The Worst Winter Weather Night For Picking Up A New Car

I mentioned in my previous post that last Thursday, Hubs deemed that night the worst winter driving day ever. It also just happens to be the day I picked up my new car.

 

Let me start from the beginning.  Get ready, it’s looong.

Over Christmas break the starter went out in my car. My mechanic, who also happens to work at a Honda dealership, replaced the starter and made a comment about the number of miles on my car. He said that we still had some good miles left on it but that driving back and forth to work every day would begin to take it's toll. (I think it already has, hence having to replace the starter)

So with that information in hand on Martin Luther King Jr. day, we went car shopping. I had an idea of what I wanted. Hubs and I have owned three Honda’s in the course of our marriage. And I kind of wanted another one but I also kind of wanted to try something else. I know Honda’s are great cars and they last. Let me tell you they last. We currently still have two Honda’s and both have 150,000+ miles on them. And my mechanic can work on them at his cost whenever something needed to be done. And because we keep our cars F-O-R-E-V-E-R, I had to think of repairs down the road. Even with all that information, I still wanted something different.

I had my eyes and my heart set on a Nissan Rogue. I’ve had several friends that have owned Nissan’s for years and love them.

So Hubs and I set out to the Nissan dealerships in our area. I liked the features and body design, the 2013 body design. The new 2014 body style of the Nissan Rogue’s did not appeal to me. So it was with this in mind I began to wheel and deal with the sales guys. Yes I said guys. We went to two Nissan dealerships looking for the best price and I began to play them off of each other. I felt like a kid again trying to play my parents against one another to get what I wanted. (Which for the record is never a good thing as a child.)

So when I finally got the price I wanted from one of the dealerships I called my credit union to see about financing the new car. When they couldn’t get my interest rate where I wanted, my loan officer asked me if I had been to the other Nissan dealership in one of the neighboring cities. My reply was, “They have a Nissan over there???” She gave me their phone number and I immediately pulled up their website and began looking at what they had.

Now here is where it gets good. These next events all happened within 30 minutes.

I found the car I wanted and I called the sales guy. I told him to see if they still had the car on the website on their lot. He said he’d check and call me back. He called back in about five minutes and said yes. I said OK I want it and I want walk out price at this. He said walk out, and I repeated myself. He said OK let me check with my manager and I’ll call you back again. Ten minutes later he called back and said OK you’ve got it. Then I asked if they did financing because I didn’t like the interest rate my credit union had to offer. He said yes and I said OK I want my interest rate at this amount. He said OK, I’ll call you back. A few minutes later he calls back and said we got you the interest rate, even more we got you two points lower than you requested. I said OK now I want my monthly notes at this specific amount.  Again he said I’ll call you back. And when he did he said OK we’ve got your walk out, interest rate and monthly payments all set where you want them , now when are you coming to pick up your car.

That’s right I bought a car in 30 minutes! How’s that for wheeling and dealing?

So on the worst driving night of the year, rain, freezing temperatures, and sleet on the way, Hubs and I drove to pick up my new car. A 2013 Nissan Rogue-Special Edition.

 

Great Iceapocalypse of 2014

First let me say that we southerners are not used to this kinda of cold. We also do not have snow plows, deicing machines, snow tires or snow chains for tires. So all you northerners please remember to be kind. Because when it's 112 ° this summer and you are griping about how hot it is, we will kindly invite you into the A/C and serve you a glass of sweet tea. Bless your heart!

Last Friday most schools in our area were canceled due to impending inclement weather. Meaning we had an ice storm on our way. There was a 60% chance of rain and temperatures were expected to drop below freezing and stay there for two days. I can say that my school canceled classes and I was off, while Hubs and the boys had a two hour delay. Let's just say they weren't to happy that I got to stay home. But in my defense I had a paper to write because Thursday night, the worst night in winter weather according to Hubs, I went and picked up my new car. But that is another post of another day. The laundry fairy was also on vacation so I had a ton of laundry to do. So Friday when we woke up to major ice coverage and after I got the boys off to school, I had a productive day. Paper written and laundry completed.

