Car talk

Yes, it sounds like an auto-related radio show.

My brother's best friend (he was best man for my brother's wedding) is a Nissan saleman in Connecticut. I have known Car Man since he and Little Brother were five years old and running around my house. He is like the extra little brother to me. Car Man has come through on autos for family before, so, after narrowing down the kind of car I want to get to another Nissan (Up until this point, I have to say, the Sentra has been awesome, and I was very happy with it. Also, everyone I know who's bought a Nissan has sung their praises.), I contacted Car Man via email to see what he thought about certain models. He gave me the scoop on a few, and Monday I test drove three- the Rogue, which is a smaller sized SUV, the Sentra (why not), and the Altima.

I liked how the Rogue drove, but I could not get past two things: there are a LOT more blind spots in it than I am used to, and that freaked me out. Also, the gas mileage, while good for an SUV, is still...well, not fabulous. I then drove the Sentra, which was fine, and the Altima was last. I liked the Sentra and the Altima equally, but overall, the Altima has been rated a better car, it's got a bit more room than the Sentra, and the gas mileage is almost as good as the Sentra, so I decided to go with that.

Car Man has found me a car! It's blue. (Anyone who knows me and knows how much I love the color is apt to just say, "Well, duh!" here.) It's got some extra toys in it, but not extravagantly so. I made an appointment to have the Sirius satellite radio taken out of the Sentra tomorrow after school, and have started taking all my stuff out of it. If all goes well, I shall be driving up to Connecticut Saturday morning to get my new car and trade in my Sentra.

Of course, this is provided the car actually makes it there. My check engine light came on today! It's still running the same as it's been- starting a bit rough in the morning, etc. I'm driving it to and from school tomorrow (and to the Sirius dealer after school), and then Friday Darrel will drive me to and from school. Darrel originally was talking about him and Frank following me up Saturday morning in his car, in case I break down en route, but, really, what could he do for me that AAA won't be able to do already? And, frankly, it sounds like a nightmare to me- him, me, and a cranky two-year-old, standing alongside a highway, waiting for AAA. It's going to be nearly a three-hour drive each way, and while I'm up there, I may as well stop in at my cousin Nina's house on the way home for lunch or something. If the car breaks down en route, I'll call AAA and have them tow me to Car Man's dealership.

*prays car makes it there*

Of course, since I'll have my nice new car, this means Frank and I can go visit Niece #3 Sunday after all! Frank, of course, will not be able to go into the NICU, but Little Brother or SIL can stay with him in the waiting area while I go in with the other person. Must bring my camera with me...

The NJ Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (NJRID) convention is next weekend. I. Can't. WAIT. It's going to be so much fun. It's in Jamesburg, which is not a scenic town, and is about an hour and a half from me. I am staying in the hotel the entire weekend. I can't wait to get away and just worry about ME for a weekend. Ahh, the luxury...going to dinner and only carrying a small purse, not a diaper bag!!