Out With The Old

Happy New Year!

Have I mentioned that I'm excited about 2010? Good things are in store for me this year... maybe not exactly what I have in mind, but I'm confident it's going to be a great year.

Last Monday I tentatively walked into the Honda dealer near my home, having very little intention of buying a new car anytime soon. A former art teacher who graduated from Luther, my sales person was a young guy who never came across as a typical car sales person, which made me feel incredibly comfortable with the process. When I told him I was considering the CR-V and RAV4 he asked if I'd be interested in driving both types of SUVs that day. Since the Honda dealership in Burnsville and Toyota in Bloomington are both Walser dealers, we were able to drive up to Bloomington and test drive the RAV4 without going through the intro process all over again. I told Brian that, while the experience meeting him had been enjoyable, I'd rather not go through that at another dealer, so we drove up to Bloomington. He assured me we'd be good friends by the time the day was done. Both Brian and James (the Toyota sales person) rode along during the test drive, which turned out to be a pretty funny experience. Both of them are relatively young (mid-late 20s) and were playing off each other and their knowledge of their own brand. James mentioned that the Toyota rode a little more smooth than the Honda, he said Hondas tend to be a little rougher than Toyotas. Brian piped up from the backseat, "We wouldn't say the Hondas are 'rough'...." We were all laughing by the end of the test drive. On the way back to Burnsville, Brian and I bonded over The Current (alternative public radio station in Mpls) and the private college experience. By the time I left, I had been at Honda or on the test drives for 3 hours!

Over the next few days, my mind was reeling. Of course there were all sorts of year end deals and incentives, making me feel that I had to make a decision much more quickly. I had consulted many friends and family over those few days... some of the most rational advice came from Deanna. I knew she'd be a good one for me to consult as she knows me well, knows my financial situation, my passions and lifestyle. Because of Deanna, I will open another savings account and call it a "spirit/soul fund". Maybe a little corny, but it helped me think about my finances in a more organized way.

Even though I knew there would be deals over the next few weeks/months, I didn't sleep much the night of the 30th. After spending 2+ hours discussing the decision with Mom and Curt the night before, we met at Honda the morning of the 31st. Another 4 hours at Honda and I finally drove away with my urban titanium 2010 CR-V EX!!

I feel a little spoiled but have been assured by several people, including my friend/neighbor, Jason, that I've put in my time with older cars. I've been driving a 1999 Saturn for 4.5 years and a 1994 Saturn for 2 years before that. Each of those cars were reliable and very inexpensive to drive, but it was time to move on. Hopefully I'll feel the same after a few months of car payments!

Goodbye Saturn, you enabled me to do some pretty amazing things over the past several years. I'll miss you.

Another exciting change this weekend ... with the help of my friend, Brian, I painted my kitchen. Instead of white, it's now "asparagus". I love love love it!

Here's to 2010!

Jill