And just when we thought our winter woes were over, there was another storm on the way. So Monday afternoon most schools began canceling classes. This time Hubs and the boys were out and so was I. Tuesday morning we woke up to what looked like snow but was ice. It actually sleeted all day off and on, and while the high never got above freezing we did stay nice and warm. At one point the boys began to get stir crazy and went outside to play basketball only to find the backboard was covered in ice. But that didn't stop them. They were bundled up playing basketball in 29° weather. 

Honestly the winter weather days are not good for me because what do you do when you are home bound, you cook. Hubs made roast with potatoes and carrots for dinner. I made blueberry muffins for breakfast and several other things through out the day. And guess what we were off again yesterday. You know what that means...more cooking.

Well we started to thaw out Wednesday afternoon and I'm sure that everything well be back to normal Thursday. Until Wednesday of next week where we just might get to do this all over again. 

So stay safe and stay warm! 

Happy 9th Birthday!

I can not believe this cute little boy turns nine years old today!

                                     

Where has the time gone? It's amazing how fast time flies by when you in right in the middle of things. Baseball, basketball, school, tutoring, homework, church, and just everyday stuff in general. 

I love this boy with all my heart. My life is so much richer because of him. He is funny, smart,energetic, hardworking, and loving. 

Happy 9th Birthday R2!

 

It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do as a parent

We all know there are several aspects of parenting that hard. For example when you child wants something and you tell them no and then they pitch a fit, when your child has a cold and there is nothing else you can do for them beside sit with them, or when another child is mean to yours and you have to explain the situation to your child. 

But never in my years of parenting (like they have been soooo many) have even thought I might have to tell my child that one of his teachers has passed away.  Just typing it makes me want to cry all over again. 

Long story short, because it's really to long but more over sad to recount, last week, one of R2's teachers passed away. It was his dyslexia teacher. He spends 45 minutes 5 days a week with her. She was a wonderful teacher and so patient with him and all of her students. But more than that she was a wonderful person, wife, mother, and friend. 

The Monday back from Christmas break she had some health issues and because of those we began to talk with R2 then because her death might result from these issues. So Hubs and I thought it was best to keep informed of certain things. I'm really glad we did because when the news came of her death, he already some idea of her condition and while it was still a shock it wasn't a complete blow to him. 

We talked about it and answered any and all questions he had. 

But what surprised me the most his response after we told him. He just said, mom, I know she's in heaven and I'm going to see her again one day. Oh the wisdom of an eight year old child. 

Stephanie, thank you for loving my child. Thank you for teaching him and helping him to overcome his dyslexia. Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher and friend. There will never be another one like you. You will be missed.

Festival of Lights

I know it's a little late but I never did blog about our day after Christmas adventure. 

For a few years I've been wanting to go to Galveston to go see the Festival of Lights but for one reason or another it has never worked out. So this year I made a point of telling Hubs early in December that during our Christmas break I wanted to go see the lights. He said OK just say when and we would go. So Christmas Eve we were sitting around and I said how about tomorrow we head to Galveston. 

And so we did. We actually made a late afternoon evening of it. We went and ate at Fish Tales. And while the food was good, the prices were not. It was bit expensive for the portions that were even. 

Then we headed over to Moody Gardens for the Festival of Lights. They also have a sled hill for the kids to go down and an ice rink for skating as well. Hubs and I left the skating up to the boys because at this age I think I would be prone to breaking a hip. The boys had a good time but they really enjoyed the sledding. They went like 15 times each. 

Then we finally walked through the entire grounds to see the lights. It was awesome. Huge toy soldiers, angels, butterflies, elves, and my favorite part, the story of the birth of Jesus. All of it in lights. 

 

B-B-B-Buurrrrrrr, It's Cold

Yep, the weatherman was correct, it's cold. Oh I'm not complaining. I'm actually loving it. I don't think the temperature got above 34 all day. My cousin in New York even sent me a text message that said, "How crazy is it that the temps here and there right now are so close?" 

