The rollercoaster

Fortunately, we had the perfect car to take advantage of the Cash for Clunkers.

Unfortunately, it got stolen.

Fortunately, we found a sweet deal for a used A4 to buy.

Unfortunately, we had given up on ever finding our stolen clunker.

Fortunately, the police found our clunker with a window smashed and radio stolen!

…and fortunately, they found it the day we were going to buy the used car.

Unfortunately, the clunker wouldn’t start.

Fortunately, we got the car fixed the next day.

Unfortunately, we had to find a new car to buy or it wouldn’t qualify,

Fortunately, we found a sweet deal on a new 2008 A4 $15 grand off sticker price.

Unfortunately, dad called and said Cash for Clunkers had run out of money and would shut down at midnight before we got our car fixed…

…and unfortunately, we spent a restless night thinking we had been slapped in the face,

Fortunately, the program wasn’t truly suspended,

Unfortunately, we had to drive the clunker with a broken passenger window to the Katy freeway in the middle of a Houston thunderstorm…and it was wet.

Fortunately, we arrived at the dealership in our clunker ready to trade it in.

Unfortunately, our sales agent regretted to tell us that they sold the car we wanted the night before.

Unfortunately, it was our last day to trade in the clunker since we had to catch a flight in a couple of hours.

Fortunately, the dealer gave us a sweet deal on a new 2009 A4.

Unfortunately, buying the car took 4+ hrs with all of the paperwork.

Unfortunately, we had a flight to catch that we hadn’t packed for and we had 45 min till we had to leave for the airport.

Fortunately, we had a new car that was fast and dry.

Unfortunately, it was rush hour and it was not an enjoyable first drive and like I keep telling Ferd its hard to be aggressive when I’m in a new car and I’m not used to it.

Fortunately, we arrived home and packed in 5 minutes and made our flight in time.

Unfortunately, we forgot several things.

Fortunately, we are on vacation.

Unfortunately, we have a car payment.

But fortunately, we have a new car!

Warning: a Bike Napper on the Loose

A few weeks ago, just before Christmas, after returning home from a shopping trip, I noticed that the bike rack in our garage was looking a little sparse. “Our bikes! Where are our bikes?!” I asked Fernando, after having a crazy thought that he had hidden them somewhere. We stared at each other in disbelief. Our bikes had been stolen! They had been locked up on the bike rack on the inside of our useless security gate (useless because it was open all week due to a malfunction), which begs the question: what’s more inviting to intruders, a gate that’s open,  or no security gate at all? There might as well have been a sign saying: “His and Her Bikes: recently purchased 6 months ago, tuned up and ready to be placed under your Christmas tree”. Yep, Jack and Jill won’t even know that they aren’t new.

The year 2008 was the year of graduation, marriage, moving, and robbery. This being the second time this year Fernando and I were violated. However we’re a little more upset this time around than when our cars got broken into, back in Provo.

Thieves beware, if we see you riding on the street, we will hit you with our car.