This past weekend was absolutely BEAUTIFUL here in the VA Beach area!!

If you’ve read this blog for more than a week, you KNOW how much I love beautiful weather and how much it refreshes my soul. Well, this past weekend, while the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. . . I was sitting in car dealerships. Not OUTSIDE in a lounge chair with a cold beer and a good book. Not OUTSIDE planting my Spring flowers. Not OUTSIDE period. Nope – my oldest child owes me BIG TIME. . . and he knows it.

My oldest child has had car problems for months now. All winter he’s fought with this car to keep it running. . . because HE HATES CHANGE! He’s not like most young men who can’t wait to go out and buy something shiny and new. Nope – he HATES letting go of ANYTHING that he owns.

His dad had given him his car when he was 16 years old, a 1993 Ford Explorer. That was 8 years ago. Chris is 24 years old now and I have to tell you. . . he sucked every ounce of “get-up-and-go” that was ever possible from that vehicle. He just would NOT let it go without a fight. Well, the car died. It died its last death. No more bringing it back to life. Almost 200,000 miles. Kaput!

So finally, on possibly the most beautiful day this year, it was time to shop for a new one. We’d been looking here and there for weeks now since we were fairly certain of its imminent demise. During that time (while Chris was trying to accept the fact that he was going to have to part with his dear old car – and believe me. . . it was a “process”) narrowed down WHAT it was that he was looking for and how much he could spend.

This is what we ended up with! It’s a Jeep Grand Cherokee!! I think he did very good, but then I’m partial to Jeeps. I’m positive that there were questions that we should have asked, some other way we could have handled the negotiations. (There’s always that ONE person that will always tell you what you SHOULD have done differently. Asses. Oops. Sorry) He’s happy with his first car purchase and I’m happy for him. (Now I don’t have to worry every single day if I’m going to get that phone call that he’s broke down again.) Reliable transportation – who knew it would be a mother’s dream?

One may ask WHY I was so involved in my 24 year old son’s first car purchase. I guess that’s only fair. But it’s because motherhood doesn’t just stop the day they turn 18 or the day they move out of the house. There are still lessons to teach your kids. And I think buying your first car is one of them. Sue me. I had logical and practical advice to pass down. Advice that I’d learned from people that cared. People that TAUGHT me.

This brings me back to my friend, Marty again. . . after all these years.

Hello Marty! Still has the same adorable smile that used to melt my teenage heart. It’s been so fun catching up with him and seeing pictures of his family. Marty and his family were very dear to me. But the reason that he’s been on my mind lately has nothing to do with our walk down Facebook Memory Lane (well, a little). Nope – It’s actually been about his dad. You see, it was his dad who gave me MY first car loan when nobody else would. All while walking my oldest baby through the evil ways and manipulations of car salesmen, I was remembering the lessons learned from my friend’s dad. You see, he worked for a financial institution that dealt with car loans for General Motors vehicles, and he was my only last hope.

I was just a teenage girl (19, I think) trying to make it on my own. He, of course, asked me all the pertinent questions about my credit (or lack of) (you gotta start somewhere, right?) and I promised him. . . I crossed my heart. . .I pinky swore that I’d make good on the loan. And he approved it for me.

I can’t tell you what a proud day it was for me when I paid that car off. I couldn’t wait to run tell him and to thank him for having faith in me. And I want to thank him again. “Thank you Mr. Huffaker! I’ve never forgotten how you gave me my first line of credit and how I held your advice so near and dear. Here, thirty plus years later, I’m giving my children the same advice. Thank you!”

Now I passed the same advice on to my child. Your signature is your word, and your word is who you ARE. I think he’s got it.

Plus, now he’s seen ME in action with the sharks (car salesmen) and he was, I think, surprised . . . AND impressed. Don’t mistake me for some weak little thing just because I’m female, blonde with big boobs and a Southern accent. I’ll take a car salesman ON! And don’t think I’m using any flirtatious Southern Belle charm. HELL NO – I’m head to head. Numbers to numbers. I don’t play.

Chris actually played the game quite well with me. We were a TEAM! We got up and walked out of negotiations over $225. We were leaving! I’m not going to be bullied. I’m not going to cave over $225. I went head to head with the dude that made the decisions (the one the salesman is always running to for approval). [This guy actually looked like he came out of an old black and white movie where he was some surly bookie with a cigar hanging out of his mouth while he punched at the adding machine with the ticker tape all over the place grumbling . . . trying to intimidate]. Try some other sucker old man!! I’ve SEEN this movie.