Mike did it again! That guy is so savvy with his car endeavors. I was fine with the Grand Prix all these years and so happy to finally own it a few months ago. I put exactly 100,000 miles on it in six years, back and forth to Delavan and Rockford and Michigan, but mostly local driving to and from Hinsdale and the grocery stores. As expected with all cars, my heater went out and the mechanics found thousands of dollars of repairs necessary. Forget it - time to move on to something more dependable. I have coveted the Lexus cars for many years and once I took a look at one of my clients' car I was hooked. No matter how many models we viewed at the auto shows, I always gravitated to the Lexus. I did consider the Pontiac Solstice when my chauffeur days are over but until then I require more room. I remember when Mike was a wee kid and wanted to test drive a model many moons ago so we went to the Lexus dealer in Westmont and they gave me free tickets to see Mikhail Baryshnikov perform - third row seats. It was during my dance era so I so appreciated seeing this icon at his best. Who knew I would own one someday.
Yep! That's my license plate on my new car. It is perfect in every way - I wanted beige interior with woodgrain and it has all the bells and whistles, and what a smooth ride. The best part of all this is how much of a deal we were able to secure. I vowed to never have another car payment and kept to it. I thanked my GTP for servicing me these years and said goodbye. Then I wrote a check and hit the road in my new vehicle. The key to negotiating with car dealers is to be realistic and patient, and have Mike play closer. If at first you don't succeed with a mutually satisfied price, walk away - they always call you back and work with you to get the right deal. Thanks to Mike's buddy, Norman, for giving it a look see first to make sure all the mechanical devices are in order. I like the confidence knowing I have someone competent to work on my cars if they need repair down the road. And cars always need some type of work eventually. I must give a shout out to my cousin, Bill Lutz, for Wayne and I picked his brain about Toyotas and Lexus cars and he is very knowledgeable about his profession. If anyone wants to take advantage of the Toyota deals, call him at the Naperville dealer. He gave us the advice we needed to make our decision.
We put the mats upside down for now so as not to get them dirty in the winter. Mike knows everything when it comes to cars. This is a true testament to anyone worried about their kids early on - if they are interested in something, they will succeed with flying colors. He was always car boy and we often used mini cars as rewards instead of the usual gold stars. I think one day I counted 500 hotwheels in the house. While most kids sleep with blankies and boo boos, Mike held his little car toys. He has a posting of all his big boy auto purchases since 15 and I believe it comes to 20 so far. And he is nowhere near done yet. Actually, his hobby is buying and selling cars; and he makes a profit everytime. Just a few months ago he bought this cute Mustang, put about $300 into it and sold it within a month making a $900 profit. The best part is he loves every minute of this hobby. Do what you love.
Last night I was leaving to retrieve Steve from his buddy's house and when I opened my front door there were six bambi dogs hanging on our front lawn. I didn't want to disturb them and ran to get Wayne and Dan to see and as we watched them, they casually began walking away - down the sidewalk - I was able to capture them with the camera but it was so dark I only got a pair of eyes. I have to figure out how to take clearer shots in the dark. All those tiny white lights are the deer watching me watching them. This morning we saw a woodpecker on our front tree. I love being surrounded by the nature out here and I am happy to be able to appreciate them while I am home more often these days.
Happy Trails! xo
