My weekend with lots of words!

Our weekend started with us taking the train to New Hampshire on Friday night.



We stayed the night at my dad's and on Saturday WE BOUGHT A CAR!



What is the big deal you ask? Millions of people have a car. Well Dave and I have had what I will admit VERY good luck with cars. Our first one was his parents 1987 Camry We never had any repairs on it while we owned it. Dave and his sister learned to drive on it and when Dave moved to Floriday he took it. We had it for a year before it was totaled. By totaled I mean an asshole hit us at a red light!


(I don't think my family has actually seen this photo.)

It was sad to loose a car but especially since that very week we have turned 200,000 miles. Original clutch and owners! We had even taken pictures of it turning 200,000 and sent them into Toyota. (remember that campaign?) The  insurance for the 1987 Camry was replaced with a 1990 Camry. Which was in two accidents BOTH while our car was stopped! It was fixed up by insurance both times but other than that no repairs that we couldn't fix.(that I can remember! The accidents were pretty bad but both times they fixed it up pretty good)



That car served us well and we had it until 2008. Dave and Pop and my dad had kept it up and running and repaired the holes in the floors and bondo-d the rust. We squeaked every minute we could but eventually it no longer was passing inspection so we had to give it up.

Me posing the day we had them come tow it away!



We went without a car from 2008-2009. It was definitely annoying at times. We got by using Zip Car which is an amazing service and allowed us to try out 10+ different cars over the year. (My fave was the volvo with the heated seats) and we took the train to NH for holidays to see family. But in 2009 a few months before my pop passed he kinda went and took it upon himself to buy us a car. Don't get me wrong we were over the moon grateful. We didn't learn the true story until he passed away. What we knew was one day he said "hey so I want to show you something" and we went into his garage and there was the 1997 Taurus and all he said was "$500? what you think?" That was it. No explanation, nothing. Of course we "bought" it for the $500 knowing that is no way what he paid. As much as I loved him he was STUBBORN. He wasn't about to tell us and if he decided something that was the final word. Later we learned he had bought it off some girl and spent weeks fixing it up and spit shining it for us. I found out when he died what he paid when I went through his paperwork. Even gram didn't know. Well when we were there for the funeral my cousin and his buddies said "hey your car doesn't sound good" Figures it died when pop died. He was our "mechanic" so my cousin's buddy came over and fixed it up for us best he could but he gave us the news no one wanted to know. Our frame was cracked and it would cost 5 times what the car was worth to get someone to fix it. It was only a matter of time before it went and we'd be screwed. We continued to drive it this past year. I know STUPID. It had no AC, no heat and we drove it on borrowed time. No one thought it would pass inspection. It did.

wooo wordy and I am only half way there! So it was well known in our family we were going to give it up and "figure it out from there". We thought we'd just train and Zip Car until we had time and money and effort to actually go and "buy our first car". Then I got the text message from my dad "you thinking about buying a car? I might know someone with a 2001 Cherokee" I said sure why not! So he went and checked it out and came back to me and said it was an insane good deal and if we didn't take it he was going to (He has a 2000 Cherokee himself. It's his third one!) We went and met the guy on Saturday and drove it around. It fit our needs and our budget and there was a few things wrong with it but Dad said "I've owned 3 I can take care of these no problem" It was pure Kismet too that we got our tax return on the exact same day.

Dave and my dad worked on it on Saturday and my dad worked on it on Sunday and we now have a new muffler, brake pad, rotor and fender something or other! We have to do some paperwork and unload the car we have and then we can bring it home!I am excited we have never owned a SUV. The trunk space!! I said to my dad "think of the laundry we can bring home!" (Dad has one of those nice front loaders!)

Then Saturday night we headed south and spent the night at Dave's parents house. We spent the evening planning our FAMILY VACATION!



The 5 of us are renting a house in Halifax Nova Scotia for a week in July. Everyone is so excited we haven't all been able to do that since they came to visit us in Florida in 2000 and we went to Disney world.

All in all a great weekend. Oh remember how I said I was working on daily gratitude?

*I am grateful for a Dad who knows a lot about cars and always is willing to work on mine. (he learned that from his dad, Pop!)
* I am also grateful he knows lots of "guys" and we could get such a great deal.
* I am also grateful for the miniature kitten I met at the guy's house who us the car! He had a 10 month old kitten who was only 3lbs! We talked and Dave and I suggested it might have a food allergy because he was going crazy with the vet trying to figure out why it was so small and not growing but appeared healthy except for potty issues. I love that cat and it loved me back. We instantly bonded. The cat was letting me hold it and snuggle with it and he said it didn't let anyone! It swatted at my dad and bit him. It loved on me! ha. It was SO TINY omg I can't even explain how cute it was. Dave and I talked at length the rest of the weekend about how much we loved it. We even renamed it. If the guy didn't have a daughter he probably would of let us have it.


How was your weekend? Are you grateful for anything that you are willing to share? It was so nice reading everyone's lists last time.

Waffle's latest photo turned out like a bad school picture. Such a serious face.