When we decided that it was time to go ahead and buy another family car, we agreed that we would take a look at the used cars available for sale to see if we could get a decent used car for a reasonable price. We really did not want to have to take out a loan to buy a new car if we could avoid it. So we were really pleased when we found this used Lumina for sale at a local used car dealer at a reasonable price. The car looked like it was in really great shape and had really low mileage. When we asked how a car over ten years old could have such low mileage on it the sales man said that the first owner of the car was a little old lady (yeah, how many times have we heard that before?) who gave her car to her grandson because he needed a car. The ungrateful brat used a car title loans Michigan service to borrow money against the car and then never made any payments on the car at all. So the car got repossessed and we ended up with a decent low-mileage car at a decent price to boot! Their loss, our gain!
A call from the repair shop
by Mary AnneI was not very happy when the repair shop called me today to tell me that I needed a new transmission bearing. I had just paid several hundred dollars on a new transmission on that car, and I don’t think that I should have to even be learning what a transmission bearing is or what it does. I just turned the telephone over to my hubby and asked him to take care of it. Then I left the room and started to sort laundry. When my hubby finished with the phone call he told me that he was going to be able to do the repairs himself in the shop we built out back for him to work on his hot rods. All we need to do is find the parts. That made me feel a little bit better, but I still think that the new transmission should be under some kind of warranty, don’t you agree?
Redecorating the master bedroom
by Mary AnneI’m pretty sure that I mentioned that I’m planning to redecorate the master bedroom at some point in time, and that I’m trying to do it in a “Harley Davidson” theme to make my hubby happy!
I’m thinking about trying to make the curtains fit the theme somehow. I’ve already told my hubby that he has to help me with the curtain rods – I told him that they somehow have to have a “motorcycle feel” to them, which means that they will have to be chrome and will have to suggest either motorcyle exhaust pipes or motorcycle handlebars. I’ll be curious to see what he can come up with!
I’m not quite sure what I will sew to hang off of the curtain rods, I’m thinking about something made from denim squares cut from old blue jeans, or maybe something made from faux leather, or maybe something from very silvery-chromy shiny fabric. Maybe try to make some tie-backs that look like motorcycle chains…….
Suggestions welcome!!!!!
When it rains, it pours!
by Mary AnneLately whenever one of us goes out and the telephone rings, and my caller ID shows me that it is the cellphone of the person that has gone out, my mind immediately starts to wonder “what is wrong with the car now!” Twice in the past week my son has called to let us know that the car he is driving won’t start. The first time it was a broken serpentine belt. Second time it was a bad battery terminal. I didn’t even know that you could replace battery terminals!
It seems that all of our vehicles need immediate repairs. Brakes, transmission, ignition switch, starter, serpentine belts, steering, new batteries! It’s going to cost a fortune to fix them all. I’m getting discouraged about keeping up with all of the costs of living. And yet fixing the cars costs less than buying new ones. It’s not just about the monthly payments, although all of our vehicles are paid off. It is partly because the insurance payments would go up too. The vehicles don’t LOOK old and beat up, but they are getting old. I would like to just keep driving them forever. I hope things get better soon!
My “dream car”
by Mary AnneI’m not into big, fancy, status symbol cars. I want something reliable that gets good gas mileage and is built well enough that if it is in an accident, the chances of the passengers and driver surviving are good. My “dream car” would have a remote starter, air conditioning, a good heater, heated mirrors, heated seats, remote control mirrors, back window defroster & wiper, automatic transmission, cruise control, a GPS unit, power windows and locks.