been kissed

This weekend was spent doing one of those uber stressful things. Buying a car. Since our trusty Sebring could no longer be trusted it was time to replace it. For this family a major purchase like this is almost traumatic. We are very careful shoppers ( despite the costco dilemma) and have a track record of purchasing that might drive others insane.

Like the time we spent an entire weeks vacation deciding on the perfect dining room table...

or the time we went to five different stores to compare blenders...

and then there was the vacuum cleaner...

All these purchases were made with strict attention, so you can imagine if it takes us a week to buy a table... well, let's just say buying a car is a really big deal. But we did our homework and with financing in hand we confidently walked in and out of a few different dealerships touching the options that we had already seen available online. By Friday night we had narrowed it down to two different options, the Scion, and the Element, and by Saturday morning we had landed on a used Element.

But then we looked at the new ones.

We have never bought a new car. It was (yes, was) sort of a policy of ours. You know the whole depreciation thing in the first year and all. But as we shopped we found that the models that we chose were not depreciating in value to make it worth our while. So following a certain train of logic (reliability + features+ cost) this family ended up with a bright shiny spanking new, kiwi-green, Honda Element.

Now one of the reasons we bought used cars is the "kiss" factor. (not the keep it simple...this is something else). When Bryan was younger his uncle told him that if he ever got a new car he needed to get a hammer and give it a whack, hence giving it its first dent.

In other words "kiss" it.

His logic was that if it was already "kissed" then all that fuss and stress over having something new and trying to keep it new would evaporate into practical everyday life.

practical. sensible. Would I do it to our bright shiny spanking new, kiwi-green, Honda Element?

not on your life.

However the downside that is left without the kiss on our bright shiny spanking new, kiwi-green, Honda Element is that I, in fact did feel a certain paranoia about keeping it new. A weird low grade anxiety. And that is not our family's MO. When we get something, blender, luggage, whatever...we use the snot out of it. And part of the reason we got an Element was to be just as practical (you can hose the thing out...I am not kidding). And there are a number of things already against it staying bright shiny spanking new, kiwi-green.

For one, we don't have a garage.

And another, the oak trees in our yard throw golf-ball size acorns this time of year.

But there was one that I had not considered.

my sweet husband.

I had driven it home from the dealership Saturday night and then Bryan carefully parked it across the lawn (away from the acorn chucking trees).

Sunday morning we have to take the Sebring to that great carlot in the sky (carmax). The plan is Bryan is going to move the Element and then I will drive it following him (for his last drive in the Sebring). I realize that I forgot my camera.

I run back in the house, grab my camera, and run back outside just in time to see...

The bright shiny spanking new, kiwi-green, Honda Element with its bumper squared off against a tree.

yup, you heard me.

In absolute disbelief and a total sense of denial, I look at my husband who is getting out of the bright shiny spanking new, kiwi-green, Honda Element to check the damage...

Knowing full well that he had just backed into the tree, I hear myself saying...

"you didn't, you didn't"...

Now this is one of those sort of pivotal moments that tells you alot about yourself. Looming on my emotional horizon was a dark cloud of disappointment, blame, and something even uglier...

placing something of material value over a relationship.

Snapping out of my "you didn't", chant and looking at my husband's expression of utter disbelief I started to laugh.

Examining the damage, "It's O.K.", he says... "Its just a little scratch on the bumper."

We both laugh.

I guess its been kissed.

Now I can relax.