Monday, February 16, 2009

Car Shopping with Daughter


Daughter: Dad, I found this car online and it is not far from here. Will you call and ask all the questions for me?
Dad: I guess so. Give me the number.
Daughter: What did they say?
Dad: I don't know. They couldn't speak English.
Daughter: SAD
(Phone rings... )
Daughter: Dad, it is them and they have someone that can speak English to talk to you.
Dad: O.K.
Dad talks to them and decides to go see car tonight. It was only 30 minutes away. Dad says it sounds like a deal.
Daughter: Mom, do you want to go?
Mom: I guess so. (thinking to herself....I really wanted to sew) ha!
(We all get in the car and drive with our GPS and locate the place. The apartments were right across from a jail!!!!!)
Dad: You know you have to be careful when you meet people like this.(at night & strangers). It's a scary world out here. You really can't trust just anyone.
(In the meantime, as he was telling us how careful we should be, he couldn't find the apt. # we were looking for. To see the numbers he had to walk up to the doors.)
Dad: (getting out of car) Lock the doors. You never know.
(He stopped several times and got out trying to find numbers on doors. By now it was good and dark.)
Dad: I hope these people don't think I am trying to look in their windows! (I can see them now chasing me out saying, there he is, the peeping tom)
Daughter: Dad, lets just leave. I am scared.
Mom: Lets just leave. (while praying & wishing I was home.)
Dad: No, we can find it. You just have to be careful anywhere you go.
(while riding round and round, looking for number.)
Daughter: Why don't I call that number where someone could speak English?
Dad: O.K.
Daughter: Daddy, they said to meet them at the Apt. office in the parking lot.
Dad: O.K.
(We sit and sit and sit and wait and wait and wait.)
Daughter: Daddy lets just leave.
(In the mean time a car drives up. It is an older model of the one she is wanting to look at. Daughter freaks out and says that is not the car in the picture. Man gets out and motions for us to follow him. Mom & Daughter are really scared. (We just saw the movie "Taken"!!) Man pulls up to a garage and pulls out the most beautiful car you have ever seen. It was gorgeous!) Daughter & Mom feeling better about situation. Dad gets out and we roll window down to listen. Dad is trying to communicate, but man cannot talk English. We think he was Russian.)
Dad: How long have you had the car?
Man: What? (shaking head)
Dad: repeats
Man: repeats
(on and on and on)
Dad: Why are you selling car? Are you getting a new one? Has it ever been wrecked?
Man: Huh?? Don't understand.
Dad: Can we drive it?
Man: Yes (understood that one)
Mom & daughter still in car. Dad motions for daughter to get out and come with him. Dad tells Mom to stay in car, lock doors and be ready to move car in case someone came up to me while they were gone.) Dad was in very protective mode tonight.
Mom: Sir? What do you mean? (scared to death)
Dad: Just listen to me & do what I say.
Mom: O.K.
(Dad, daughter & man ride together in car. Mom is getting nervous sitting in car in the dark by herself. Daughter had gave Mom her cell phone in case I needed it. But I wouldn't know how to use it. It is a new fancy one! Finally, they come back. Whewww! Daughter was scared in car. She said the man would get up really close. Dad wanted her to drive it also, but she said no. She was scared but in love with the beautiful car. It was perfect!)
Dad: Has it ever been wrecked? Do you have title?
Man: Let me show you picture.
Dad: Picture of what?
Man: The Wreck. Its not bad. (English is getting better).
Dad: So it has been wrecked?
Man: Yes, not bad. Just a little. I show you picture.
Dad: Clear Title?
Man: Rebuilt Title. (said in a mumbling voice)
Dad: Did you say REBUILT?
Man: I don't understand. Just follow me. I show picture.
(We get in car and follow him. Man is walking to his apt.)
Dad: Did you bring reading glasses?
Mom: No. I didn't know we would need them. ( I always carry glasses but not tonight!)
Dad: Well, when he brings this title out, how are we going to read it to see if it is REBUILT?
Mom: I don't know. I guess we will hold it far away. (Dad not happy.)
Dad: Always bring glasses. You never know when you will need them.
Daughter: Daddy, I am here. (from the back seat) I can read it. What do I look for?
(Man brings title and picture.) Beautiful car was not so pretty in picture. It had been wrecked and rebuilt)
Daughter: (whispers) It says REBUILT, Dad.
Dad: (looking at man) So it has been rebuilt?
Man: It wasn't wrecked bad. Just a little.
DAD: The front has been wrecked and the back?
Man: I don't understand. Just wrecked a little.
Dad: So what is your bottom dollar? (just making conversation to be polite getting ready to leave)
Man: I only go down 100.00. That is all. 100.00 no more.
Dad: O.K. Thank you for your time. We will think on it.
(Dad wanting out of there)
(Dad drives away. Beautiful car was a wrecked REBUILT car with a new paint job! No wonder it looked so perfect.)
Daughter: Sorry I wasted your night.
Dad: Thats ok. (as he yawned)
Mom: Thats fine, honey. (thinking to myselfthat I could have been sewing)
Daughter: I bet I will fail my test tomorrow. I should have stayed home to study.
The moral of this story: HERE IS YOUR SIGN.(Do you remember that song?)
Four important things to watch for when looking for car:
1. If you can't understand them & they can't understand you on the phone you might want to keep looking.
2. If you drive up and you are right across from a JAIL, you might want to keep looking.
3. If the car looks brand new, when it is several years old, and I mean brand new, you might want to keep looking.
4. Always take your reading glasses!!!!! You never know when you might need them!!!

