Bye by Bonnie

So the car is dead. Long live whatever vehicle we get next, that is whenever we get it.
My car died Wednesday and we made the decision not to revive it for the simple fact that we wanted to blow it up for New Year’s. The inspection ran out in December and as it just wasn’t going to pass again, no matter whom we bribed or whom the boy knew, it was time to lay it to rest. Except that it beat us to the punch.
The car had been leaking all sorts of fluids, brake and transmission, there hadn’t been washer fluid for years, there was an awful clanking sound, a huge crack in the windshield, and so forth. Apparently there was also a power steering leak, which must have been a new one because it wasn’t an issue before. A bearing froze up, which meant that no belts were running, no power getting to the battery, no cooling system working. I also lost power steering which meant no actual driving. And all this happened while I was sitting at a stop light. Thankfully, I was near a gas station and could pull in.
We called AAA and arranged for a tow. We looked at the car, realized that it wasn’t a fix we could do ourselves, and decided that the car wasn’t worth the little fix. So we’re junking it. And I need a new car. Now.
But my version of now is yesterday and it seems the boy’s version is sometime. Which is fine for him, as he’s driving the car I OWN but the car I can’t drive because it’s stick. We’ve owned it for 3 years now and he still hasn’t taught me how to drive it. 3 years of me begging once a month, but it was never a good time. Well, it’s not a good time now either but it HAS to be done. Personally, I think he didn’t want me to learn because he didn’t want me driving it. Well too bad now.
The second we got home from the gas station on Wednesday, I was on the computer looking at want ads. The boy, he decided to take his time finding the perfect music channel to listen to and just sat on the couch listening to music. The problem with this is that the plan is to buy a truck FOR HIM to use and I’ll take over the Civic. So the vehicle is going to be his. Yet he hasn’t done anything to look for one. Nothing. I looked all Wed night. I spent what little lunch break I had yesterday looking. I looked when I got home. I made tons of printouts and notes. Did he do anything? Nope. He fell asleep. I could understand it and all if he had gotten up earlier and had done other stuff but no, I got up at the same time, managed to rent a car (which was actually a pretty impressive feat when there were maybe 20 cars available in all of Austin yesterday.), and still did some cleaning and research for a vehicle. I can’t exactly go to the dealerships as arriving in a cab or by bus is an automatic target. So I’m stuck. If he doesn’t make a move to even talk about stuff, which we were supposed to do last night, except that he kept getting annoyed and saying I don’t care every time I mentioned something. Next time he says I don’t care it’s not going to go well. I know of 2 cars, in good shape, for less than $3000. It’s not the truck he wants, but it’s something. One is a Ford Ranger, which he doesn’t want but hell, I’ll take it.
I’m the one depending on the kindness of a co-worker to take me to work. I’m the one who can’t get stuff done, like the grocery shopping for Thanksgiving. He was talking about going out somewhere this weekend to look at some guy’s plants. If he wants a Thanksgiving, that’s not going to happen. Hell, if he wants a truck that’s not going to happen. I have our Sunday planned. It includes shopping for necessities and stick shift driving lessons. Saturday is out as he works from 11-6, which makes it really sucky because dealers aren’t open on Sunday. We better do something tonight or I’m going to be even unhappier than I am now.
I need help on this car thing but I’m not getting it from the person who is actually involved in the decision making. If he doesn’t start helping soon, he’s not going to be involved.