April 10, 2006

Making New Friends

Old Friends Taking a Nap.... Carroll County Arkansas

Just as my job situation was bound to break, I had a few relationships that have been doomed for a long time.

I am one of those people that held to the "use it up, wear it out, or do without" mantra for many years, but living with Woody has changed me... His mantras are..."Money spent means nothing if you aren't happy.." Or "Money doesn't buy happiness but try living without it." Gems of wisdom that I have been slow to absorb, but I am learning...I was ever a quick study...

Last week I get a call from Woody, "Hey, I have a buyer for your van..." I said "You do? I didn't know that we were selling it."

As it turned out the buyer for the van really didn't have the money required but there was another couple that were in their 80's that had a brand new Dodge Caravan that "was too big for them, they weren't comfortable driving it anymore" Neat as a pin with 9500 miles on it, Woody wanted to trade our car in for it. This was the Dodge Intrepid we bought in Houston when we first landed. I loved how the car looked and felt but after driving it a while it wasn't the same as my green machine that I left on the Big Island and I really missed the feel of a big car. My Toyota van that we bought here in Arkansas was comfy but rode like the 103,000 miles well broke in truck that it is. A work horse that runs like a watch and needs little care. Woody was concerned that I was putting 300 miles a week on that and tend to wander backroads, so having a newer nimbler vehicle was his good idea.

I warmed to the idea slowly. The Intrepid depreciated horribly in the year we owned it and I was going to have to take out a loan to buy the van. Well I decided that Woody needed to be comfortable too (he is so big that he cant hardly get in and out of the low slung car) and the two miles up and back would not tax the older van, and once he gets another job (that tale for another post, Woody is likely going to have to find another job...)So I ok'd the trade and the small loan for the balance and bought the new van... There is nothing quite like "new car smell"


My New "Local Ride" It fits my Image these days... I am camouflaged among the other middle aged women shopping at Walmart.

Of course it didn't stop there... This was Saturday, then Monday I got my phone... You know the one I posted about a week or so ago as I bemoaned tech gadgetry and my inability to cope. I had gotten a bazillion voice mails, my Uncle Peter had passed away and I had a job interview pending and...My phone is dead as a door nail. Not the battery It I had charged. I have needed to update the operating system for 6 months and my computer hates the thing and doesn't want to do this. I have to back up all of the peripheral programs, and that takes time We are talking two days work... Who has time for that? So I put it of and off and fianlly I said "I have had enough. I know I spent 500.00 bucks on this but I dont care, I am getting a new cool phone. I dont care what it costs, or how much money I "leave on the table"."

So I walked into the Cingular store in Rogers and my fave sales guy who has helped me through a bunch of Treo disasters, Andrew, was right there, and I pulled the phone out and shook it and said "I want a divorce, I am through with this guy!" He laughed and said "Well I wondered how long it would take you", I have the perfect phone for you. And he was right.


My new Pink Thing, My RAZR phone

I am still learning how to use it, I may be the only person you will ever meet that must read the manual but I love it. And the best part is that my phone and my computer never have to meet... My computer is a jelous creature and wants nothing to do with any other electrical device... It hates my Ipod too, I have to go to system restore everytime I back the thing up somehow it corrupts my computer terribly. Any thoughts on this problem?

The cats want to know if we are going to trade them in. Makoa has been a royal pain, even to the point of doing something unmentionable on our bed. We forgave him, but they are now banished form our bedroom while we are gone... But even with all of that, I dont think so, we would leave too much money on the table. After all they are priceless.

we are too adorable to be trade ins