Saturday, April 2, 2016

Back in the World of the Living

Yes, it has been quite a while since I've posted.  I really didn't have much to say in March; I was too busy with work, my museum class, burying my mom, and grieving.  Not to mention saying goodbye to an old friend and welcoming a new one.  Yes... we have a new car!!

Our van's registration expired at the end of February and I've had the paperwork since December, but due to my mom's decline and death, I kept forgetting about it.  Finally, I got the smog check done, only to find out she had failed one section.  Instead of pouring more money into a 20-year-old vehicle on its last legs anyway, I decided that our money would be better spent going toward a newer one.  Thanks to California's "Vehicle Retirement" program, we got $1,000 for bringing the van to a dismantler that will recycle her parts and sell them.  This ended up being our downpayment on the new one.

My son and nephew picked us up from the dismantler, and off we went to look at cars.  We had no idea if we would actually find a car the same day, but we were lucky enough to hit the jackpot at our local Hertz rental car lot.  It was more than I wanted to pay initially, but it has less than 44,000 miles on it (we still have 17,000 miles of factory warranty), and the monthly payments are just under $200!!  And it can fit two guys over six feet tall in the back, and I can STILL see out the rear window, although that window is a LOT smaller than the van's.  I miss that huge panoramic rear view.

Behold, our 2014 Nissan Sentra!! 
 
(This isn't actually ours, but it's the same year, model and lovely silver color.)

And this is the interior (minus the GPS; we have the radio/CD player in that spot and the heater/AC underneath).  Also, think black interior and fabric seats instead of silver:



We are now in the market for a StarTrek license plate cover and some vinyl stick-on bats for the side windows, heheheh...

In addition, I've been working on my online Museum Certificate course.  I finished the 'Introduction to Museums' class in January, and am two-thirds of the way through 'Museum Artifacts: How They Were Made & How They Deteriorate'.  I finish that one on my birthday!  And I'll be on vacation that week as well, the first REAL vacation I've taken since 2013.  Then in May, I have a two-week course on 'Gallery Guides'.  I'm glad I finally had the opportunity to afford this program AND convinced myself to jump in and do it. 

AND I almost forgot to mention that my first published short story, "The Second Time Around", came out in February, not only online but also IN PRINT!  I bought a copy of the paperback (Women in Horror Annual, $20/new), and it's really good; I recommend it highly, and not just because I'm in it.  I got a "like new" copy from alibris.com, but they are available on Amazon and in bookstores as well.

I hope you all had a wonderful Ostara/Easter/Spring Equinox! 

16 comments:

  1. Oooh a star trek license playe cover! Congrats on the new car and getting published.

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  2. Congratulations on finishing your course I wish all the best for it. It's sound amazing that you got published, well done.

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  3. When I Suddenly had to change my car I had no idea what I would be getting, but I am very happy with mine.

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    1. I think maybe it's better if you DON'T know exactly what you want, because if you do and don't get it, you feel cheated. Just let the Universe do its thing! :-)

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  4. Hugs. Love. And congrats on finishing your course work/taking your course work! AND wahoo! that you've been published. <3

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    1. Thank you!! I hope and pray that this program will be The Key to better job opportunities. Hugs and love back at you!

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  5. Congratulations on the car, course and writing! Condolences on your loss.

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  6. Welcome back lovely & squeeeeee to publication!

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    1. Thanks! And yep, that's a good "word" for how I'm feeling about it. :-)

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  7. Cool car! Fits two six-foot guys in the back seat, does it? I'll have to keep that in mind when the HHR finally craps out. :)

    Congrats on the courses and getting published, Lucretia! Sorry I'm so late in commenting - I'm falling really behind on everything lately. :(

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    1. Eh, don't worry about when (or if) you comment. It's not like there's a contest to win or anything! ;-)

      Thanks for the congrats, I'm pretty impressed myself, hehe! And yes, it was amazing how much I could actually see out the rear window (more or less) with those two back there! They said their legs weren't smashed or anything, so I assume the leg room is more than adequate as well. Definitely a car to consider if you are in the market for one.

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  8. Pay close attention online to when the dealerships get certain rebate offers concerning new cars. If you were to buy that new car today versus waiting a month when the manufacturer is offering a $3000 rebate to move their inventory, that is a a whole lot of monthly car payments you will have as cash in hand if you waited.

    Newton @ Fiesta Nissan Santa Fe

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    1. That's good to know, thanks for posting! I'm happy with the deal I got, especially since I needed to have a car THAT day, but if you can afford to wait, your suggestion is a great one. :-)

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