The Biggest Impulse Buy Ever

So as to not bore everyone with wedding blather (and to have a different blog of all things wedding-related to share with anyone I want without worrying about what all else they're reading), I have a new wedding blog. Link is on the side bar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We've been in the market for a new car for me for quite some time now. We've been searching a few different sales and keeping an eye on the paper. Saturday afternoon Rob was browsing the ebay's motor vehicles section, and called me in to look at one. It was a vintage 1976 VW microbus, fully restored with 55k miles on it. Powder blue, stick shift, broken stereo. Extremely cute. Completly not what I had in mind. I was looking for a "mom car", 4 doors so I can get car seats and toddlers in and out easily, and very safe (no, that wasn't an announcement, I'm just thinking ahead). The bidding for this decidedly NOT Mom car was at $6100, and he put max bid of 8000 on it. The auction ended in an hour and a half.

We went out to dinner, kind of figuring there was no way in hell it would sell for under 8000 and doing that impractical half-hoping we would and half-hoping we wouldn't get it, but it wasn't too big of a deal. I normally think things like this over very carefully, but there are certainly times when you need to let go and relax. Perhaps we're both still learning where that line is? Or maybe it's not such a big deal? Probably. Either way, it was uncharacteristic of me. I usually think first, think twice, draw up charts, make notes, seek opinions, pray, and then act. Not this time. Anyway, over dinner, I completely forgot about it.

When we got back home, the auction had ended, and we had won! It only climed up $100 in the hour and a half, so our winning bid was 6200.

I have never had a normal car buying experience, and I'm beginning to think I never will. My first car was the car my parents bought new when my brother was in utero; I got it eleven years later. My second car was given to me as a hand-me-down by my grandparents. My third was a last minute, quickly bought used car from a friend for $3000. I bought it before I looked at it, but it turned out to be ok. My fourth car was Patrick's old car; he gave it to me because he got a new one, and my old one was falling apart. This one, number five was an impulse buy. WE IMPULSE BOUGHT A CAR. Who does that?

We do.

My first thought was flying to San Diego to pick it up and driving it back (road trip!) but it turns out that shipping is cheaper when you factor in the plane ticket, gas and hotels (although I totally could sleep in it; it's got a bed in the back). I was a tiny bit disappointed.

Still, I can't wait to drive that baby around; my current car is ready to fall apart, so I usually stick close to home unless I'm with Rob. (It's nice, though; I fill my gas tank once every month or five weeks). I learned about a year ago how to drive stick, but I'm going to need a refresher course. Stu, you up for the challenge of re-teaching me how to drive?