Car Troubles

About 2 nights ago Matt and I were having our monthly budget meeting.  We were discussing some of the categories we've gone over on (groceries, kid's clothes) and how we need to make sure we aren't over our yearly budget at the end of the year despite going over this month.  We were also discussing categories that have been great.  Namely car repairs.

We haven't had to fix anything for quite some time which has been nice.  Our Escape is a 2009 so it's still under warranty for a few months but the Grand Am is a 2002 so it does need repairs here and there.  So we aren't planning on doing anything with the budget surplus because we figured we'd need it someday.  And that someday came yesterday.

For some reason the automatic windows in the car haven't been working off and on and we didn't think it was worth the money to fix them.  It's a little weird at drive throughs but it's not that big of a deal.  Well Thursday the window stopped working in the down mode.  Long story short the window ended up inside the door so we had to get it fixed.  $500+ later we have one working automatic window.  The passenger side will remain unfixed and never tested so it doesn't get stuck in down mode.

Then Friday night my friend Sonya came to visit.  I needed to run to the grocery store so she came with me.  We hoped in the Escape and started to back out.  I was being extra careful not to hit the Grand Am when BANG.  It felt like I hit something.  Quick check and it wasn't the Grand Am.  O NO!  I realized I backed right into Sonya's car.  My car is fine but hers will need repairs.  I put a pretty good dent in the hood.  So we'll see what it costs and then decide whether or not to have insurance cover it.

Either way.  We're not under budget in the car repairs category anymore.  Boo.

Turn Around

This past Saturday we decided it was time to turn Grace's carseat around so she is now forward facing. We wanted to leave her rear facing until the baby comes because it is safer. There are conflicting recommendations on how long to leave your child facing backwards. The earliest they can be turned is 1 year old but many are recommending waiting until 2 and even longer if the carseat weight limits are built for it.

I couldn't wait any longer. I have found it nearly impossible to get into the car, lift, and pivot her backwards into the middle seat with my pregnant belly. So, even though it's safer to face backwards we are counting on the fact that she is still extremely safe in her forward facing seat behind the driver. Soon we will install the infant carseat the faces backwards behind the passenger seat.

Grace loves being turned around. She talks about the carseat now and wants to go for rides in the car. She likes being able to look out the window and see the people in the front seat. It makes her seem so grown up.

Ford Escape

Remember this post? Well, just over a year ago we bought a Jeep and really liked it a lot. It was a 2007 and had a year left on the warranty. Unfortunately that warranty was well used by us. And even more unfortunately the problem of it stalling at high speeds was never resolved. After several phone calls and lots of frustration later we decided since the warranty was up the best decision would be to trade the car in. Our dealer is completely aware of the problem and I trust that if they can find it they will fix it. But, it has been hard to identify the problem and it is so infrequent that I just don't know if they will find it. We did get more for our car than we paid for it which is awesome since cars typically depreciate. In the end we upgraded to a 2009 so we ended up having to pay a little but it was for a newer car. And it just feels good to have a car with 2 years of warranty left. Although, I really don't want to have to use it! So what did we get? As seen above, a 2009 Ford Escape (the picture above is not our car but one I found online that looks just like ours).

One more thing I would like to note is this is the first time in my life that the primary car that I am driving is not red. I don't even know what to look for in parking lots.

And the Winner Is...

Jenna for having the first correct answer in.

Scott for being so close that his answer was almost first.

Eric for the most in depth answer and enlightening me to the fact that odometers don't turn when a car is going in reverse.

Your prize is a home cooked meal made by me. I think I make decent food so this is a good prize. I will be in contact with you to plan a day for the meal. Maybe we can all do math problems while eating.

Congrats and thank you for loving story problems.

