Stuff and Things

I have been a bit offline for a few weeks because life got too busy. 

 

Firstly, this happened:

 

 

So my car just died in the middle of the road.

A post shared by Vanessa Smith (@normal_ness) on

 

Then naturally that was followed by a whirlwind of thoughts and actions, including:

  • Shit, what will it cost to fix?
  • How do I get a dead car to a scrap yard?
  • Are they even called scrap yards?
  • I should talk to my bank
  • WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN I CAN’T GET A CAR LOAN?
  • Wrong time to tell me that when I didn’t know how much it would cost to fix my car or if it’s even fixable
  • *much crying, swearing and complaining on the phone to Ben in my lunchbreak* 
  • *Possibly right next to a church who was having a service and had doors open and could hear every word of my crying swearing rant*
  • Pick up car, not hideously expensive to fix the immediate issue
  • It’s time to trade in this car before it costs me more than it’s worth
  • *Talks to bank and this time I got a non hideous person who confirmed everything I had done last year on my finances and that I CAN get a car loan*
  • Rant to Ben about how other people sucking at their jobs added to my mental load
  • Crap I have to go car shopping
  • Why do I have to talk to salespeople?
  • Too much peopleing.
  • I need a bigger car but I’ve never driven a bigger car
  • What if I can’t drive a bigger car?
  • I’ll test drive my sister in laws car of a similar size to the cars I’m looking at
  • SO MANY notifications from car sale apps
  • Do I like this car I’m driving or am I already just less tentative in a big car?
  • Why is such a good price? What’s the catch? 
  • That was a nice drive.
  • Was it a nice drive?
  • Yes, it was.
  • No, I’m not buying the car today.
  • No, it doesn’t matter what you throw in.
  • *Cue a day of thinking about cars*
  • Re test drove my SIL’s car
  • Hmm. I like the dealer car better
  • And the price is literally amazing
  • I think I need to buy it
  • I’m going to re test drive it first to see what is my level of comfort in the car vs me getting more comfortable in general driving a bigger car
  • Yep, I do like it. 
  • No I don’t want paint protection. 
  • Hey Ben, lets go grope the car with paint protection!
  • Haha, still not buying paint protection.
  • No, I don’t care if my car fades to hot pink in the QLD sun so long as it still bloody drives. I’m inside the car not outside it. It’s just a car FFS.
  • Trying to sell us expensive car mats *cue wild giggling from Ben & I & any other Community fan* #SixSeasonsAndAMovie
  • Deposit time.
  • Shit why is my PIN not working?
  • Phew, you can take the card number the old school way.
  • NO I DO NOT WANT YOUR LOUSY DEALER FINANCE OFFER SHUT UP
  • Don’t you dare tell me that you’re not taking up much of my time and that I have to listen to you talk finance you arrogant asshole. I’ll decide if you are taking up too much of my time.
  • Paperwork to bank. Forms. Signing things.
  • Gah. Cue waiting for bank to check and approve and fund and while it actually only took 3 days for the bank to approve it all it felt like 3 weeks.
  • Getting crochet lesson…checks phone… LOAN HAS BEEN FUNDED
  • *runs out of crochet lesson and to bus to bank to get a bank cheque*
  • Bank was trying to close but half the branch staff stayed behind to fix a small internal bank issue that stopped the cheque being issued as easily as normal
  • Dared bank employee to fix printer blindfolded
  • Lovely MIL swung by the bank, dropped me to dealer with cheque and then drove me to my car (saving me hours of weird public transport from odd locations)

 

That’s all I can remember happening right now but it’s likely there was more and I’m just too tired to remember.

 

The outcome was this:

 

 

It was $10k less than I was planing to spend (which also means $10k less than most comparative cars) and I got tinting put on it before I picked it up last Friday. Today it’s back at the dealer for towbar fitting.

