Thinking back to March

----- Original Message -----
From: Dawn M. Kelly
To: Brother Dearest
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 7:31 PM
Subject: my new baby...........

Long story short, here she is.....

If I could have just one brief Crocodile Hunter moment;

"Crikey, she's gorgeous! I LURVVEEE her."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Brother Dearest
To: Dawn M. Kelly
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 10:45 PM
Subject: Re: my new baby...........

Hey there!

When'd you get back? How was it?

That's cute, and perfect for you. Now you need a vanity plate. I saw the BEST license plate on one around here a few months ago. A white haired lady was driving, with the plate "ABUG8NANA".

PLEASE DON'T tell me that you have one/bunch of flowers in a holder on the dash.

BrotherDearest

----- Original Message -----

From: Dawn M. Kelly
To: Brother Dearest

Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 11:23 PM
Subject: RE:Re: my new baby...........

It was fate, pure and simple. No other explanation.

I have been stuck in the house all week due to a nasty cold given to me by the boys----------

So yesterday I get my arse in gear and showered, (v imp!), (you did read Bridget Jones diary didn't you??? Run don't walk if you haven't), and drove to P-boro to go to Job Lot.

As I'm pulling out of the garage I think;

"Derek has my mobile--- Marty's in NY, anything happens with the car, I am up the frozen creek without a sled & dogs. "

Mind you, I have not had a lick of trouble with it since buying it last summer.

Find bargains on a slipcover for the loveseat, saving $80 from the one I was going to buy direct from Sure-fit on sale. Find 2 baskets for the new pantry @ $6 each saving on the two I was going to buy at JC P's for $15 each.

All happy I take my prizes out to the car, deposit them all cozy in the hatch and plop my JLo, (which by the way, looks so much better attached to me and without the scary M Anthony attachment), behind in the driver's seat patting myself on the back and praising my v. g. efforts at saving money, planning my woman of year speech- wondering if maybe they have a Pulitzer category for thriftiness while retaining high-style????, (read B J's D!!), and turn the key;;;;;;;;

{{{{{{insert the sound of deafening silence here}}}}}}}}}

Dash lights, heat, radio all work-----no engine engagement what so EVER!!!!!!

Tragedy turns my Pulitzer/woman of year award into tragic melodrama which now will surely include a book deal and a MOW, (movie of the week), can't you see me on Oprah as she fights back the tears, (pan the audience openly weeping at the sheer horror of it all), as I bravely tell the tale of my being stranded in the parking lot, (looking so like Mother Theresa/Princess Diana--comparisons are sure to be made), with no cell phone, no coffee shop in site and def no TRENDY BOUTIQUE to drown my sorrows, as well.

end of act 1.......................

So Marty drives back from NY Fri and we all pile into the truck to go rescue the Saab in the snow storm with a push start.

I am blonde and I am a girl, but I had pretty much eliminated things down to a blown starter motor.

Success and I drive back to Keene in the snow w/ Marty and DK following in the truck.

We had decided to build Marty's credit further by taking a car loan for a reliable used auto for me.

Saturday morn I hit the local paper's site and check out the classifieds. Nothing, BUT, there is a banner/link to, AutoTrader.com.

I click it and start searching in my price range for my fantasy vehicle since their reintroduction.

A search for VW's with-in a 50 mile radius brings up 32 pages of listings of all VW's.

On page 27, there she is. After seeing New Beetles in my price range a couple years old with over 100K on them---------- a miracle;

1998, Red, 2.0, 5 Speed, $7,495 with ONLY 18K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I now go and wake Marty and start babbling about it.

At an appropriate hour of the morning I call the Dealer over in Merrimack.

I wait not so patiently for the call back which I am convinced will come and I'll be told;

"You actually believed that ad?"

or

"OOOPPPs, forgot to pull that ad. Sold it yesterday."

or

"We did a background check and you're not worthy of such a car."

etcccccccccccc

Vic finally calls me after he finishes plowing the lot and clearing off vehicles.

Big storm.

The car is still there. No misprints in the ad.

I tell him we will see him tomorrow.

Of course I never verified the price over the phone.

I spend the day being snowed in, dreaming of me in that car.

ME in THAT car!!!!

We drive to Merrimack, find the place and there she is.

I dive from the still moving truck to go see her.

She is as shiny and in as good condition as she appeared in the ad.

Marty has caught up as I am hugging the car and says;

"Have you seen the sticker?"

I freeze and nearly throw-up.

I walk over and squint at it with one eye.

$6,995.

I nearly puke again.

Vic has joined us he walks me through the car. He is very easy going and low key. Like a nice uncle showing me my crazy aunty's car. Not a used car salesman at all.

We go and sign papers and fill out loan apps.

He says I'll love my new car.

I say, but first the bank has to approve the loan on Monday.

He says, it's my car. Due diligence and it will be sorted.

I love my new uncle Vic.

8:30AM, next day, Uncle Vic calls and says my car is waiting for me to come and get her.

I do.

And for the first time, I start her up.

Yes. First time. I never test drove her.

I can't wait to start modifying her.

I am waiting till my next registration renewal to pick the vanity plate. It happened so fast I couldn't pick properly.

We take our first road trip today to NY for the weekend.

Oh and her name is, Princess Poppy, she told me right away!

Okay, I won't mention anything about the flowers or lack thereof.

The attached photo will speak for itself.

Love from,

The girl in the Red Beetle!