Saturday, December 15, 2007

The apocalypse is coming.....

because I said it would have to for me to incur another car payment. Yep, I have a new car. And not just a "new to me" car. A real, new car. Why no exclamation marks? Well, I'm still getting used to the idea. Let me spin the yarn of how it all went down.

Hunnybunny calls me at midnight this past Tuesday. He was coming home from rehearsals for the Christmas program at church.

"Hey, my Honda is making a weird noise." How anyone can be this awake at this hour is beyond me.

"It's 14 years old, of course it's making a weird noise." I chirp back, (secretly thinking, "You called me to tell at this hour?!")

"No, this is a WEIRD noise. Like a top spinning out of control. It started earlier today during lunch, went away, now it's back."

"Well, we'll check it out." By this time, I'm awake now.

I heard him pull in, but the engine was still going. "That's just like him," I thought, "checking it out NOW!"
Then he comes in, "Well, I have bad news. Or good news, if you want to think of it that way."

"Yes?"

"The engine just quit, along with a puff of smoke and all the coolant just came out."

I'm thinking, "So, we'll just get it fixed."

"That means we just blew a head gasket."

"Oh."

Now, I'm a little up on engines. I know how to change the oil, the tire, put anti-freeze in it. Heck, I could change the spark plugs years ago. But someone told me a blown head gasket is probably a new engine. So, here it is, Christmas, a down car, the other very old and both of us with obligations that require us to drive in different directions. Believe it or not, I didn't worry about it. I normally would, but somehow, the peace of God came over me and I knew we would be fine.

The next day, Hunnybunny talks to his boss, who has connections, and in one afternoon, we have this:(This is a pic off the Internet. It's been too cold to take a pic outside.
It's a 2007 Kia Optima LX. Folks, the last time I had a car payment was 1992. It was a Chevy Cavalier station wagon. And it was used. I still have "Baby", my 1987 Honda Accord. And I've had her since 1997 with 108K original miles. She just turned over 200K.
Anyway, I've always been thankful for her. And it's amazing she's still around.
I'll get more excited about having a new car when I realize I'm not going to be waking up and finding it's all been a dream.
I'll post some pictures once the freezing rain stops.

3 comments:

Debra Dixon said...

Did the car just become your Christmas present?! Nice to have dependable wheels. . .

Cathie said...

Nothing more special than getting in and out of a brand new car -- that no one has ever sat in, sang in, prayed in or spilled something in!! Congratulations Beth -- I know you will enjoy it. Hey -- can you say, "Road Trip!?"
P.S. From one mom of a "near legal" adult to another -- a piece of advice - if you want it to STAY new - DON'T LET THE KIDS BORROW IT!!!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your new car! I hope you enjoy it.

K.