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Glorious, stirring sight! The poetry of motion! The real way to travel! The only way to travel! Here today-in next week tomorrow! Villages skipped, towns and cities jumped-always somebody else's horizons! O bliss! O poop-poop! O my! O my! |
Sunday, September 3, 2000
One year ago: Back to the Klickitat
Two years ago: In the Moment
Three years ago: Argument
Our big agenda item for this day was to look at cars. I've been researching at cars.com (though Jack doesn't think highly of the reliability of some of the cars I favor), but there's no substitute for seeing, touching, and driving the actual cars. Especially since I've hardly been paying attention for the last ten years or so!
Our first stop (we were heading south anyway, to take H---- home to her mom's place) was Sound Ford used cars, in Renton. This was Jack's suggestion, since they have a good reputation. He also went to high school with the son of the owner (his opinion of him wasn't so favorable). My list of preferences filters the number of possibilities quickly. (Four door, hatchback, automatic, low-mileage.) They had had three Volvo wagons. I decided to test drive one.
It was a very nice car! And the sales guy had a good test-drive route through the town, up the hill on a windy road, then back along the highway. They wanted to deal as soon as we got back to the dealership, but we had a good excuse to leave. H--- needed to get home!
We stopped in Fife, at fifeauto.com, but they didn't have any cars there to suit me; I didn't even get in one. A quick lunch at Wendy's, and H---- ran to call her mom again. Finally! She answered the phone, so it was OK to take H---- home.
We dropped H---- off. She hadn't been home for about two months! Jack will miss her; it means a lot to him to have had this time with her, this summer and last.
* * * * * * * *
We drove north by way of Puyallup. This is a town that has made some special tax incentives for automobile dealerships, I think. So they have them by the bunch! I did drive a smaller Subaru wagon. Had I been spoiled by the Volvo? The Subaru was nice enough, and certainly much cheaper.
We also stopped at a Saturn dealership. I test drove a new wagon there, and I liked it. They didn't have any used wagons at that time, so I guess those that buy Saturn wagons are holding on to them.
It was getting late in the afternoon by this time. We headed north up the Valley Highway. We decided to stop in at Sound Ford again and make a low-ball offer.
Then the negotiations began. Jack inspected, and found little flaws and problems. The sales guy gave us a high price. I knocked some off for every problem. I raised my offer a bit. Finally we agreed. Finished! Or so I thought.
There followed an amazingly long process of getting the paperwork. We waited for a long time on the front steps of the used car building, admiring the (rare to Seattle) thunderstorm happening to the southeast. I got Jack to bring me my jacket from the car. Finally it was time to go wait some more, over in the main building. Our sales guy kept us company until the financial officer was ready to sign off on us. It wasn't a question of a loan; I was paying by check. It's just procedures. It was getting pretty damn Kafka-esque! But I was amused by the huge truck in the showroom, with Harley-Davidson trim and accessories. Is this what you drive when you can't drive your Harley? It didn't seem that you could put the bike in the back of the truck, so what good is it?
Finally (hours later!) we were done. By this time I knew a good deal about the sales guy's life story, and he knew us also. I told Jack I would buy him dinner, so we drove out (me following in my new Volvo Station Wagon ), around the block, and across the street to the Yankee Grill and Diner. Yumm, pot roast! We both got the "smaller" serving so as to have room for bread pudding for dessert, but even the smaller size was so filling that we barely had room.
A very tiring, long day (Jack fell asleep about five minutes after we got home), but I'm happy to have it settled! At least I didn't buy the first car I test-drove, without looking at some others, which was a temptation. It's the J-factor in INFJ. I like things settled! which is why I'll think about a purchase (digital camera, stereo, or the like) ahead of time, read up, research, study; then just go, and buy, right then!
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