Breaking in a new van- literally

So there she is... well minus the roof rack. I call her my "government issue" vehicle, solely because it's black. After replacing a water pump on the old Bush-bashing mobile, and being told that more repairs on the old girl are in the near future, we decided we had to let her go, rather than continuing to spend more than what she was worth. Just after the 150k mark too- not bad for a '96 Honda. She was good to us, and it sounds silly but she will be missed. My first mini-van! BTW, for anyone who is going to sell a car in the future, I have one word: Craigslist. I put an ad up Monday evening, and 4 hours later she was sold. Amazing, and we didn't take too much less than what we asked! (and no we were not sneaky, the new owner knows exactly what could be in store for him.)

Now those who know my husband, should not be surprised that we got a new vehicle so quickly. The second he knew we would have to retire her, so went the process of finding out what our options were. I tried to gently coax him into waiting until after our Disneyland trip (more on that later), but after seeing him come home from work one night with papers over an inch thick of his research, I submitted and just went with it.

Of course I'm not complaining- it's a sweet ride. Driving to LA was the maiden voyage of the Starship Cutler, and I must say again it's a sweet ride. Got a little new-car-itis at all the cracker crumbs in the back, but still it was all good.

Disney was good, got the same deal as last year. The kids were not initially excited, but that surely changed when we got there! Day one: hot as f**k. 10 degrees warmer than what they said on the weather. So we all fried, and completely wiped ourselves out. Day 2: continuous rain (RAIN-rain, not light drizzle.) all day. I tell you, that didn't deter us or the rest of California- it was packed! A sea of plastic ponchos! Even *I*, who loves loves LOVES the rain, was pretty much done two hours after we got there. And who got the colds? Bret and I. LOL! Uncle Rob also met us for the rain day, the girls just loved having him there! Day 3: perfect. We stayed late for the fireworks and proceeded to freak out Samantha. It's quite a show! Drive home was most certainly quiet and uneventful as everyone was wiped out.

So, yesterday. I go off to meet a new friend I made on Ryze for lunch, in Downtown Tempe. Mistake #1. DT Tempe at lunch time. After driving around the closed parking garage for 1/2 an hour, and seeing all the other cars doing the same thing, I went a 1/4 mile down to an alternate garage (which you have to pay for), and park. I was late, and VERY frustrated (I like to think I'm a "don't sweat the small stuff" person, but really I'm not.). Since I'd never met my lunch date before, I figured she would think I'm a total flake and had stood her up. I pulled into the first space I saw and....

BUMP! Right into the column on the right side of the space. I just sat there for a moment, not believing that just happened. Mistake #2: Danielle should never be allowed to park anywhere there is a post, column, or wall next to the space. A little over a year ago I did the SAME FLIPPING thing in my sister's rental van in California when we were there. Only that damage was much worse.... (yes I can almost laugh at the "woman driver" jokes now). They should have my pic on a poster at every parking garage in the country: DO NOT LET THIS WOMAN PARK HER VEHICLE HERE!

Anywho, I go and park somewhere columnless, get out and look at the dent in my front bumper and the scrapes, and start crying hysterically, calling my husband. I think he must have thought I was dying from the message I left (remember I have a cold and have also lost my voice), because when he called back his first question was "are you all right???" Perhaps this was some subconscious ploy to keep him from flipping out over it.

Looking at it today, it's really not that bad. And it certainly could have been much worse. As a friend said to me, "there is a reason they call them accidents." Yah, I guess so.

So, when I left the bank today to deposit the money from selling the old van, the tears that came out were from hysterical laughter at the spot of fluorescent green gum I had stepped in, then put my foot down on the mat as I got in before noticing it.

Off to grab the nail polish remover and the peanut butter...