Sunday, April 28, 2013

Out Another Car

We got in an accident yesterday. Now we don't have any cars!

We were going to get gas and then planning on going to see my inlaws. Needless to say, we didn't go. Instead we waited for the police (who actually showed up pretty fast. last time it took about 3 hours) and then fill out witness reports. We tried to get a rental car, but for some reason full coverage doesn't cover the rental. You have to pay extra for that.

We went to get the rental the insurance company told us was being held, but found out there is an extra $200 deposit on top of what it was already going to be to use it for a week. We don't have the extra money. We tried to use another company today that is a lower price, but the only location we could go to on a Sunday is at the airport. They do not accept debit cards."It's airport policy to only accept credit cards for local customers, but if we had a flight confirmation we could use the debit."

We don't have a credit card. The closest is out visa/mastercard debit cards.
Looks like we have to rely on my parents until we can find a car. Unfortunately, hubby works at 4am. He is going back to the regular non-swing shift schedule and we don't have to worry about a ton of back-and-forth commuting.

I hope we get a good car soon.




The car looks like it got it's jaw broken off.

Broken cars and frustration...
Meagan

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Good Things

The Oldsmobile is sold and I do not have to worry about so many things...
Examples:
-Rain.  The windshield would leak! Seriously, if it rained more than just a few drops, the inside of the roof would get damp. Right over both of the visors... or over the rearview mirror. It depends on what mood the car was in that day. Really. If it rained hard, it would drip. I would have to lay a blanket over the steering wheel or else the seat would be wet when I would climb in the car.

-Windows. You can not roll the windows down. The driver's window was stuck. I was just happy it was up. The winter after I got it, the motor broke and the window got stuck down! It was so cold driving to work. Like 2 coats, gloves, a scarf, a ski mask and the heater on full blast kind of cold. The other windows were starting to do the same thing, so I wouldn't let anyone touch the little controllers for them. No sir.

-Freeway.  I suppose you could also say long distance? If you went 60mph the car would shake. It really hated going over the speed limit on Bangerter. We usually took Legacy instead of I-15 (slower speeds and fewer cars).  We only dared go as far as Layton because we didn't want to be breaking down and stranded where we didn't know anybody. In Layton and Bountiful we at least have family.

-The ac and the heater were basically dead. They would finally be working by the time you were parked at your destination... and even then it was iffy.

-The suspension on one of the tires was about to give out, so I dodged that $300 bullet, too.

-The belts didn't seem to like to last long.  :/

Don't get me wrong. For the year and a half we had it, it was a good little 1st car.  It was just getting old and the plastic was getting brittle and not looking too pretty on the inside.

Although, I've seen some that I felt I would need to go get a shot after riding in it. We all know how deathly afraid of needles I am... LIke hyperventilate and have a panic attack and the thought of getting a shot kind of afraid. I know. I'm terrible. I try to get over it, but I can't. I have no idea how.  Hubby jokes that he's going to take me to get a tattoo to get my fears to magically vanish. I really think that would not help in the slightest. That poor tattooer (artist? tattist?) would have the hardest time. I would be the worst ever client.  I could only imagine what would happen...

Good news is, we got approved for a car loan and we are looking for a good car. I'm thinking a wagon or a hatchback or a sedan. Something not little, but not too big. Something we can carry a table in if we bought one. Not to sound Goldie Locks or anything, but I want it just right.  :]



My computer should be all better by tomorrow!  We ordered a new battery and a new charger. The battery came today and the charger should be here tomorrow. We are pretty sure that is what was wrong with it. I sure hope so.



All we have to do now is get the washing machine fixed and then we have the 3 problems fixed!!! That and find the just-right car.  Then things will be golden! (hehe)   That is, until something else decides to go wrong.  Cross my fingers that that doesn't happen for a good long while.


Love, cars and fixed computers....
Meagan.  :]

Monday, April 22, 2013

All Of The Things Are Breaking!

Everything around here has decided to start dying!! Ok, not everything.... yet.

The washing machine, the car and my laptop all have. I really hope nothing else decides to go next. It would be appreciated...

We are getting rid of ye olde cutlass cierra and working with just one car again. Difficult.

I cleaned out the car and found my husband's long lost original wedding ring. I also found a cell phone. Methinks it is my seester's that she lost. Good goin' sis. :P *loves*

Right now I am making one of my favorite foods to make lately.. Super easy and relatively fast.

Chili!



And , no. Not from a can.  From many cans! LoL  :)

You get a can of diced tomatoes, a can of either kidney or pinto beans, a pound of hamberger and some spices.

If you get a package of McCormick chili seasonings it will give you the recipe.
You could do any spices you want, though.

First, brown the meat. Drain the grease once its done. Dump in the spices, the tomatoes and the beans (do not drain the beans and the tomatoes. dump the juices in the pot too!)

