Am I # 1 or Are You Giving Me The Finger?

I have this thing that I like to change cars all the time. It is not beyond me to ask Scott for a new car like every two years. Do I get it? Nope. We are on year five for the car I am in now, and I have been informed that we will be driving this until it literally falls apart. I want to downsize to a smaller car. Scott doesn’t want a car payment. My argument is that a family of three doesn’t really need a car that seats seven. Scott’s argument is that a family of three cannot afford a card payment right now. Scott wins…again. Besides, he says that every time we go car shopping, I don’t know how to negotiate. They could tell me the payments will be $1,000.00 a month for 18 years and I will scream out WHERE DO I SIGN?

I am only like this with cars. When we went to buy the house we are in now, I must have asked Scott a gazillion questions…is it too big, is it too expensive…is the yard right….and he looked at me and flat out told me that we are going to live in this house until we retire and it is fine. A three bedroom house is not too much for a family of three. Fine. Can we get a new car too? No.

When I turned 16 my parents bought a car for me to drive. It was not MY car, it was THEIR car, I was just the only one who drove it. When it was time for me to move out, I was informed that the car was not going with me, as it was THEIR car. That was fine. I had a job. I will just go buy my own car. So I tell my dad what kind of cars I like and beg him to take me shopping. He relents and takes me. So I am picking out all these cars and he is just looking at me. He told me we need to go home and re-group. I try to protest, but he is driving and I have no choice but to go with him. We get home and he and my mom sit me down with my pay stub and we calculate just how much I can REALLY afford. Seems my tastes were a little more expensive than my budget would allow.

Now armed with the all the information needed, we go out again. I find a car that I like and dad has looked it over and given his yeah you are not gonna die if you buy this car approval. This is where I stop and dad takes over.

Negotiations.

It is time to go into that little office and sign the paperwork. I am so excited. I am getting a new (to me) car. So the sales person is doing his song and dance, this is what it stickers at, this is the tag and title. Dad and him are talking price and all I remember is the sales person telling Dad that has to go get it approved from his manager. He leaves me and dad in this little room. I tell Dad that I really want this car. He tells me to just be quiet and not to say anything (hello, has he met me?). The guy comes back and tells Dad that he can’t approve it. Dad gets up to leave and I go to say something and I get the finger.

The finger.

This could look to an outsider looking in like Dad is telling me that I am number 1. What it really means is shut up. Don’t say another word sohelpmegod. It still works on me and I am 40.

SO I go to say something and get the finger, which stops me dead in my tracks.

The sales person doesn’t want to lose a sale, so he starts tap dancing and dad sits back down. They are doing this song and dance for a while and every time I try to say something I get the finger.

But we left there with me being a car owner of a car that I could afford .

I drove that car until I was pregnant with Courtney and moving to Key West.

When Scott and I go to buy a new car, I stay home until it is time to drive it off the lot and then he calls me to come sign the paperwork and drive away.

Apparently, it is just easier that way.