Grateful Friday

Joan

I got my new car!  On Halloween night.  It was exciting and when I woke up the next morning and realized I could drive her to work, it felt a little like Christmas.

Here's a screen shot of a video Adam took (because I don't know how to put the video on here).

This is us leaving the dealership:

As you know, this blog is all about the high quality photos....

Her name is Joan, as in Joan of Arc.  As in:  if Joan of Arc can turn the tide of an entire war before her 18th birthday, you can get out of bed. (E. Jean Carroll)

She is a Jeep Cherokee.  When we were shopping, Adam asked for the fundamental difference between a Cherokee and Grand Cherokee.  The salesman said, "A Cherokee is a baby Grand."  Ha!  I love that.  There's a baby grand in my garage.

I am very grateful to have a car that I feel confident driving in the snow.  (Two years ago, when we actually had winter, I couldn't make it up our street on two different occasions.)  Since I'm working, staying home and waiting out the weather isn't an option.

Also, Joan has a heated steering wheel!  That is a game changer.  My hands are cold all winter and I will be such a happy clam driving around with warm hands!  (Then I'll freeze at my corner during traffic duty, remembering how blissful it was to have warm hands.)

Mark

Mark and I talked about car choices a lot over the last year.  We talked probably more than I would have talked to anyone about cars ever.  When your 15 year old son who is independent and an introvert, wants to talk to you?  You talk.  It doesn't matter what the topic is.  It doesn't matter if you think you've exhausted every possible angle of the new car decision.  You talk.

And it was super helpful.  Mark, avid reader of Car and Driver magazine and noticer of cars and commerce, was a good person to bounce ideas off of.  He has opinions (oh my yes) and he also helped me hone my own opinions.

He drove home with me from the dealership and it felt like the culmination of a project we worked on together.

I'm grateful for Mark.

Adam

Adam is, like most stories in my life, the MVP of this story.  That guy!  He takes care of me better than I deserve, of that I'm sure.

I am impatient at my very core and he insisted I not be impatient and get the car I really really wanted.  Also, I get super uncomfortable in sales situations and start wanting whatever the salesman wants me to want just so I can get out of there.  Adam insisted I not do that.

One night we were there wheeling and dealing (car shopping is the most protracted and painful shopping ever).  Adam said he would go back the next day alone.  I told him it made my stomach hurt.  He said, "I know, that's why I'm going back alone."

He went back and got me Joan!

I'm grateful for the car, of course I am.  Even more, I'm grateful for time spent with Mark, pondering and debating.  Especially, I'm grateful for Adam.  There is such comfort and joy in being married to someone who knows you so well that he takes over and saves you from yourself and gets you exactly what you want.

(Have I mentioned the heated steering wheel?)

Early morning shot of Joan that Mark took to send his siblings.  He said it was a "glamor shot."  IDK.  It's about as glamorous as we get, I guess.