Cars, Cars, Cars

Cars.  A necessary money pit.

This past Friday afternoon as I was driving downtown for orientation at my new job, I experienced something that seriously got my heart beating.  I was pulling off the freeway when my car started jerking around.  At first I wasn't sure what was happening, but noticed after only a block that my check engine light had come on and the RPMs were way too high.
Oh no!  Transmission? Yep.  A couple more blocks confirmed it.  I could feel the transmission dropping gears while I was driving.  That is a terrible feeling!  I just kept praying that I would make it the last few blocks to work because how horrible would it look to be late on your very first day of work!  Thankfully my car stuck it out and got me there just in time.  Unfortunately, on the drive home after orientation, the transmission just kept getting worse.  I had to pull over several times and put my hazard lights on because my car wouldn't shift out of neutral or first.  It took me 45 minutes to drive a typically 20 minute route.

I, of course, then had to ask my dad to take me back to work that night and pick me up again after the shift.  Flash back to high school!  Wow.

The next morning, my dad took my car in to the shop to get it checked out.  The check engine indicator actually came out with three separate readings.  To fix all that is wrong with my car, including the transmission as expected, it would be nearly 5X the worth of my car...darn.  Part of me is really excited about the idea of driving a new (to me) car since I've been driving my accord since I was in high school.  But, now that I'm back in school again, I simply cannot afford the kind of car I want. This is absolutely the worst time for my car to fail me...right before the holidays...I'm no longer working full time...I do have a job now, but I'm only working part-time because of school, etc...  But, at least I'm living at home so there is usually someone willing to share a car or drop me off, and I can now walk to church, even in the snow.

So, together with my dad, we're deciding whether to fix the car and continue driving it further into the ground, or switch it up with a different car.  In the mean time, I'm stuck at home, borrowing my mom's car, or bumming rides to and from work.
As far as a possible car hunt...my dad keeps teasing me with the idea of an '89 Yogo.  [See right]
I tell him no and he simply laughs at me.  Even though he appears to be joking, I'm sure he secretly would love to see me drive it! 

Well, today I am very thankful for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday which is allowing me a few days off of school; which also consequently means I don't have to leave my mom stranded at home while I have her car.  I guess I didn't realize that when I decided to go back to school that I was signing up for all the other struggles that come with being a student!

Oh, and for the record, I am now working for the Temple Square Hospitality Corp as a host at The Roof Restaurant!  Feel free to come down and see me anytime.  We have a great view of Temple Square which will be lit up for the holidays starting this Friday!