Just call me crash......

I knew it was coming...yep. You know how it is....you get a new car. You love it. You just can't get enough of the 'new-ness' of it.

Then you get your first little ding. The honeymoon's over.

Except, in my case....this isn't just a 'ding'. It's a whopping crack in the right side of the front bumper. How did I do this, you ask? Why, it was simple.

Take one frazzled girl, running a little late for work.
Add one mocha frappuchino (for the extra caffeine 'jitters')
and..while you're at it....a dash of a nice, yellow barricade-type pole.

Score?
Yellow pole - 1
Avalanche - 0

Ok, not so much of a big deal...I didn't hit it as much as I gave it a little 'kiss' while pulling into my parking spot at work. But, the manager of the North Texas Region was out there, and saw it happen. I think I fulfilled my job duties for the day by being a dose of comic relief. My work here is done, I thought. I can go home now.

For those of you who have driven an Avalanche - you understand what I am talking about. They don't exactly corner like they are on rails. I THOUGHT I had enough clearance to whip it into the open space.....but I guess I was still in Chrysler Sebring mode. (Must remind self what vehicle I am driving...to compensate for manueverability.)

I called my dad, who made the appropriate sympathetic noises and asked the dad-standard questions?

'How much is your deductible?'
'Have you gotten an estimate?'
'How bad is it?'
'Does it really need to be replaced, or can it be fixed?'
All the while, I can see the little fluffy bubble above his head....thoughts of relief....because he is no longer financially responsible for my auto escapades.

Anyway - DO YOU KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS TO REPLACE THAT STUPID PLASTIC BUMPER? Try about $600.00.......yes.....six HUNDRED dollars. I kinda felt like the estimator was pulling a Dr. Evil on me...I was just waiting for the obligatory pinkie flip and the 'Muah ha ha ha!' that I KNEW was coming. No luck.

So, no more mocha frappuchinos for this chick. Well, not in the morning. Well, not on work mornings. Um, not on work mornings when I might be cutting it close because I stopped for a mocha frappuchino. Hmmm, let's just forget it. I'm still gonna get 'em.

While I grouse about this, there are bigger and more important things going on around this little rock we call Earth.

Roscoe's Homecoming is this weekend. Headed home to catch up...and work. Catering with the fam. Quality time, you know. Headed to the airport to pick someone up in a few...who is going to take the Sebring home for mom to drive for a while. You know you have finally come full circle when you give your mom your extra car to drive...instead of vice versa. Ponder that for a moment. I am handing over a 2004 Chrysler Sebring LXi convertible....to my mother. I mean, mom and dad gave me my first car back in 1993...a 1989 Beretta GT.......

I think I am doing 'em one better. What a good child I am!

Actually, let's not say that. We won't go into my Andretti-style driving or the numerous cars I went through between the ages of 14 (yes, I was driving at 14) and the glorious day when I finally bought my first car, on my own...with no financial backing from the padre and madre.

Hey...mom and dad? Let's call it even.