Seven years ago, before the warranty ran out on the Neon, (unbelievably), the transmission broke down and we got a new one without having to lay out any money for it. I don't know if Dodge's are notorious for that or not. We had to do the same thing with the Dodge Caravan that we used to have only there was no warranty left on it. We drove all the way from Toronto to Saskatoon in it--a four day drive one way--with it acting strange and didn't know till we got back that the transmission was going out. That would not have been fun to have been stuck several days away from home while waiting for a transmission to be put in. The reason we finally did part with that minivan after twelve years of use was because the transmission was going again. I had just put $2000 worth of a/c repairs in it, too. Boy, that was a hard decision. Fix the car, then fix again, and again, and again, and then you start thinking, "How much more can I afford to pay for fixes?" Then when the next thing goes wrong it might be a whopper of fix that you just can't afford. It's hard to give up on old cars but at some point you've got to cut your losses and dump them. We were there with the Caravan and that's where we got with Neona, as Bill called his little white car.

So, over the last couple of weeks we were working up to the idea that we were going to have to buy another car. Well, on our anniversary we decided to take our first step into the world of pirates and thieves or, as they are otherwise known, car salesmen. Come to think of it, I think the term car 'salesman' is correct. How many women have you ever seen out there selling cars? Uh, huh, that's right. None. It's the same with motorcycles. You see two people on a motorcycle and you know the driver is going to be a man and the rider behind him is going to be a woman. Ever see a woman driving and a man sitting behind her? Uh, uh. I never have.

The first car dealerhip we stopped at was a Scion dealer. Bill was curious about them because the Muckheads had suggested looking at them. Me, I just wanted to head straight for the Honda dealer. I've touted to Bill for years that Hondas are so reliable. He has resisted all these years. He always made the comment that we couldn't afford a Honda. We talked with a Scion salesman and he didn't have any new models in at the moment but he was expecting some anyday. We did get to sit in last year's model. I found out that the back of the bucket seats are narrow and I couldn't lean all the way back into them. So, there went that prospect fast. With no new model to test drive, we got back in our car. I told Bill that since we were there we could at least look at the Honda dealer right next door. So we went.

We skirted around the parking lot checking out the 2007 Accords and Civics from our car windows and agreeing that we really couldn't afford a Honda. Then we went back up front to where a row of used cars were sitting. Bill saw a used Civic and stopped to get out and have a look. As soon as Bill's foot hit the pavement, a salesman scooped us up (you know how they are). He was a very nice Japanese man. Been in the States for 40 years, married to an American woman for almost as long. He wasn't a high pressure salesguy but we could feel that he wasn't going to let us get away.

Bill asked to be shown the cheapest Honda on the lot. "What's your price range?" Ken, the Japanese guy asked. Ken was short for Keniche. "$16,000," Bill said after giving me a questionable look. Ken immediately sauntered away to a maroon-colored Honda with Bill steadily following him. I went at my own pace as my knees demanded and met up with them about four minutes later. But it was the car that sold itself. A very sleek looking and well kept 2004 Honda Accord EX took us by surprise. As we rode in it, we both felt like, "Oh, yeh, this is our car." It was on Red Tag Clearance already so that made it more tempting. And wham, bang, thank you, ma'am, we found ourselves driving home in it. They do credit checks on the spot and give you a loan and you're out the door. And with a quick appraisal they took the little Neon out from under us.

An added bonus. He's finally got that sunroof that he's always wanted ever since he turned one down when he bought the Dodge minivan way back before we got married.