It was all just too easy

I got Cal to the orthodontist this morning a little early and the next thing I knew he was done. We went to school so I could drop off a key for the new guy and it went by fast. I am looking at a pretty good teaching schedule on top if it all. Went to Home Depot to make a return. Two minutes in and out. Went to the bank to talk about an auto loan. Out the door with time to spare. Dropped of a prescription, in the drive thru at Walgreens. No line, three minutes. Even with drive time it was only an hour. It was too easy.

When we got home the girls were up and about. No skating today. Coach had called and Kylie is fighting off a summer cold. No big whoop. Time to check the email to see if I had a deal I could live with yet for a new car. No bites yet, but it is only 10:30. Cal is starting on the baseboards, yee-haw! Another job I do not have to do. Another $40 for him.

11:00 and I have a deal on the car I want. Auto loan in hand. Lunch before going to the dealership. I'm trying to find the hiccup, I'm waiting for Murphy to show me his laws. It isn't going to happen just yet. I'm sure he is waiting at the dealer.

1:30 we are at the dealership. The MINI looks great in its final glory. A quick detail by me last night left it in beautiful condition. I still can't stand the car. Noisy, small. No practical value at all. We meet with the assistant to who I've been working with through email. The price is done, he is there for what color, let me check your trade, it's been nice working with you.

He comes back after the trade with an acceptable offer right off the bat. I'm still waiting. The phone. "What was that? I already told them 16. You told me 16. They are going to walk." Ahh, Murphy has arrived. He knows we are going to leave. Apologizes mightily for his arrogant general manager. It's only 1:45. I already have the answer after 15 minutes. At least I know. I tell him to call me if anything changes.

Krista is pissed. She hates everything involved with the game of car buying. She is angry, not at me, not at the salesman, not at anything other then the idiocy of the system. We are about half way to getting the kids. Cell rings. "Hello. Is that the best he can do? Is it in ink? Your sure? I'll call you back in a couple of minutes once I get stopped to talk it over." The backup offer has shown up to boot Murphy in the rear. $200 less than what I wanted, but a good fall back none-the-less. The change is a dollar or two on the monthly. "Start writing it up, we will be back in a few minutes."

The transaction proceeds smoothly. No extra sales job. Nothing. The salesman knows we aren't buying extended warranties, or gap, or body rust inhibitor, or any of those things that everybody tells you are crap. We are over to finance and it moves quickly again. Sign here, you sure you don't want that there, what's that loan at? I can beat that. No extra paperwork. A little more money in your pocket. Done.

We go through the checklist of all the bells and whistles and do-dads that go along with the purchase. The sales staff even catches the error in paperwork BEFORE we are off the lot. Everything works as promised. The deal is done. Krista was able to read a couple chapters in her book. We are out the door. It's 4:00. Two hours thirty minutes. That includes the leaving and going back.

I don't have any remorse for this one. I didn't get screwed. They made a fair deal. It didn't ruin my day like it usually does. Krista is thrilled because she has a car that she can use, a car she can drive with more than a book of stamps in it. I'm happy because I didn't even get close to angry customer mode. No confrontation.

My sister-in-law has had a rough patch as of late. She is a CPA and although tax season is over, it never is really over. Her husband lost his job, and has started a new one. Her oldest is being potty trained and is almost there. Michelle has been dealing with a mother's stress of sending her oldest to preschool as well. It has hit her like a tsunami. By her own admission it has been downright crappy. She told Krista that she finally had some hope this weekend. She finally could see the sunny side of the street. All this and she too ended up with a flat tire.