The theme for today’s post is “waiting”.
It seems that’s all your Captain has been doing of recent.
-Waiting for a new pair of glasses to be correctly made. (Six weeks and counting…)
-Waiting for our new waste collection company to bring us a trashcart. (One month and counting…)
-Waiting for the pressure-treated lumber of our new porch to
cure so I can trim it out and paint it. (Two months and counting...)
-Waiting for the State to send me the title on my car so I can trade for another one.
Interesting story, that.
The Captain decided, as we begin a new chapter in life, that I wanted a different automotive vehicle.
I diligently searched the internet and found a 2016 model nearby that met all my qualifications (including cost), and on the day I headed out to test-drive it, I went to retrieve my car title from the drawer where the important papers are kept.
It was not there.
I tore the house apart looking for that magical piece of paper. Not there.
I called the bank that holds the lien.
“You wait time will be more than one hour.”
Aw, hell no!
I called the courthouse.
"No, this state does not hold titles."
I can get a duplicate for $8.
"It will arrive in 3-4 business days."
I went to the courthouse to apply. There were twenty people standing in line.
Aw, hell no!
So the Captain headed off to test-drive the prospective vehicle anyway (a 45-minute drive), hoping that if I liked it, the dealership would be willing to work with me on the title problem.
When I arrived at the car lot, the aged salesman couldn’t find the car.
Did I mention he was the person supposedly in charge of inventory?
After extensive searching, and with reassurances from other salesmen that “it should be out there”, he finally located it behind the repair shop.
It needed a catalytic converter.
“Should be ready by Tuesday.”
It wasn’t.
But I am getting ahead of myself…
The Captain returned to the courthouse the next morning to talk with a clerk about the title of my vehicle, explaining that I must have lost it in the recent move.
She checked the computer and found a code that neither she nor the clerk next to her had ever seen before.
Good news:
“You didn’t lose your title.”
Bad news:
“It was never issued.”
Why?
"I don't know."
But they gave me the number for an officer of the State Police who could straighten it out.
This can't be good...
The Captain left three messages there. No response.
The next day I drove off again to finally test-drive my potential new/used car. On the way, the State Police trooper called.
He explained that “for some reason” a “block” had been put on the title.
“Has the car ever been reported as stolen?” he asked.
“Not since I’ve owned it!” I replied.
Has the Captain been driving stolen merchandise these past five years?
How apropos!
The trooper said he would lift the block and I should have my title by Tuesday.
Ooh. Simple.
Captain’s Note: That was yesterday; it has still not arrived.
So I went on to test-drive the car of my dreams.
...Nightmares by now.
But just a mile down the road, the “Check Engine” light came on.
That’s not good.
And as I drove further I realized the steering wheel was pulling to the right.
An alignment problem too!
I returned to the dealership.
“What did you know and when did you know it!?!”
But seriously, I explained the problems to the salesman and promised him I was still interested in the car if they properly fix the problems.
His response was not reassuring.
Captain’s Note: As of this writing, the problems noted have not been repaired.
And so I wait.
In the meantime, the Captain found a similar car at another dealership.
It was a 2017 model.
It also cost $10,000 more!
I test drove it. Smooth ride.
A couple rust spots on the hood bothered me, and as with the previous one, the alignment pulled just a little.
Most important, I did not “love it” like I had when I first sat in my current vehicle.
I especially did not love it enough to accept the enormous monthly payments.
But the salesman gave me the “CarFax” and asked me to think about it.
Mates, always ask for the CarFax!
Here’s the funny part:
The 2017 I drove is an albatross.
No, make that a dead albatross!
The dealership had marketed the car as a “One-Owner Vehicle”, which is true.
It only has 52,000 miles on it, which is also true.
But here’s why:
According to the CarFax report, it was originally purchased by a car rental business in 2017.
But within six months it was back at the dealership.
Since then it has been sold at auto auctions and has appeared on five other car lots, none of which has been successful in selling it!
I’m not sure I would take it even if they gave it to me!
Besides that, the sales manager there was a real ass!
All of that is to say, the Captain is still waiting.
Maybe all of this waiting is simply the gods trying to teach me patience.
Maybe I’m not supposed to buy a different car right now.
Whatever the reason, short of buying something completely different -and being dissatisfied for the next how-many years - the Captain will continue to wait.
The right vehicle will come along.
As will all the rest.
Sigh…