Bring the heat up to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, cover it and bring the heat down to a low temp. Let it simmer for about 10min. (You can go longer if you like.)

Dish it up with cheese or sour cream or cornbread or whatever floats your boat!

M-mmm... I love making this stuff.


Friday, April 19, 2013

Stupid Car Died. . . Again.

Noo!  My car decided to die this morning on my way to work...

I'm driving along and I notice it smells weird.  My temperature gauge is ALL the way to RED.  Not just touching red... it's ALL THE WAY!   

See??
(Don't worry, I'm parked.)
 I pull over and park the car. I text my husband (who is at work) that the car is freaking out. I call work to tell them I'm not going to make it in.  I call the mechanic and tell him what's going on. He tells me to wait about half an hour to an hour for the gauge to get out of the red before driving anywhere... or call a tow truck. About an hour later, the temp gauge is still in the same place. We call the insurance company, who calls the towing company.  I wait until about 9:30, when the tow truck driver calls and says he doesn't see me. I'm on the side street. Right by the main road. He had pulled into the parking lot of the town homes next to where I was parked. *sigh*  He finds me and he gets the car hooked up to the truck.  

Once I've been dropped off at the mechanic's and the car is unhooked from the truck, I drop the keys off and get a ride home. It was freezing.  Today I did not want to walk.  (They usually offer to give me a lift, but being they aren't far from home, I just walk.)


I hang out at home, wondering what is wrong with the car and feeling bummed.  


Around 3 o' clock, the mechanic calls and tells me he would rather not be calling me.  The car is super dead. 

Ugh...  

The intake manifold broke. It caused antifreeze to mix with the oil. The engine sounds ok right now but they don't know how much damage had really been done to the engine. That also made the radiator hoses soft, so they will need to be replaced in the near future, as well. Everything to fix it will end up costing upwards of $1000.  


Not to mention the $300 is will cost when the problem with one of the tires (I believe he said that the shocks were wearing out on one tire?) finally decides to happen. 


Considering the trade in value of the car is maybe $950 in good condition, $700 in fair condition. About $1200 for the private party value in fair condition.... Basically, it's not really worth sinking more moolah into this car.  Unfortunately, I think it's time to find a new car.  


Arrrggghhhh!  (Very angry pirate, I know.)


I'm still making payments on the car for other things we have had to fix!  The driver's window went out in the middle of the winter before last and had to get a new motor to keep the window up. The serpentine belt went out when we were completely broke. That was not terribly long after getting the window fixed. 


If we had money, that car likes to make sure that it doesn't stay that way for long. There are other things I would rather be focusing on.


Looks like we get to go do the dreaded car shopping thing again...


Anybody want to go buy me a new car?   ( -_-)


Not a devil car.  I want working windows (they go up and down and do not leak!). Cup holders. This new car must not be a clown car. I hate driving in little cars. It scares me.


Yeah. If you could just do that for me, that would be great. ~Thanks 

Monday, April 15, 2013

Ch-ch-changes!

I've decided to change the look of this blog a bit. Ok, maybe a lot.  If you remember what it looked like before, it's very different now.

I have also started up a separate blog for my shop. I will start posting that stuff there and then anything else I feel like talking about on this one!
See the side or my profile for the link to that blog. :]

The other day hubby and I decided to take a very spur-of-the-moment trip to Park City after he got done playing a few games of bball with a friend of his and that friend's buddies.

I even got a compliment on my lovely hand-doodled shoes I colored on forever ago.
Aren't they so purty...
It was one of the guys that worked at the first store we walked into. It just so happened to be a shoe store. Haha!  Said guy asked if I had colored them. He then told me he might have to hire me to color on some shoes for him.  (I had to go get more shoes later to color on... for myself. I have been wanting to for a long time.)

We had fun window shopping and being spontaneous.

We came back down to the valley after we had wandered our fill (and had even stopped to get some pretzel bites!) of Park City.

We got some much-needed hair cuts (my hair gets so thick and heavy! With a bad neck, I have to thin it every time I get it cut) and got my thick-framed glasses fixed. They were so uncomfortable that I couldn't wear them.  So I didn't... for almost a year! I've just been bad and not taking them to get adjusted.




Friday, April 12, 2013

The Shop Is Open!

I finally got the shop open!  Just today!  I have a few listings up. Eight, to be exact.  I need to take a few more pictures and get them uploaded for other items.  I also need to talk to miss Jena about the items she took and see if she has finished with them yet.  I'm sure it will take her a little while to get the photos edited...

I am thinking about listing some bacon ornaments/bookmarks.  I get the feeling people will like them.  I don't get the bacon obsession...

Any suggestions?  If you would like to check out the shop, go to 
www.etsy.com/shop/GingerbreadCove