Vladimir

After my expensive commute where I ripped something off the Audi Jackson decided he was going to find a new car for me and convince me to finally trade. I had been hesitant to because the Audi was paid off and I loved actually owning my car. I also have very specific criteria for my vehicles including a top that goes down. As Guy says, "if the top goes down, the price goes up." I had my heart set on getting a newer Audi convertible but their price tags left me with severe chest pains. (Yes, Jackson has succeeded in making me the most conflicted person ever. I love luxury items. I always have. BUT he's made me so price sensitive that I can't buy them without guilt and HIM talking ME into it. No one could have predicted that back when I met him in 2005 and scoffed at his 51/50 rule!*)

*This now infamous rule states that if something costs $51 and you only have $50 to spend, you cannot afford to buy this item. I heard this rule and immediately offered the option of charging said item to a credit card. It is a wonder that we ever married after that conversation. I was horrified of how this cheapo would go through life. Ha! My how things have changed. :)

VLAD!!!

Anyway, Jackson had a slow day at work so he scoured the internet for a new ride for me. He found a Volvo in Texas and emailed me the link. I started to delete it because I wasn't looking for a Volvo. He convinced me to just take a look at it. I did and I was blown away. It was a 2011 with less than 35k miles on it for about $15,000 less than the Audi I was looking at previously. I dutifully read the Carfax and then put a call into Guy to contact the dealer for me. He worked his magic and the car was mine! OK, so I did have to talk to the car dealer in Texas, Colt (I'm not kidding. Colt. From Texas. Hilarious. I accidentally sent him an email addressing him as "Colts" because I'm just so used to see that written around here. Whoops! Thankfully he saw the humor in this typo and didn't key the car before sending it to me-ha!), a few times. It was my first time interacting on deal as a buyer. I see why people don't like car buying now. It was just kind of stressful!

Tangent here: I love banking with J.P. Morgan Chase. (I loved them long before Jackson joined J.P. Morgan Asset Management so I'm not just saying that because he works for an affiliate.) They have ATMs almost everywhere we travel to, our rewards credit card is awesome and their iPhone app is incredible. Chase doesn't really care about me, though. While their associates are kind when I have to interact with them (which isn't often due to said ATMs with deposit functions and their awesome app), they don't know me and never go our of their way to provide incredible customer service. The same is simply not true for my Mom's trusty credit union in Marion: Riverside Community Federal Credit Union (they used to be Charles Street FCU and I'm having a hard time making the switch to their new name). I needed to finance the purchase of the Volvo until we sold my Audi in the Spring and they made it SO EASY! I was able to give them all of my info over the phone, email my proof of income and then they sent the papers to be signed along to me via my Mom. I never even had to go to Marion! I met Mom one morning at the interstate exit that I use to go to work in the morning and signed the papers. Note: I understand that my Mom's willingness to be a courier was the real reason that I didn't have to go to Marion, but they were kind enough to arrange for her to get the paperwork for me. Riverside didn't charge me silly fees to wire the funds to Texas and even sent me a separate check to use to pay my sales tax at the BMV. The folks I worked with were so friendly, prompt and knowledgeable. It was seamless. I just don't think it would have been that way with Chase. Riverside also had much better rates than the large banks which I found interesting. So they're cheaper and nicer. Winning! OK, end of tangent. I just think that a great experience should be shared. :)

Anyway, my car arrived late on a Thursday via a three car hauling truck. They delivered it right to my front door (after some terse discussions because the delivery was about 6 hours later than they'd scheduled for it to be without notifying me) and I drove it for the first time to class the next morning in Carmel. I can talk on my phone through the car now! I know that isn't a new feature for most people but my Audi was a 2006. That didn't exist back then! I can also keep my iPod plugged in and it plays through the car's system perfectly. Ahhh technology!! It is so lovely.

Everyone has asked me if having a retractable hard-top has made a huge difference in road noise. The answer isn't available because I didn't notice road noise in my other cars. I've almost always had soft-top convertibles so I think I'm immune. The hard top actually gave me a small panic attack the first day I drove it. Why? Because it looks so much like a normal car when the top is up that I felt like I'd given in to my old age and gotten a normal car. Thankfully I quickly remembered that the top will go down when and if Indiana ever thaws out and all was well with the world again. It isn't easy being a crazy woman, folks! ;):)

The trunk is quite large since the top sits in it when down. It has all kind of mechanisms that have to be in place to drop the top. I didn't put much thought into that so when I went to put my laptop in the trunk for the first time I was startled and overwhelmed. I had to laugh at myself when I just placed the laptop on top of something and hoped for the best-ha! (All was fine and once I wasn't standing outside in -16 degree temperatures I figured out the trunk. Whew. Maybe I'm not as old and out of touch as I initially feared!)

The world's oddest trunk

Much to Jackson's dismay my new car will be named "Vladimir" because it looks more masculine than feminine to me. :)