Car Adventure

This week or actually the past two weeks have been quit a whirlwind dealing with my car. It was due for a normal check-up and I am trying to get all this stuff done while Gil is gone and before Aubrie arrives. Not that big of a deal to take the car in for a check-up...right? I dropped the car off and went to get breakfast while I waited.

(Before the good part let me tell you that we plan to sell this car before we leave Hawaii in a year and get a new car once we are back to the mainland.)

This is when the fun began. After the inspection they found that the breaks needed to be replaced. What makes this more difficult is that Gil is in the field so he is hard to get ahold of to discuss things like this. Luckily I was able to talk to him and after going over all our options decided it was best just to fix the breaks. I took the car back in a few days later to do the work. Once again I waited in town, did some shopping and had breakfast then headed back to the dealership. I still had an hour to wait so I read my book. Then in walks the head mechanic with a bad look and says,

"It isn't good...our guy went to go test drive the car and he is stuck a block away. That clutch problem you had a year ago is back. We are going to get some guys to push the car back and see what the problem is."

10 mins later "...we are going to get a tow for the car. Once we get it back and look at it I will let you know what the problem is."

I have now been waiting for my car for over 4 hours. Finally an hour later he comes back and tells me, "It's not good!" The clutch is gone and it is going to cost us $1850 to fix which doesn't include the cost of the work they did today on the breaks!

After 6 hours in town, having only eaten breakfast and some popcorn, I got a ride home from the dealership and left my car behind...undrivable. At this point I was ready to loose it. I am 8 months pregnant with out a car and my husband is in the middle of nowhere CA training.

I had no idea what we should do. I sent Gil and S.O.S via text and he was able to call and talk me down from my freak-out. We finally decided we are going to just have to buy our car a year earlier than we planned on it. Luckily we have the money to do it, it just sucks that I have to do it on my own before Gil gets back in September.

After sleeping on it, I started my car research and have a friend who is going to loan me her husbands car while they are gone and go with me to car shop.

Now 2 days after the horrible day at the dealership and talking to Gil twice we have narrowed our search down to these two cars...

Our dream car - Volvo XC90

and another option- Honda Pilot
Our criteria is a car that will last us 8-10 years and work with a growing family. I would prefer the Honda CR-V over the Pilot but thinking long term...maybe 2 or 3 kids and potentially 2 dogs a bigger car would be better.

So my goal for the next week/2 weeks is to car shop and come home with a NEW car! I am trying to look at it as a fun shopping trip but boy do I really wish Gil where here to do this with me...but that is the military life.

If anybody has any car shopping advice I am very open to it. Also, thank you to all my friends and neighbors who have offered me rides and cars and to help if I spontaneously go into labor!