Christmas Morning

I can't remember the last time I couldn't sleep like this. Actually, that's not true. I can...but I was housesitting for my aunt and for some reason just woke up bright eyed and bushy-tailed at like 4:30 a.m. after being awake probably until 11 or midnight.

Who knows.

But this is different.

This is like Christmas morning.

Only better because I know what I got for Christmas and it's almost like I couldn't sleep because I wasn't sure it would still be there in the morning. Like I would jinx it or something. I'm still waiting for that. Though part of the sleeplessness was something else but I really ought to tell you what I'm talking about before I get into that...

I bought myself a really really big present.

It's something I've never done before.

And tell you what...it's really scary. I had the same gut-wrenching, panicky, what-am-I-about-to-do "Oh Shit" moment when I signed the handwritten "contract" the guy handed to me when we were negotiating price as I had had right before I got my tattoo. But the tattoo, while less expensive by oh, a lot, is still enjoyed, and I was straight thinkin,' Mom and Dad, and knew that until I signed on that official dotted line, handed over my keys to my sweet old 15-year-old, 251,000-mile Honda, and gave them the down payment it wasn't official and I could still walk if I needed to.

I didn't.

I signed.

And handed over the most money I've ever paid out in one lump sum that was in no way contributed to by my parents (my dear, departed grandmother, yes, but I was the one who hadn't spent it yet).

It was scary.

So part of my sleeplessness was the irrationality of that much money at one time and the inevitable car payments to come (which I've never had before...I'm so grown up, jeez). Which I can afford. Because I've only been looking at cars for the past year and a half. So I know what I can afford and what I can't. And we just moved and are saving lots of money, so I don't even have to quit my gym to be able to afford it.

Yes, I might be trying to still calm my nerves. That's a lot of money!

But when I got up this morning, finally giving up on sleep at 4:55 a.m., the first thing I did was go outside and make sure it was still there. And then pinched myself to double check.

Though I'd have to say, I've never bought anything so "permanent" before that has no return policy. Is it weird that a return policy would have probably helped me sleep better? Even though I wouldn't. Return it, that is.

Because I needed a new car. My poor Honda's AC has been shot, oh, pretty much since I've owned it (though probably before that), but it really gave up the ghost this summer. Tyler's recharged it three or four times in the last two months to no avail. And something's leaking. Again. And the brake rotor on the right front wheel has been warped for probably close to two years which means that when I'm going 45 or so and have to make an abrupt stop, the Honda would shake and slip a bit. And when I was going 50 and up, and had to brake at all, it would shudder like it's life was ending.

Mildly terrifying.

And two mechanics told me that while fixable, the likelihood of something being damaged during the repair was very very high as everything was corroded together and if this other piece thingy ended up breaking too, the cost of repair would be more than the car was worth.

Aren't you glad I never told you this, Mom?

 

So now I'm the proud owner of a 2012 Subaru Forrester. It is a Certified Pre-Owned, which boggles the mind, considering we're still in fact in 2012, but it was part of their rental fleet and they have to pull them from the fleet when they reach a certain mileage. Or so I was told anyways. It may have been a load of garbage.

I went and looked yesterday at this and a 2010 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport. The Impreza was a little smaller, about the same size as my Honda, only with that overpass to the trunk rather than the sedan style. It had 8,400 miles on it and the Forrester has 1,100. I went with an eye to low payments and something that I'd have for the next ten to fifteen years (luck permitting), so it had to be big enough that it would fit our full-grown puppy (who was born yesterday, by the way) and possibly our 2.5 kids once we have our white picket fence.

The Impreza would have been fine. It may have been cheaper. But when I went back and he gave me the estimate on the 60 month loan (as opposed to the original 84 month loan, thank you Mom and Dad), after long kicking of the tires with Tyler (who was trying to be so strong and talk me out of a new car...until finally I said, "Look, you're not the one who's been driving a scary car with no AC for the last year and half. I have. I'm done. This is happening. I love you, so please give me your input. Because this feels right, today, and if I walk away now, I'll be in that scary, hot car for another year and I won't do that.") I looked at the price of the Impreza and the price of the Forrester, which I really liked better and told the guy look, if you can make the Forrester the same as the Impreza per month for a 60 month loan, I'm sold.

He got pretty damn close.

The only thing that's not sitting well is the guy at the end who did the paperwork (luckily there was no "closer," you know, the guy who sits down and says, "What is it going to take to get you into this car today," just the nice salesman I worked with) who talked us into some extra warranty because at that point I was tired and after confirming I could cancel it at any time after looking closer at the paperwork, I said fine, just add it for now at your "cheaper rate."

I have a new car though! I'm so happy.

Now I'm going to go drive it to the gym :)

Ciao,

kc