend) to retrieve the car. They rented a trailer and hauled it back here. They left the car at our regular garage and tomorrow we'll have the mechanics take a look and access the damages.


Too bad the money tree in the back yard just lost all its leaves.

In which I'd rather be set on fire

The Saint and I have spent the last several evenings doing one of the most heinous, distasteful activities on the face of the earth. Shopping for a car. Not just any car, a USED car. We are not used car people. We generally buy a new vehicle because we keep them for eight to ten years. In fact the girls are driving a 1996 Honda that belonged to the Saint himself once upon a time. But my big honking SUV, that we need to haul the boat, that guzzles gas and has the third seat that was essential seven plus years ago when I still drove hordes of kids all over town current vehicle needs some expensive work done, so we decided it is time to unload it.

Since college is not free, and we’re trying to be sensible, it’s off to the used car lot. Of all the sales people in all the world, my hand to God, car salesmen have to be the worst. And it’s not the female thing for me either. I don’t get talked down to, or honeyed, or sweetied. The look I perfected as a mom? That can stop a kid 25 yards away dead in their tracks? Also works on car salesmen.

It is the whole “What will it take for you to buy this car today”, and “Let me talk to my manager” business. It is a competition to see how long they can get you to stay on the lot, and the longer you stay? Means they win. WTF? Then when it’s a USED car you’ve got mileage to consider and no way to know what KIND of miles. And every one of the salesmen is telling you how HONEST they are. How they’re trying to HELP you. How they can get you a better DEAL than anyone else. After every encounter I feel like I need to shower or drink heavily, maybe both.

So people of the Internet: Nissan Pathfinder or Chevy Trailblazer?

Update:
In a stroke of genius we decided to take my big honking SUV, that we need to haul the boat, that guzzles gas and has the third seat that was essential seven plus years ago when I still drove hordes of kids all over town car to a different shop for a "second opinion". $189 !!!!! Now if we can get this thing to run a few more years I'll be VERY happy!
Update # 2
They lie, they all lie!!! Still not fixed GAAHH!!