...and then I cried!

For a couple of years now I've been thinking of buying a convertible, it's something that I've wanted for a long time. For the most part I am a practical person, and a two seat convertible roadster is about as far opposite as practice as you can get!

However, for the past two or three springs or beautiful fall days when I would see a nice convertible traveling along, with the driver seemingly as happy and content as can be, I could feel my skin changing from it's natural blotchy tannish color to a mean & envious green. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the vehicle I had. It didn't have many miles on it, wasn't very old, but I couldn't let it rip ~ put the top down and just let 'er go!

So early winter of '07 my research on convertibles became somewhat serious. I was all over the Internet, comparing all of the different classes of convertibles, looking at prices & packages and spending way too much time on what felt more like a computer hobby than actual research.

Then one day my son and I were out doing errands and across the street from the farm supply store was a Nissan dealership. With extra time on our hands, we ventured over, and next thing we know we are driving east on 35 in a red 2008 Nissan 350Z! While I didn't think it was the car for me, my thirst was becoming somewhat clinched!

Back to the computer I went.....then back on the road at every chance I got to go look at models. A few more test drives.....getting better. Then I saw her! A "Monaco" blue 2008 BMW Z4 with beige leather interior and a beige soft top. I had hearts floating out of me like you see in a cartoon....she was beautiful! I took her for a spin. Shit, I was really thirsty now! But, like I had been taught, I didn't let on to the sales gal who was hovering over me that I wanted to explode and write a check right there and then! I went home.

It rained, and rained, and rained.... Who the hell wants to buy a convertible in the dead of winter or when it is pouring rain for days on end? Then the rain stopped. Got on the dealership's website, she was still there, now center of the showroom! A shining beautiful star!

Fast forward.... I drove her home on May 21st, in a bit of a mist....but the search was over and my thirst was quenched! She only came out when there wasn't a chance of rain. I bought a duster and kept her free of dust daily. One happy girl was I !

Three days after the temporary tags came off of her I took my son to the pool and hooked up with my friend Missy. After a few hours of talking and sunning, we were done for the day. We hugged and I said goodbye to her and to her daughter Paige. I got in my darling, started her up, backed her up, and CRUNCH!

I put my head down on the steering wheel and couldn't even get out. Missy came from across the parking lot, my head still down. I asked her to tell me it wasn't bad. She said it wasn't really all that bad, but it wasn't really good. At least I think that's what she said. I was shaking. I got out, and then, ....and then I cried.

I called the police, shaking, went in to call for the owner of the vehicle I a had backed into. Debra. Debra was nice, really nice. Still crying. She didn't want to even report the scratch I had added the the other scratches and missing lights her kids had caused. Love marks, maybe? Thanks Debra, I'll try to pay that one forward.

Well, you know the rest....called my insurance company, blah..blah, blah.....

Lessons learned:

1. There are some really nice and understanding people out there (thanks Debra, again)

2. Missy is a really good friend (but I knew that already, multiple times over!). She stayed and filled out the forms for me as my hands were shaking too much! She and Paige were just there for me, and I am sorry for all the curse words that Paige may have heard.

3. That no one, not my Mom or my Dad, or anyone else was going to kill me. That was ironically my first instinct: "Shit I am gonna get it now!" Although I wish they were around to "Give it to me"! (I miss them, even that part!)

4. How lucky I am that no one was hurt.

5. That my beautiful blue shining star is just a car. Nothing more and nothing else.

And finally:

6. Maybe God decided to knock my high faluting ass down just a notch, especially now that my Mother and Father aren't here anymore to do that for Him.

If number six is right, it worked. Thanks, God

Six good lessons learned for the low low price of a $500.00 deductible. Not bad at all.