I can't believe they let me buy a car, but they did. I must just look trustworthy. I have only been on my job for a couple of weeks. It is in my name. Michael made an appearance yesterday and vouched that he takes care of the mortgage and one of the debts that is in both of our names. That is all they needed to know.
Michael quit his job with ServiceMaster this week and while I was buying the car, he interviewed for and got a new job starting when we come back from the Smokies. We are both excited and have agreed to share the vehicle. He has even silently agreed to not smoke in this car so that maybe the new car smell will be retained for a while. I have declared it to be a non-smoking car, and so far - the trip to and from Winn Dixie - it has been smoke free. He put it out before getting in to go home. I don't know how long he'll let that happen, but who knows? It might happen. He will be driving to Baton Rouge a couple of days a week when he starts working for the grocery distributor that he'll be working for.
We are still trying to get settled and have been making many changes since Katrina blew through town. This new car is a fun thing for us. Yes, I know I still have to pay for it, but really, with what has been going down job wise for us this past bunch of months, I feel lucky. I still had that nagging feeling like the sales people saw me coming and suckered me somehow, but that feeling isn't dominant. It is a zippy car with modern features; plus, 34 mpg. hwy, 25 city. And, we will no longer have to let the backseat passenger out because the door only opens from the outside. My father-in-law's old car that I have been driving for the past two years has gone to it's final rest. Welcome, Kia-lu.
Cute car---hope it serves you well. What is your job now?? I remember hearing you lost your shop in the hurricane, so what's up?
Looks very cute Janine. I'm happy for you. New cars are always fun.
Oh, Janina, good for you. What's the color called? Champagne? Very pretty.
Congratulations Janine! I'm sure it feels like a breath of fresh air. Enjoy!
It is called Sand-Beige on the window invoice.
I am waiting tables at The New Orleans Bistro. Yesterday, we got slammed and it was just one waitress and myself working the lunch shift. Oh my goodness, I hate that kind of rush. I like walking out with cash, but it is a hard way to make money. I get befuddled. I had one table's order in my pocket for at least 10 minutes, wondering when their food was going to be up. When I realized why they didn't have food, I had to tell the manager/owner who reassured me it was okay and they whipped out the food fast. He is the best. He knows that he has to watch me and he is on top of anything and everything walking through the door. The 20 year old girl I worked with was shaking. I was so happy to see that. I thought it was my age showing because I was in the weeds without a machete.
We serve good food. Yesterday's special was called Catfish Toulouse - which was fried to perfection catfish with a creamy shrimp, artichoke hearts, and mushroom sauce. It is served with salad (homemade dressings), and a side, which was baked potato, french fries, or vegetables for $9.95.
That lunch sounds good! I'm coming over one day. Like the new car- fun, fun!
Congrats both on the new car and the new job. It's always fun to have a new reliable car. I hope Michael sticks with his no-smoking in the car. Carol
Janine, congratulations on the new car--lot of fun.
Janine, has Julia approved the new car for picking her up at friends' houses?
Congratulations, Janine. I don't know what kind of cars they are but it's hard to beat their warranty.
Thanks, y'all, for the congratulations. I took the car to Baton Rouge yesterday. This car is just my size. I saw a few other Spectras on the road. The blue one looked better in transit than it did sitting on the lot. Their warranty is very good, and that was a big selling point with me. We usually wait for our friend, Calvin, to fix our vehicles - being that it will be done right, and inexpensively at that. Now, I can take the car into the dealership for any complaint. I also liked the low mpg gas usage.
This time, I think Julia will hold her head up if we had to go into the driveway of one of her more materialistically endowed classmates, although the Spectra is not a high end car. Julia and I will always have that story to tell.
Here it is: Julia was the last class mate to arrive at a slumber party months ago. The other guests were calling her and anxiously awaiting her arrival. We got through the security gate at the entrance in my '96 Intrepid that is a little dented and was missing a panel on the passenger side. The house was on the first corner in broad daylight. It was a big, gorgeous house with a huge circular driveway. All the party was waiting outside at the front door for Julia. She said, "oh gosh, don't pull in the driveway. Don't pull in." I said, "there's not even a bush on the lawn to hide the car behind. That's ridiculous; I have to pull in." She was melting. She said, "don't pull all the way up." I said, "I have to. They are all standing on the landing pad waiting for you. This is where people get in and out of cars. It is going to look stupid if I stop back here." (I'd rather look poor than stupid, though sometimes I feel that looks synonymous.) There was no way around pulling all the way up with her financially well-off friends waiting for her with big eyes. I didn't notice the mother was up in that group and she leaned into my open front window as I told her Julia was embarrassed by my jalopy. She said she drives a jalopy too, but I wonder what kind of jalopy a woman with that kind of house would drive. I held my head up and silently gave thanks for the car. It had gotten me comfortably across the lake and back several days that week. If only I'd have taken better care of it...
Okay. That's my smile and giggle of the day. Good story and well told.
I love the new car smell! I have an eight year old car now which I still consider my "new car" but it does not smell good at all. That would be because three years ago, a gallon of milk shot out of the container when Scott turned a corner and half of the milk poured out before I could pick it up. It splashed everywhere. We have had it detailed many times but in the summer, that nasty smell comes back. Add to that lovely smell a new smell equally as pungent. Bunk used the car two weeks ago to go to Six Flags. He and his carload of friends waited to ride the water rides last. They didn't bring towels so their nasty, sweaty, smelly, wet, teenage bodies sat on my seats for the hour ride home. The next day, Geraldine, Kellie, Brianne and I went to a tour of homes show and out to lunch. I had a wet back and rear end for the show even though I sat on a towel! I was not happy with him. Now I drive around with an economy size container of air freshener sitting on the floor of my car.
Sue,
I bought some shrimp from a guy at work and he lent me his ice chest to get it home. The ice chest leaked onto my carpet in the back of that brand new 1984 Cavalier Wagon we had. We cleaned and aired and eventually replaced the carpet and still didn't get rid of the smell for more than a few hours. As soon as there was any humidity in the air, the smell would come back up to the surface of wherever it had hidden.
Back in our crabbing days, Daddy put our catch in the trunk. They were in a clothes basket with something on the top to keep them in. One, however, figured out how to escape. There was no way to leave the car though and he hadn't thought of that ahead of time. The smell was slow to permeate, but once it did, it was horrendous. Then we had to locate what and where it was. Daddy did a lot of things to try and clear the air, but I think the best thing was putting a layer of kitty litter all over the carpet.
The non-smoking is going to hold. It is his choice. Now with all those stories, I will be afraid to transport anything with the potential of smelling the car. We had pizza the other night that I picked up. I put it in the trunk because I didn't want my new car to smell like Domino's. Sure enough, an hour later when I went to Walgreen's, it smelled like pizza. That went away, thank goodness. I fear turning into a smell maniac.
Hi Janine,
Congratulations on your new car. There is nothing like new car smell!!!!!
And congratulations on your new job. Your owner/boss' name wouldn't by any chance be Tommy Miller?
Thanks, Barbara. No, my new boss is Herbie Rabelais. He tended bar at Sal and Judy's for 10 years. He has two degrees - one in horticulture and the other in education. He is the swiftest cook in the business too.
Looking for old friends, (Herbie Rabelais) give me a email if you no his whereabouts.