What a trip!! We were all 3 ready to get home! This is one of those things that you would have just had to have been there. It was hilarious after we got home talking about it but very scary at the time. My daughter said she might not have got the car but Mom sure got a good blog post out of it!!
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Flylady Update:

This weeks Zone- The Main Bathroom & Home Office Area


Tuesday: PLAN & PLAY DAY

Morning Routine (flylady.net) DONE
Prayer Time & Bible Reading: Starting again in :Psalms 4 DONE
*15 min. Decluttering: I will be cleaning out 2 more drawers in my bedroom.


*15 Minute Mission: Wash door facings, light switch plates, & door knobs & fixtures. Office mission is to file anything that needs to be filed. DONE
*Water: Goal is 6 Glasses 2 glasses-thats a start!
*Walking: Goal is 15 minutes Done-Yay for me!
*Laundry: I always wash a load or 2 whether big or small every weekday morning. DONE
*Ironing: I will iron as the clothes come out of the dryer in order to keep up. DONE
Whats for Dinner tonight? Breakfast! Bacon, eggs, gravy & biscuits. DONE
Sewing Goal: I want to finish my siggy blocks this week.

Ebay Goal: List 2 things today.

Bedtime Routine (flylady.net) DONE
*flylady.net

I am looking forward to going to lunch with 2 special friends today. I had planned to go visit my granny yesterday but I had a doctors appt. and didn't get out in time so I plan to go after lunch this afternoon.

Favorite Quote: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Eleanor Roosevelt

A Bible Verse to share: But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. Psalm 3:3

My Word of the Day(dictionary.com):

Burnish- 1.To make shiny by polishing. 2. A polish or shine

11 comments:

My Colonial Home said...

Oh Valerie....what a horror story - at least that's how I saw it...lol

I don't know how you all hung around that long. I'd have wet my pants by now with fear!

Glad you all got out of there. Isn't it strange when the guy had to speak English he knew just enought????

Karen

Krista said...

When you said he didn't speak English I assumed that he spoke Spanish but then you said maybe Russian... That is scary! Why are Russian accents scary to me, maybe it has something to do with all the James Bond movies that I've watched!

Unknown said...

Guess that's a lesson learned! Cute family story though.

Janene said...

That is so funny and so scary on so many levels!
You are all so brave to even follow that man!

Anonymous said...

Oh my what a story, just like a TV episode on some comedy. I would have been scared, for sure. Wouldn't have forgotten my glasses though because I never take them off except to wash, shower, and sleep, can't read one word without them.
I love your posting style these days, with your entries on your goals and the rest, very good.
Good luck with the next car quest.

Needled Mom said...

My heart was racing as I read this post, Valerie. SCARY!!

Loved the photos from your Grandma's home. I wish I still had one of the rotary dial phones. The kids would get such a kick out of it.

Susie said...

Valerie that was an interesting but scary story. If I drove up into the situation you guys did I wouldn't stopped for a minute.

I'm glad you made it home safely. I'm sure it was funny afterward.

QuiltedSimple said...

Oh my gosh. Interesting, but scary too. I'd have so been out of there in a hurry! Glad you are all safe!
Kris

Carole Burant said...

Hello dear Valerie:-)

I'm finally back in the land of blogging, after having had Steve here for a few days I didn't get a chance to do any visiting so blame him! lol Wow, what an experience you all had going to see that car! Can you imagine someone, especially a woman, going alone to such a place to look at that car? Glad you were able to get out of there safely and found out that the car had been rebuilt...pity the person who buys it without knowing that!! xoxo

Alice Grace said...

ROTFL ....Uh Huh! You did not tell your Mom about that episode when I talked to you last night! Guess you did not want your MOM to know about you all being in possible danger! You know what I would have said! Daughter, stay away from places across from the jail! I am glad you were brave, but I have to say I wouldn't have been that brave.
Love
MOM

G'G'ma said...

Dear me, that sounds way too scary for me. Aren't things scarier in the dark? I don't think I would have wanted to sit alone in the car while you waited for the test drive to be over. Maybe you would have felt better waiting inside the jail building! Made for a good suspenseful and funny post!!