Traffic for 2009 March 22

Yesterday I took a break from work to go car shopping. What an ordeal. Susie and I are apparently ultra-picky, because the car we want simply doesn't exist. So, we will most likely settle for the RAV4. It's a new 2009 with optional third row seating. Apparently people don't like optional third row seating in a crossover. People want third row seating in a gas guzzling tank, or in a minivan. But since I care about fuel efficiency, and am not forty, the RAV4 with the third row is our pick. Said third row will remain in its down position for many years to come, but since we are buying this car with the future in mind, and expect the car to last ten years, there you have it.

It was fun to test drive a car, and Maggie enjoyed riding in the golf cart to the car. She also enjoyed playing in the showcase cars. And, believe it or not, I had fun playing hard ball.

We decided how much we would pay, which was about $5K less than the dealer wanted. We never budged on price, and walked away. Then we came home and checked other dealers. Apparently the dealership wasn't lying, so we're going to go back this week and buy it for $3K less than they want. I figure, I hate playing these pricing games, but I won because I got them closer to my number than their number. It was less intimidating because I pretended I was on a game show and the salesman was Howie Mandel.

FYI to car dealers, showing me other cars in my price range is not the answer. I don't want a highlander, because it's too big, the third row seat is all one piece (in the fab RAV4, you can have one or both seats down), and the car had twice as many miles than I told them I would consider in a used car.

I've never had a new car before. I'm getting excited! May the pathfinder rest in peace. It scares me to drive it anymore.

Today I'm wearing a jersey-looking shirt with the number 13. I didn't play on any teams or anything in acquiring this shirt. Anyway, Maggie looked at me wearing it and said "One, three!" over and over again.

Eventually that got old. She looked up at me and said "Daddy, where did two go?" What a brilliant little bug.