Good-bye Luxury - Hello Economy, & Cape May

Our whirlwind weekend began on Friday evening with Michael waking me in mid-snore, “Mary, Joe’s here!” I, flat on the sofa after dinner and doing some yard clean-up, looked like a beat up ditch digger (ouch). Good friends from Maryland planned a surprise visit and I loved seeing them for a few hours on Friday night. I threw some water on my face, brushed my hair, and was good to go. We met again on Saturday evening.

Michael (left) and Joe. “The Two Stooges”. We had a great time at a nice Italian restaurant with Joe’s lovely wife and two wonderful daughters.

After dinner, we walked to Border’s and I found Geoff’s book!

Susan, let him know I shuffled the shelves a bit.

Earlier on Saturday, we headed out to continue to shop for and test drive SUVs. I wasn’t looking forward to it since it was the third consecutive Saturday we were out and nothing thrilled me. My mind wandered on the way…

Michael thinks I’m a nut but this bug held on to the passenger mirror during 40 miles per hour. Whoa!

SUVs offer nothing I want or need anymore. My beloved Envoy had a heavenly ride but it only carried “little old me” most of the time. Do I need the room? No. Do I need to pay for gas at 22-24 mpg highway? No. The Honda dealership had a nice CRV but not in the colors I prefer – white, black, or red. It was hot on that new car parking lot and I wanted to get it done. I saw an Accord in black that was very nice with leather, a peppy four-cylinder, and amenities I like. I thought, “Why not buy a sedan?”, then I convinced Michael that I liked it very much and we should put an end to this torture right here and now.

He does his car-buying homework and loves playing “Let’s Make a Deal”, knowing how far he can push the card and this deal lasted a while with a manager that offered us the MSRP on the first try. We laughed! It reminded us of a friend in Maryland who had an out-of-body experience in a Ford dealership once and screamed, “Do you think we’re STUPID???!!!!!!” She stormed out. Her husband was mortified but agreed there was good cause for her to become ballistic. We giggled about that, waiting for a more than decent deal to be set in front of us. And it did.

The sale took a few hours to finalize and I spent my time outdoors until I had to sign the papers. The financing, waiting, and everything else about car dealerships makes me dizzy and downright bored to tears. I would have walked home if the Envoy wasn’t registered in my name.

I always find something out of the ordinary. Whaaat? On a parking lot?

While we transferred my stuff to the new Accord, I shed some tears. I cry over nuts and bolts. My wonderful, three-year old GMC with only 35,000 miles was worth less than half its purchase price. That is an American tragedy and I’ll never, repeat never, buy into it again. Sorry.

It’s not as “cushy” as the Envoy but it’s nice and black. I’ll bond with this car. It has a great sound system that will entertain me for long rides on the interstates (to Cape May, see below!). I'll also enjoy 34 mpg - very nice.

In the future, I see me in a red Mercedes sports coupe convertible. I’ll drive it wearing a wide-brimmed hat tied under my chin with top down and A/C running. My XM radio will play my favorite 80’s & 90's, loudly. I'll sing and hold onto my hat.

I was washing hummingbird feeders and making nectar on Sunday afternoon while watching the Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees in Cooperstown, NY. The Baltimore Orioles and Cal Ripken, Jr. made my heart swell with pride even though I’m not big a fan of major league baseball. (Allison, I do know Cal was #8). The Orioles have been blessed with numerous hall of famers over several decades and I remember them all.

Baltimore - My Home Town, hon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until I get my rear in gear and upgrade my template and sidebar:

I'm so excited

for the First Birder Blogging Conference

at the Cape May, NJ Autumn Weekend

October 26-27-28, 2007

Join the FLOCK:

Me

Lynne @ Hasty Brook

Laura @ Somewhere in NJ

Susan @ Susan Gets Native

Sharon, the Birdchick

Delia @ Beginning to Bird

the list is growing...and open to all!

It'll be a whoot!

For more info:

www.birdcapemay.org