June 6, 2008 POD

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and if that wasn’t enough…

 

 

 

 

It was an interesting day.   We went to Pomona first.  We went straight to the first car lot and found the Town & Country we wanted to see.  It was 10:40.  They opened at 10.  No one was there!  Zippo.  Nada.  Nuh uh.

 

Undaunted, we drove 30 minutes to Corona.  Another Town & Country lived at the car lot there and we test drove it immediately.  I liked how it drove.  It was reasonably clean.  The mileage was good and I didn’t “check it off” my list. 

 

However, as we waited for the keys to the van, I’d seen a white Saturn wagon. I loved the look of it and I’ve always wanted to drive a Saturn so I thought I’d test drive it.  Just for the fun of it.  I thought we’d be checking out a bunch more cars but I wanted one “frivolous” test drive.  Once the car was open, I liked it even more.  Silly thing has everything I wanted in a car minus 2 seats.  (Seats 5) 

 

Then I drove it.  I kept my mouth shut but I loved it.  It drove wonderfully.  Handled with just the touch of a finger.  I expected to leave if we didn’t see anything else.  After all a “small” car was the “back up plan.”   We were on the hunt for a mini van first and a small car only if we didn’t find a mini van. 

 

Ahem.  The guy walks away (this place had salesmen who knew how to be there when you wanted them and go away when you didn’t… without being asked!   No pressure, lots of help though.  And he underestimated the probable MPG.

 

Kevin says, “I like it.  I doubt we’ll find anything better and I’d rather just buy it and go home.”

 

*Insert a thud where I fainted here*   “Ok.”  (What am I going to say, “Don’t buy me a car I love to drive!  Please don’t!  Make me keep looking and car shopping all day!  PLEASE torture me with shopping.  You know how much I LOVE *not* to shop!)

 

Minutes later, we signed papers, took off for our faithful UBOC, got a cashier’s check, and went to In-N-Out.

 

My burger looked like this

 

 

 

 

We both got “combos”.  Our family never orders combos.  Our usual order looks like this…

 

Ok, I want

1- Double double Catsup only

1- Cheeseburger with grilled onions

1- hamburger

3- Cheeseburgers

4- cheeseburgers catsup only, two of them cut in half please

6- Fries

2- Shakes

4- Large drinks (yes, we share… and we never get more than one refill, usually not even one… but all those cups take up table space and we need our space)

 

 

Today it was

1 #1 combo

1 #2 combo

 

That’ll be all.  Weird.  Cheap too.  Barely over 10 dollars! (it’s usually 24 or 25.)

 

Then we returned, paid for the vehicle, drove it to fill up with gas and put 10 gallons in.  At 44.00 to fill up.  10 gallons.  44.00.  Ouch.

 

We drove to Victorville where, just south of Palmdale Blvd,  one of the kids called.  I pulled into Burger King to call em back.  I do NOT answer phones while driving.  I can multi-task with the best of them but let’s just say that this is a pet peeve and leave it at that. 

 

After I disconnected the call, I turned the key in the ignition and… nothing.  Literally… lights came on, music, air conditioning… ice cold no less, but no engine noise AT ALL.  Remember that zippo.  Nada?  Yeah.  All over again.  Kind of like Deja Vu. 

 

We tried putting it in neutral, turning this on and that off.  We opened the hood and read the manual  (Saturns come with HARDBOUND manuals!  YAY SATURN!)  Nothing.  I finally got it in neutral but it wouldn’t start there either.

 

I called AAA and was assured that the guy would arrive in 45 minutes.  Just after I disconnected… say 3.2 seconds later, the car started.  We stared at each other in confusion and embarrassment.  Now what do we do?  Go?  Stay?  Gotay? 

 

We stayed.  For an hour rand fifteen minutes.  (the guy had to go WAYYYYYYYYY out in the boonies on the call before us.  Locked keys.  Poor guy)  He puts in the key and it starts up.  (we kind of expected that it would).  We look sheepish and keep our mouths shut.  “What would make it do that?  Why would it not start and then just start like that?”

 

It was a legitimate question!  The fact that we now expected it to start is beside the point.  He didn’t need that little bit of info.  He tested the battery and the alternator etc and it’s all great.  We drove home.

 

At the house, I confess I turned off the car with trepidation.  After all, only a Havig could buy car and have it die 60 miles later.  I mean really!

 

I looked at it for a second and then turned the key.

 

It turned over like it was rearing to go.  Again.

 

I wasn’t.  I’m beat.  And thankful for my car.

 

And thankful that I didn’t have to go to drive the other 14 cars I printed out papers and carfax’s with.

 

And thankful that Braelyn can take her driver’s test now.

 

And thankful that we can afford insurance on TWO teen aged girls.

 

And thankful that I have another errand runner.

 

And now just remembered that the Van needs master cylinder brake thingies. 

 

Oh well, at least it got an oil treatment at the “spa.”

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