In the morning the temperature will be 19. I can honestly say that I'm glad I will be driving to work with heated seats. 

 
However by the end of the week we will be back to higher temps. 68, really? It's no wonder everyone around here is sick. 

Dear Mother Nature, please either leave the thermostat turned to Antarctica or make up your mind! 

Thank you.

Sunday Night Blues

By the time you are reading this it will be Monday, but right now it's Sunday night and I have a case of the Sunday night blues. 

What I mean by that is I really don't want to go back to school tomorrow. I have thoroughly enjoyed my Christmas break with my family. Staying up way too late, sleeping even later, doing what ever we felt like when ever we felt like. 

And not to mention that in the morning it will be in the twenties. That's right in the twenties. Now don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, I love the cold. I would take the cold any day over the normal 120 ° weather we have in the summer. See I look at it this way, you can always layer up but you can only strip down so far. (Well let me clarify that, I will only strip down so far)

I think we will be all be in a bit of shock when the alarm clock goes off tomorrow morning. So if you don't mind, I am going to enjoy the last few hours of doing nothing by snuggling up with my family and just watching tv. 

Cough Gasp Choke

Well here it is only the second day into the new year and I'm sick. I've actually been sick since before New Year's Eve. Since it seems the flu has been running wild around here I decided not play around even though I didn't have a fever and go to the doctor. Good thing I did because I found out I had an upper respiratory infection and it would have turned into bronchitis. 

So one co-pay and three prescriptions later I left the doctors office and headed straight for HEB. Because one, I needed my meds, and two, were out of things like milk, cereal, and York Peppermint Patties. Don't judge. 

And an hour later several hundred dollars poorer I left my beloved HEB and went home and got straight on the couch and took a two hour nap. 

I seriously I have done a lot of napping during this Christmas break. So much so that even Hubs said something. I hardly ever just sit and do nothing, so he knew I didn't feel good. I hope I can function next week when we all go back to school. 

I hope each of you have a safe and wonderful new year filled with love, family, and friends. 

I'm off to take another dose of cough syrup that will probably knock me out until at least Valentines Day. 

Happy New Year

We rang in the new year with lots of friends, food, and fun. And you know it's never a party until someone loses and eye, well not and eye but almost a hand. 

 We were outside for our first round of fireworks and a friend of ours,Greg, decided he wanted to light up a Roman Candle. So he breaks open a brand new package and walks to the end of the drive way and lights it up. 

The ladies were sitting in chairs by the porch watching the kids and the men produce a display that would have us Ooohhing and Awing for a while. So Greg lights up the Roman Candle and we all watch the first blast go out the front and then the second blast comes out the back and then the thing just exploded in his hand. On the good side he still had all of his fingers intact and we didn't have to rush him off the to the hospital. One the bad side he hand began to swell and he said it felt like his hand was on pins and needles and he couldn't move it. 

Also just so happened that the house were celebrating at belonged to not one but two physician assistants so they had some Silvadene cream. For those of you that don't know, this is a cream that is specifically for severe burns. So they packed that stuff on his hand and wrapped it in a cloth with ice and then gave him a shot of Whiskey. Just kidding he didn't want the shot of Whiskey but he did take a couple of Advil. Needless to say Grey did not participate in midnight fireworks display. And eventually the swelling began to go down and he could move his fingers. And you could see right where the blasted firework exploded in his hand. (No pun intended)

The rest of the night was uneventful as we continued to eat more food than we should have, played a couple of rounds of Telestrations. Which if you've never played I highly recommend it. It's the telephone game we used to play in elementary school with a Pictionary twist. Because how else would you get horse pie out of goat cheese. 

Anyway we all managed to make it to midnight to have the celebratory kiss and champagne toast. And some where around 1:15 my little family said our thank you's and loaded up into the car and went home. Where we proceeded to stay awake till 2AM.

I hope each of you had a safe and fun Happy New Year! Here's to a blessed a 2014!