After speed reading to cuop just from today -- because I've missed you all so much! --
Tools, hmm?
I think of my car as a tool. I don't care how it looks or how many bells & whistles it has, as long as it gets me where I want to go with enough interior space to haul what I need to haul.
I have been stunned at how much time has been involved in replacing that thing that I think of as a tool -- and how difficult, almost impossible, it is to stick with a basic version. We ended up having to pay a lot more $ than I wanted to pay to replace my car because of the timing.
We knew we were going to replace DH's car very soon. I had hoped to keep mine for another couple of years. I was looking forward to the odometer reaching as close as possible to 200,000 miles.
I learned a week ago that my car's rear axle was dangerously rusted and would break apart -- would, not could. It was only a matter of a short amount of time. Maybe some shop somewhere would have been able to replace it, but it would have been very expensive and I'd have been without the vehicle for weeks.
Walking to work for 1 week in winter was enough. I have to be able to run up north if DMom needs me. I had to get a different car sooner rather than later.
I am grateful that DH had already done a lot of research into new cars and knew what he wanted. He suggested that I look at the hatchback version of the model that interested him. We did look at and test drive a few cars, and chose what came closest to what we had planned to spend, although mine was over budget because it would have taken a lot more days (or even weeks) to get a car without the remote start and other features most people can't live without.
Even factoring in that we were looking for 2 cars instead of just 1, the process took forever. A quick look at the car lot last Wednesday after the place was closed. Hours longer than expected on Saturday test driving and filling out paperwork. My new car was ready to pick up today, which we thought would be 1/2 hour at most, but it was another 2 hours plus.
The salesman spent so much time touting features that I don't care about, so much time showing what can be done by syncing a smart phone with the car's electronics, using a free app. I DON'T CARE! I don't want to communicate with the car through my phone. I don't even have that kind of phone. I just want to turn on the car and drive the thing!
I'm sure that I will appreciate the ability to start my car while I'm still inside the library, so it will be warm by the time I walk out to it. I don't
need it, though. So many buttons and screens and settings ... It all just seems like so many, many more things ready to break and expensive to fix.
Oh well, at least I have wheels again. I can finally go get some groceries tomorrow. I will be able to drive to work Thursday.
Yesterday I had to walk to work in the middle of a snowstorm with the wind blowing directly into my face. Talk about brisk! I was definitely wide awake for work, no caffeine necessary.