OK, a few more posts, this one about cars

Jennifer wants a car, and she wants it now.

When I gently remind her that she will get a car, and probably grandma's car this month (we've agreed to buy her 1999 accord for $3500) she then sulked about the color. Yes, you'll get it painted, but only after we have a look at the breaks.

And frankly, once she gets a job...she can paint it any color she wants once she gets the money in the bank.

"What, you mean you're not paying for it," she said, truly amazed. Yes, darling, welcome to almost adulthood.

Car freedom

Jennifer had the car yesterday, and it reminded me vaguely of the Chase commercial about depositing checks through your i Phone.

"Mom, I'm from the QFC in Covington"

"Mom, I'm at the Starbucks in Kent"

"Mom, I'm taking Adam down to Kent Station"

"Mom, I'm back in Kent, at the Starbucks"

"Mom, I'm on my way to the bus station to pick you up."

Mom can I have the car?

And so it starts. Jennifer wants the car to meet her friends today down at an South King County theater and then they are going to go to dinner after. Which puts her home around 10 pm.

When I told hubby of this plan, he promptly declared it a waste of time and gas, and we could just as well go and drop her off and pick her up. I told him that it doesn't take that much gas to go where she's going. We've allowed her to do this before AND I don't think gas is the first thing on his mind.

Try the fact he's having problems with the daughter going out, at night, at all with the car.

I might just suggest she go to a matinee and try again later for a soiree with her pals at night.

Car bickering again

Even tho I told Jennifer not to fall in love with a car, she did. A 2006 Ford Focus for $9000. Gary says we don't have enough $$ (the car budget has about half that in it now); and is unwilling to take on another car payment.

Can't blame him since we already have 2. But Jennifer of course, doesn't see it that way. So they bickered all morning while I was on my Beach Naturalist duty, and I received a barrage of tearful calls as she called about the "no"  and then about the "no" to going to see it. He then relented to her tears, but if there wasn't going to be any dickering going on, she wasn't interested.

They continued to bicker, and more calls to me. She was grounded and couldn't go over for a sleepover tonight or watch the World Cup. He later relented on both.

They'd reached a sort of detente by the time I got home, but gads.  I was about ready to order them to corners.

Car shopping again

Gary and Jennifer are in a battle of wills over the car, but I think both are finally starting to see each other's point of view.

After getting our feet henna'd, (another post), we snuck off to Burien to check out a car she saw on a used car lot. Then we hopped across to a Ford dealership to check out Focuses. About five salesmen were lounging by the front door, which gave us pause.

"That's scary, do you want to skip this place," Jennifer asked.

But a guy named Matthew bounded forward, and started talking, almost nonstop about Focuses and how he just survived a rollover crash after he fell asleep at the wheel with his two kids in the back.

Okaaay.

But actually, we didn't think he could make something like that up, and he did show us a nice Focus for $9000 with 41,000 miles and nice perks. So for the first time J could see the difference between a $9,000 car (which we could probably get down to $7,500) and a $4,000 car. So at least we're now all on the same page on that.

As for Matthew, he's looking for us in our price range. I like him. I just wouldn't want to drive with him.

Presents under the tree

Or in this case, cars.

Three of Jennifer's quite well-off friends are getting beamers for x-mas. One's outside now, showing it to her. I'm about ready to tell her to get herself back inside so we can finish watching West Side Story AND remind her : she's not getting a beamer as her first car. Even if we had the cash, and we don't, I think it's a mistake to give a kid a car where one will fuss over every scratch.

First car

The Toyota corolla had been parked at a next door neighbor's house for about 3 weeks.

It was blue, and a bit of an icky color, but it was an automatic and seemed in good shape. new tires.

The off putting issues were the price $5400 and the miles - 126,000. However, when the owner dropped the price to $3200, I stopped by on a dog walk/run and chatted.

She's been it's only owner. She's just put on new tires. Only had to spend on maintenance. It has airbags.

I ran back to the house and told Gary to take a look, but at first he refused. Too many miles My counter: One owner. Does it have airbags. yes. Apparently cars of this model do have problems with the alternator, but we'd have our mechanic check this out.

Then the kicker.

"Well, I don't think our daughter would like it. It's not very sporty looking."

"Do I look like I give a damn about what she thinks about it's looks. It's her first car. It's supposed to look like a piece of crap. As long as it runs OK, I don't care what it looks like and she doesn't get a vote!"

I think Gary was a bit surprised by this outburst. Then I realized, he doesn't want his daughter driving a geeky car. Ugh. Guys and their anthropomorphism with their damn cars.

His next objection was that she doesn't have her license yet. Well, no. But she will soon. By October at least. OK, how about $1,000 for insurance. True enough, but if we buy the car now, we can let it sit until we get insurance, and she gets her license.

When I told Jennifer about this back and forth, she wrinkled her nose.

"Really? That car's ugly."

"Do you want a car this fall or not. If you want cute, it's prob. not going to be until next year."

She's thinking about it.

More New Car Talk

This is a post from my other blog (on the environment) on the Prius-Civic debate my daughter and I had before we finally settled on the Civic.

A Snapshot of the Future?

We were out buying a new car with J. today. Not for her mind you, but last time we went without her to buy a car 6 years ago, we came back with a lemon (2003 Chrysler Voyager. The transmission blew up last year about this time. $3500.00 later. Need I say more?).

She's always blamed us for buying this piece of junk. If only we'd taken her. Soo, this time we took her and came back with a 2008 Honda Civic. I like the car already, and plan to drive it until the wheels fall off. J. was disappointed it wasn't red. I told J. and Gary that I DON'T CARE. Good gas mileage (the van was doing good to hit 21 mpg) and low maintenance (read above). So we got dark beige. Taupe, I think, is the official color. Fine by me, won't show dirt.

But as we were waiting for the sales guy to "go talk to his manager" (yeah, yeah, we know this game, but we also know that we have the upper hand. We know how much blue book is, trade in is, and the dealer mark up thanks to Consumer Reports. And we're in a recession and we can walk.)

Out in the parking lot was a family and a young girl, maybe in her 20s. She was having her dad, I think, take pictures by a new Honda CRV (this was at the Honda dealership in Auburn).

J. let it be known that she'd like that to be her in 2 years. I told her try to picture herself NOT in the sportscar she had her eye on (a black and gold number that she said would match PLU's colors) but the blah Civic she just bought. Most likely, that will be her first car. And we'll take a picture then.

I'm going to drive fast when I'm old...

This is what J. said to me as we followed someone down our hill today, at say, 15 mph.

Turned out to be a senior citizen, tho J. thinks anyone over 25 is old, in her book.

I can actually see her in a red sports car, hair flying in the wind at 50, with a Rottie (her fav. breed) filling in the seat next to her.