100,000

Our 2002 Pontiac Grand Am hit 100,000 miles today while I was driving home from the gym. I bought this car back in 2003 with 33,000 miles on it and have been the primary driver until last February when we got our Jeep. I have driven or have been a passenger for most of the 67,000 miles since I bought the car. This car has not been very far from home but the most noteworthy trip it took us on was to Pennyrile State Park, Kentucky the place where the title of this blog originated. Currently, I take the car whenever I'm going out by myself and Matt is home with Grace but for the most part Matt drives it. So it was with great joy that I witnessed the rollover to 6 digits. The only annoying part is I was driving down a road with stoplights and for the whole mile it was stuck at 100,000 I hit all green lights. That never happens!

One more 100,000 mile story. Back in college I witnessed my Chevy Cavalier rollover to 100,000 miles and I was bound and determined to park it like that. So, I drove in and out of a parking space for a whole mile. So, here is your math question for the day...

STORY PROBLEM: A mile is 5,280 feet and I drove approximately 6 feet to back up and 6 feet to pull into the parking space. If I started at exactly 99,999 miles how many times did I have to back out and pull into the space before my car rolled to 100,000 miles? Also, if it took 4 seconds to back out and 3 seconds to pull in how long did it take me to accomplish this task? What was my average speed in miles per hour? (Round to the nearest hundredth).

BONUS: After I parked my car how many miles could I drive before it rolled to 100,001 miles?

The first person to comment the correct answer will win a prize. Maybe a new car. I will announce the prize and winner at a future date.

Car Update

Sold - Matt sold his Kia to a Packers fan on Friday night. I think he felt better about it going to a home of a Packers fan. I think Matt would agree that selling the car on Craigslist was an overall good experience (he's the one who did the work). If you're not in a hurry to get rid of a car try it out.

Bought - We bought a used Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo Saturday morning (great V-day present). We had a really good experience. We got a good deal since the car had been on the lot a year and we are happy with our decision. Also, the dealer we went with was great and after we made the deal we spent a good 20 minutes talking with him about his profession and how he makes money. We've been very intrigued by the whole process over the last few weeks. If you are looking to buy a car let us know and we'll give you our dealer's name.

It feels good to have this behind us and we are grateful that we can afford a nice car to haul Baby Grace and our soon to be family of 3 around in. For the next few weeks you may find me parked in the back of parking lots since I have little to no confidence in parking.

Nearing The End Of An Era

I met her in August of 2002.  I was nervous around her at first, but then I realized that I could trust her and that our relationship would last.  You could call her the love of my life until I met Anne.  She was there during my last days of college.  She was there during my college graduation, finding my first job, my start in the real world.  She was there on my first date with Anne and she wasn't jealous at all.  She was excited when I asked Anne to marry me.  She was there on our wedding day.  She acted up at times, but mostly the normal maintenance that comes with someone like her.  I'm going to miss her.  But I know that somebody else will get to enjoy her next.

My Kia Sephia is officially on the market.

The Cure For My Ignorance

Here is how a normal conversation goes when my car-ignorant self takes the Kia Sephia in to get some work done:

Mechanic: "Yeah, so it looks like your X part will need to be replaced. We can take care of that."
Me: "Wow, that's bad. I was hoping it wouldn't be the X part." (Even though I don't know what an X does or why it's important.)
Mechanic: "So that will cost $Z."
Me: "Hmmm...well, this could have significant consequences, so let's go ahead and do it." (Even though I don't know what the consequences are).
Mechanic: "OK, great. I think you're making a really smart decision. Real good decision."
Me: "Thanks." (The momentary pride I have about my good decision is overshadowed by the revelation that my decision was not based on any concrete information.)

Now usually I will take time to look on the internet to compare prices for parts to make sure I'm not being overcharged. But in all reality, I am an idiot when it comes to cars. I can recognize the names of the parts of a car, but I'm not sure I could point them out nor tell you exactly what those parts do.

Thankfully, people write books to help people like me. The book, "Auto Repair for Dummies", was recommended by a close confidant and I am going to use it to educate myself in the way of the automobile.