Trading in Fahrvergnügen for Swedish Reliability

Constance got the news accidentally because she called me Friday right after I'd done this. But, Friday afternoon I went to Almartin Volvo and traded in the Evil 2003 VW Passat Wagon that I'd loved so much until it royally screwed me twice for a 2007 Volvo V50 Wagon.

The amazing thing about this whole transaction isn't the swiftness with which I did it--I honestly couldn't stand having the car in the driveway anymore. It was like a husband I'd caught cheating on me, twice. Please, yes, I see the irony in my analogy. The amazing thing was that one of Alan's best friends turned out to be the head of Almartin service and when I called him to say I was coming in, he took such good care of me that I was almost crying by the time I left.

They gave me a good deal, plus a 6-year, 100,000 mile warranty. The car is bright red! And it's reliable. It's a little smaller than the VW, and it doesn't have a turbo engine, but hey, I'm cementing my MILF (or would that be WILF?) image with a red car. My cool factor is still mildly intact, maybe?

Thanks for all your support during this car mess. The folks at Lewis Motors can kiss my red Volvo. My life's mission now is to keep people from ever buying a car from them.

So, this is the second car I've bought officially on my own in widowhood. My brother came with me to pick it up and I was amazed at how much better I felt with him around. Some things just aren't meant to be done alone. It's easy to feel like a victim (or potential victim) around cars, but between Alan's friend and my brother, this wasn't so bad.

You'll all see it Saturday. It's REALLY red.