I tried to apply for a car loan the week after Tim left for Texas back in February. First I tried the car dealership and was just a bit more than extremely embarrassing, to say the least. At least I didn't know any of the people but unfortunately they all now knew me (and my lack of credit).
No worries.
I went to the credit union where I belonged and tried again with even worse results. I left the lobby making a mental note to always use the drive through or ATM from now on.
The guy from the car dealership called me the next day with semi good news. If we could get our mortgage current thought he could swing me a loan.
Well, swing this! (I wanted to say)
Over the past five years we have gone from being almost six months behind on our mortgage to not only still making a payment every month but caught up to only being eight weeks behind. With bills still pouring in and both starting new jobs we managed the seemingly impossible (to us) and made four extra payments over the past year.
Let me tell ya folks, that ain't just whistlin' Dixie as us southern gals say. Besides that I had bought and paid for two other used vehicles trying to get us all back and forth. Tim left for Texas in one and until I bought the other either bummed or borrowed rides for months on end. The third car we'd bought for over six grand still didn't run and had to be towed home from the airport when broke down on me after driving it less than two weeks.
I felt more like screaming obscenities and sometimes did .
With a stroke of (our style) luck, Zach had backed into the beam between the garage doors and knocked the supporting beam a good half foot out from the house. State Farm cut me a check after getting my first estimate. I shopped around until found a guy who could do it for quite a bit less and found myself left with money for an extra house note and then some! Granted he didn't paint but getting the mortgage finally caught up was well worth it. Remind me to send Zach a Thank You note (not) but all worked out for the best in the end.
I went back to the car dealership with proof our mortgage was current and BAM, I got approved for a loan!
I bought the cheapest car on the lot but was brand new, covered with all kind of warranties and got great gas mileage.
I never even asked to see the car or ask what color it was.
I knew what color it was.
It was the color "New" and all that mattered besides the low monthly payment.
When I went to sign the papers in the credit office I didn't even want to know the interest rate with our messed up credit. We used to be in the high seven hundred range but were currently lucky to be batting five hundred. I was shocked when (my instantly new bestie) told me it was 3.9 percent...and Thank You Jesus!
The salesman was maybe (hopefully) a bit older than me but a wonderful "Ole Codger" and extremely nice and polite. The guy actually acted like I was a person with money to spend and appreciated feeling like that again!
We ain't got a lot of money but at least we got enough now.
I call that truly blessed.
After all was said and done, Ole Codger finally took me out to see my brand new, gas filled and shiny red little quadrangle of a car.
He sat in the passenger seat and I sat in control central aka the driver's.
He first told me about how the car had blue tooth so everything could be hands free including text, Internet searches,music and phone.
I kinda liked that.
I got some good kids. It's not like they are perfect but they aren't hooked on crack either.
They instead hold crack almost twenty four seven in the form of cellular devices. I've come to terms with it when we're at home. It's like they've discovered the first hand held AM transistor radio that could even swing from their wrist. Massey is really hooked and Zach would come in a close second if he remembered to charge his phone.
So the Ole Codger hit a button on the dashboard of my new little car and screamed "PHONE!!!" so loud I jumped.
"There's your voice command" he said. "Who you wanna call?"
I chose home since no one was there.
"HOME!!!" he screamed again but I was ready that time. I just smiled.
My techno savvy kids would figure this out in no time with no instruction and was all that mattered to me if they were gonna drive this car.
I came back home with my new Lil' Car and continued what I'd been doing. Cleaning Ivy off the far end of my house. It turned into Kudzu a few years back but on the far back burner for about five years.
Not any more!
Almost half gone, found an old propane tank, shook my head and kept on going.
Had to saw down three trees we never planted in the first place but dad gummit you could see the house (and gas meter) again! Side note: got a letter from the gas company saying they had a hard time finding the meter to read.
Well read it now bitch!!
Zach hauled all the limbs and ivy to the back fire pit today (after seeing what his ole momma did with her new fancy dancy fifteen dollar saw and thank goodness was also smart enough to clean out)...
Trust me, it's full now and ready to roar!
It's been a hike and sometimes uphill battle but we've made it almost back to where it started.
SHUT UP!!
I keep waiting for that twentieth shoe to drop but think about it less and less.
That in itself is progress!
The chips fell and had to actually scramble for a few of them but made it.
It's always better to be seen than viewed and have never been one someone forgets... whether it be good or bad.
Just make your mark in this world.
Try your best to be the type of person who brings a smile to someone's face when mentioned and make sure you deserve that smile.
All the rest is gravy, trust me.
Til next time and beyond,
COTTON
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