These last few weeks have been nothing short of insane. On Saturday of this week, my fiancee and I will finally be tying the knot. It's been 23 months, but it's been one heck of a ride. We closed on our house on friday, September 29th, and began moving things into it and started working on getting it ready to be moved in. Unfortunately, on saturday, the 30th, my 2002 ford focus was hit by an unlicensed motorist who had a warrant out for his arrest. Unfortunately, the focus was rendered undriveable after the accident, and there has been nothing short of a nightmare dealing with the insurance companies due to the other driver. Fortunately, my fiancee and I weren't hurt in the accident.
I've been dealing with that situation as best I can, but when you have a car that isn't really any good to you and a need to get around, you need to do something, especially at a critical time such as the week before a wedding/during a move. I sold my MacBook at a loss and managed to get myself a $500 car - a 1988 Volvo 760 turbo sedan. The car has some minor mechanical issues - an exhaust leak at the manifold (common issue on the turbo cars), as well as some appearance issues (dents on the driver's side doors). Nothing too serious, but for a $500 car that's inspected and runs reliably, you really can't complain.
When push comes to shove, the ability to get to work and get things done trumps having a luxury item, which in this case was the MacBook. I can always buy another one, and anyway there's going to be another revision in another month or two anyway!
I'm in the opposite end of this equation (my wife and I just separated), but I know exactly how it feels to have to give to get. Right now, I'm without a car; my 1986 Chevy Celebrity lost its transmission and costs entirely too much. I'm sorting and sifting and trying to figure out what I can sell. Meantime, using the local bus service; not as efficient, but it is there.
You did the right thing.
Peace,
Rob
Yeowch. Not that there's any good time to have a car accident, but the timing must be particularly frustrating.
When my wife and I bought our first house, two weeks before we were to move in, the idiot owners of the house didn't realize they were obligated until top of the furnace oil tank (it had been a rental and was sitting empty until we were to move in). It ran out of oil, and on a particularly cold January morning, several upstairs pipes froze and burst, flooding every level of the house, and destroying the inlaid hardwood flooring on the main floor.
Needless to say, there was a great knotting of stomachs, calling of lawyers, staring blankly into space and mumbling, and calling our current landlord to see if we could stay another month while the house was repaired.
It all worked out, for the most part (the hardwood was not recoverable ), but it was a long, stressful time.
Hang in there.
Hopefully this will be an event you both can look back and laugh about someday...
Regards,
David