 

And all of this occurred both during a series of medical tests/specialist appointments for Ben and my work busy period (which can be explained at its simplest as three straight weeks of one on one negotiations via phone, email and in person). I’m feeling a bit burnt out by it all right now. I’m an introvert (though not shy) insofar as I recharge alone, so this excess of peopleing has been a lot for me. 

 

It is great that it was only 10 days between car breakdown and new car, but the reason it came together so fast and so well was because of my effort (and some luck in finding the car I wanted so fast) and now I feel worn out from my efforts. I think I need to take a week off, or at least book a few days leave and give myself a 4 or 5 day weekend. 

 

Oh, and if you know of any videos that teach you how to park an SUV between other cars…well that’s the one thing I haven’t worked out yet. Link me up! (I haven’t even looked myself yet because did I mention mental load right now?)

 

23 Replies to “Stuff and Things”

  1. Nice car! Paint protection is a rort, but tinted windows are a must in the ridiculous sun around these parts.

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      Yeah I was a bit bummed it didn’t already have tinted windows but seeing as the car was so much cheaper than the others I was looking at I really can’t complain about adding it at my own expense.

  2. The car looks great – I’ve loved the updates! Make sure you take the time to look after yourself – you’ve been through the wringer and need to start looking after you x

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      I just need to confirm dates of a work thing then I’ll know when I can take a few days leave and make it a long weekend. Maybe even this weekend. I really do feel like I need it.

  3. A beautiful new car! Enjoy it. Buying a car is a brain-wreck. I hope our car lasts a very long time.

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      It is a brain-wreck! I feel better now that I’ve had a long weekend to recuperate.

  4. Congrats on the new car and for surviving both work and new car stress simultaneously.

    SSG xxx

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      Thank you 🙂

  5. I’ve been driving an SUV for 10 years now and still can’t reverse into a space between other cars…not that I’ve tried to, but I’m sure that I couldn’t. The scratches on each of my fenders are proof of that. Happy new car!

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      Haha I have managed to park once between others cars so far. Not sure how though 🙂

  6. LOL I loved reading your commentary… it made me feel like I was there. I love your new car, and especially the colour.

  7. Yeah!! A new car… and I love the colour even if it will end up as pink!!!

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      Haha the woman trying to sell us paint protection was so confused that I wasn’t worried about the colour!

  8. I never would have pictured you as a crochet type of person, so you learn something every day. Congrats on the new car and hope you get to recharge soon.

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      I want to make scarves and I’m too cheap to like stuff in stores haha. Although I’ve already forgotten what they taught me because CAR.

  9. I have so enjoyed being part of this with you…and love the colour and the car!! You will get used to it all in no time!!

    Denyse x

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      I’m getting there already. I think I still need to tweak the seat slightly though.

  10. Noice wheels! I love the colour and a story with a happy ending! Perhaps you can reward yourself with a lovely relaxing drive to your favourite spot. Sounds like you need to recharge your batteries!

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      I do feel better after a long weekend… it was so needed!

  11. I meant to tell you pre-car buy..no to all those add-ons. We said yes with one car and no with the other…

    Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek 21/52. Next week’s optional prompt is “How Did My Blog Start”
    Denyse

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      Oh yeah the paint selling person was so unimpressed with us! Tinting and a proper dash mat for the model of car are the only two add ons I need. Towbar was just an affordable plus so we don’t have to ask family when we need a trailer, we can just borrow their trailer vs borrowing them/their time, their car and trailer!

  12. I must admit, despite the hassle I am a little jealous of your new car! We need a new one desperately and are about to go and try to refinance our mortgage so we can swing it, so cross your fingers for us that they allow it so we can get rid of our 20-year-old, always has a problem shit-box!
    #teamIBOT

    1. Vanessa Smith says: Reply

      The hassle in the end was worth it, just the timing as well as the hassle was the part I didn’t like. I think I had great luck with the right car being available at the right time at a great price. Fingers crossed you get a new one!

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