Happy and sad

Can one actually be 

happy and sad at the same time ?

Let me explain. 

(prepare for a long post)

January 2010 I practically stalked 

this nice lady so she would sell me her car.

You see, I saw her from the window in my office 

in this nice little Volkswagen every.single.day.

I would always look at it and say 

"Someday I'll buy that car from her".

Called her up one day and asked her if

she was going to sell her car, happens she was.

So I bought it.

I was 7 and it was Christmas all over again !

Meaning I was just so happy and excited.

Those two adjectives I very rarely describe myself as, 

I am saying this so you can picture how thrilled I was

to buy my dream car.

Then the nightmare began.

I decided to take it to the Volkswagen dealer to have it checked.

The result was a quote where I needed to have about 1,053.19 USD done in repairs which included a window mechanism. GULP.

I decided to do the basics which added up to 111.17 USD.

Seemed reasonable.

A few days later I went back to get other stuff done, that bill was 464.69 USD.

So I am thinking ok, I just bought this car and in less than 10 days have spent  575.86 USD in repairs but, it's just to get it running smoothly and that should be it.

After that, all I had to do was fix the window mechanism but I refused to pay

over 500.00 USD for that part.

Door and window mechanism fully exposed.

I could not use the "convertible" part of the car (soft top down) because the window was damaged.

So, I looked around and found a place that could fix, instead of replace the part. 

So, there I shed 160.00 USD more.

Now, in a matter of 3 months I had spent a total of 735.86 USD on repairs in my new-to-me car.

SO VERY CUTE ! I felt like a doll driving this car.

Also the cd player was not working. I ignored it. 

So in April I find that the car would not start.

Time for a battery change !

146.11 USD more.

In 4 months = 881.97 USD

Then the "check engine" light was turned on.

Oh, and did I forget to tell you about the airbag light on the dashboard ?

Yes, for a moment there the dashboard looked like a lit Christmas tree.

(see below)

However it was not a joyful moment.

Then the air conditioner.

It was not cooling well. Actually just not cooling.

I had it looked at and 35.00 USD later I am told 

that the evaporator needs to be replaced.

Shed out 500.00 USD more.

Comes July and my window mechanism dies (yet again).

I take it back and pay 120.00 USD.

It dies again and I pay 60.00 USD.

So it's September 2010 and my repairs are adding up to 

1,596.97 USD.

I take it to have the soft top checked, costs 40.00 USD 

(after I practically cry for a discount) and while in the shop

they break my tail light while changing a light bulb.

(they replaced the tail light)

The bulb was 34.88 USD

Then my (driver's) window mechanism dies.

So up to date: 1,671.85 USD

Then the soft top had to be repaired,

some minor gluing was billed to me at 331.27 USD

-

2,003.12 USD

-

Then another damn light bulb !

35.05

and more repairs

850.96 USD

giving me a

total of

2,889.13 USD

.

then something else

.

42.31 USD

total:

2,931.44 USD

I decided to sell it sometime after the 2,000.00 USD were spent.

People interested called me every other day, but nobody was buying it.

I had all sorts of things happen, such as someone trying to get a date out of it.

Odd.

Anyways, add all the time I wasted waiting around

for the car to be repaired. Catching taxis, asking for rides

and walking.

And all the crying and beating myself up for buying the car.

My dream was stomped on.

Oh ! also throw in the two parking tickets that I had to pay 

that belonged to the previous owner.

.

SO, after almost 3,000.00 USD in repairs in 

only one year and a half.....

I sold the SOAB.

It was my dream car.

These days, I am just a pedestrian.

Note to self: I am writing this post to remind me of all the crap I went through with the lovely little beetle. As I write it, I am actually sad that I sold it. However I am also happy that I found someone to buy it from me at 15% less than I had hoped to sell it for.