Quick! Lick the handle!

CAUTION: Long story being broken in two parts

Part One:

This weekend so kicked major ass! Geo got his truck and not just any truck. He got an '04 Chevy Silverado 2x4 Crew Cab. This thing is frelling mammoth. Needless to say, Maidink will never be behind the wheel. Noooooo thank you.

Now, how we got it is the fun part.

It started out on beautiful Saturday. The sun was shining, it was warm, Dinks was at the neighbor's house tearin' it up with their three kids, and Geo and our neighbor got the old washer out of the laundry room. I was to receive my new front-load high efficiency washer in 48 hours. Did I mention the baby was next door torturing my neighbor playing with her little friends? Things looked good.

Things looked so good, we decided to go for a "drive". Interpretted meant "let's go car shopping". Geo figured we'd go for a ride to Langhorne PA and check out the deals at Reedman-Toll.

It proved to be our destiny.

We drove, we parked, we walked. What would that be, drovi, parki, walki? Anyway, we checked out the newer used vehicles. We don't buy new and there is a damn good reason why. Philly is the home of insane car insurance rates. Seriously, getting quoted US$300 a month on a 1983 Buick LeSabre in shit condition is considered a bargain to some. No way can we get a new auto and afford the insurance. So, checking the used SUV's and trucks, we happen upon it. We looked at it, looked at each other, and I scattered to find a sales person.

Finding a sales person at a car dealer is like looking for sand at the beach. As the sales guy, Tony, and I were walking back to Geo, there was another couple looking at his (he staked it now) truck. I thought Geo was going to lick the truck door handle as a diversion tactic. Turns out he didn't need to. When the couple saw I had the upper hand with the sales person in tow, they left.

The sales guy talked to Geo for a bit about the truck. I ignored the most of it since it was "truck guy" talk; besdies, I really wasn't in the mood to listen. Finally, I heard the stuff that involved me - "Let's go over some numbers." Ding-ding!

Tony sat us down, took our info, offered coffee, and said "he'd be back in twenty minutes". Usually that means they take your info to the backoffice where the lenders lurk and they laugh hysterically for about fifteen minutes at your credit. The other five is used for the salesperson to gather their composure.

Ooooo, sidenote. They had the greatest coffee maker. It was like those one-cup makers but instead of using a cup of grounds, it was a little foil bag. Geo had breakfast blend and I had cappuccino. Yum!

Back to the waiting, we didn't have our hopes up. In our past lives, we both had declared bankruptcy. Him because of his shrew dumbass first ex-wife who used the bill money to go drinking with her friends. And me because of my late husband losing his job and income due to an noncovered disability. I, however, still retained a mortgage and have been slowly rebuilding my credit which hasn't been easy. I was almost declined an account at Columbia House two years ago. You know your credit score has hit rock bottom if a devil club won't take you. So the cards were so stacked against us to get this truck.

Tony came back after about twenty minutes. I didn't see any tears from laughing in his eyes which was a good sign. Geo looked at him as he sat down and said, "Well, what's the bad news?" Tony looked at me as if to say "What's wrong with him?" He looked at Geo and said "The bad news is do want to leave now or later with your new truck?" The look on Geo's face was priceless. He looked like his name was just called at the Oscars. I couldn't believe it either.

Geo was finally going to get his new truck!

I quickly jumped on the mobile to call our insurance company. I told them to drop the 1999 fidgetmobile and add the truck. I waited patiently for the new rate. "How bad could it be?" I thought. We were paying US$343 a month on the fidget and my Saturn. It's not like it was going to double. The hold music stopped and the agent was back.

That when the other shoe dropped.

... to be cont'd