Several weeks ago when I was returning from San Diego in stop and go traffic, the lady behind me forgot to stop. She didn't hit me very hard, but we did the right thing and moseyed over to the right and got off at the next exit. It looked to me like just paint scrapes, but she had lost her front license plate and the screws were embedded in my bumper. So, we exchanged info and she called her mother while we were doing that. The mother wanted to talk to me and told me they would pay to repair the damage without going through the insurance company. So, okay. But it took me a few days to get estimates. I called her and told her they would have to replace the bumper, so the cost would be $1,083.00! Seems like a lot, but the estimates were all about the same and I wanted to take it to some place convenient for me. I did that yesterday and called Enterprise Rentals because I am uncomfortable being without a car. The body shop thinks it will be ready on Friday and I am really hoping that will happen.
The rental is a Hyundai which I have thought are good looking cars, but I wouldn't want to own one. And now I KNOW I don't want to own one. First of all, I am used to tall car (my Lexus 330RX) and with my bad hips I have a hard time getting in and out of a low car. Open the door, turn around and lower my butt to the seat, then struggle to lift both my legs over the door sill and swivel to face forward. Same getting out. It is a struggle. Secondly, I am used to a tall car (Lexus, etc.) and in this Hyundai I am so low that the lights coming at me and those in my mirrors are right in my face so I felt like I was about half blind. Guess I will be home before the sun goes down about 4:30pm tomorrow night! Thirdly, it is soooo noisy, more road noise than I am used to and a sort of tinny feeling to go along with it. I read a list of the cars with the most fatal accidents and this car was on the list. Whoa!
On the good side it is a festive Christmas red which matches my habit of wearing red during December. It has a display panel that shows the time, date, day of the week - handy for a forgetful old broad like me. My first car was red, the only red one I have owned. It was a 1956 Mercury convertible which I drove everywhere with the top down. That was before I wore a hat all the time and I had to stop at a convenience store to buy a straw hat when I went out in the desert. I tied in down with a scarf - I wasn't lovely, but my brains didn't fry.
One should have these adventures once in a while, just to find out how others live, I guess!
I went down to sit with Bette today and met her very nice doctor. Bette is in hospice, but she still has a grip like a wrestler. Ouch! I'll try to go down tomorrow again. She told me today that she is going to get better. From her lips to God's ear!
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2 comments:
Bette is in good hands, with you, her doc, and Hospice, and, of course, the Lord above!
My first car was a fire red convertible, all leather interior -- Pontiac Firebird! Loved, loved, loved it. She and I had great adventures, at least those one could have in your senior year of high school....in those days, no drugs, marijuana, etc. just cruising with Sinatra crooning on the radio! Ah! the good times!
You mentioned getting home by sunset, and you couldn't get an earlier sunset than this time of year!
I was having trouble getting out of low cars, too (a Saturn and a Mercury Sable). I went out and bought a crossover (I think they're called?) and am happy to get UP into it (actually, I'm tall enough not to get up, but shorter friends do).
I think the vehicle is a stage of life thing, too. So many women in my guild drive larger vehicles. I was tired of being cut in front of (of not being seen) in my not-red-but-maroon cars.
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