Michele

My trick is negotiation, know the product, and don't tell them the bottom line until they are close to it. When he ended up with cents on the figure, that's a big clue he's close to his "no deal" place. Also, realize that the resale price is not what they paid in trade-in value. That was my starting point, and the first step in researching...what did a dealer pay for this? And how much would be a fair profit for them, and still be feasible and reasonable for me? That's what I started with...and ended with. Another trick is timing and knowing when to walk. And the last trick is never disagree with him, but don't take the deal until it's what you want. I told him he could sell it to someone else for about $30K...but that I really wanted it and thought we could work it out. And we managed to. Fun, fun, fun. Also, that price was out the door; tax, license, all fees and et ceteras included. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Sorry for the delay, but I have been tooling around Southern California for the last 2 days. Refilled the tank, and just kept driving. I have to get used to such a small car again. I've never had one this small, but hey, there's a first time for everything. They were asking $34K. I got it for just under $25K ($24,780.52). I got my negotiation hat on, and went to work. At the end of the negotiations, I was offered a job closing deals, and we had an audience. Other people there were asking me to negotiate for them, too. LOL. For those in sales, it's ever so much fun to watch two good closers close each other...and for a sales person like me, it's even more fun to know when the other side let the one piece of information slip that made me the undisputed leader in the negotiations; I really enjoyed the whole experience, paid what I could afford, and got a sweet deal and a lovely, amazing car. Yes, I'm broke now, but hey...I was broke before. So that's nothing new. So without further ado....presenting my '05 Honda. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I am really, really curious as to why you won't bother to answer the questions asked. It doesn't matter, in the long run, what you say here...you're leaving anyway. So why worry? I realize you're not a fan of therapists. But I have to tell you, friends, like Zen said, generally don't come in the flavor of therapist. I am blessed to have several friends who can be objective and tell me things I don't want to hear, and we remain friends. One of the great things a therapist can provide is an objective perspective; one which those who are our friends can't, or won't, in general. Because of that, they can be invaluable. You don't think you have a problem. You may not. You may, though. Know what would suck? Wasting an opportunity to learn a bit about yourself (know that it's only a bit; 6 sessions isn't a lot). Why waste the time? Why not learn a bit about yourself? If you disagree, then don't use the info. If you see something which might benefit, then grab it with both hands. You're going to have to be there for 6 sessions...so why not? It's free, it might create value for your life, and you have to be there anyway. So why not take advantage of it? Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I wonder how many people will realize what you're talking about, Chris. Me, not being Catholic and being raised by a jew...well, you know me, and know I know what you're referring to. But I wonder how many others will. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I am a firm believer that pets name themselves. It will come clear to you after a bit; worry not on getting the "right" name for her immediately. She'll inspire you, no doubt. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I've raised many wee fuzzy butts, and have hints and tricks in case you need them. Congratulations - she is a gorgeous green eyed girly...you did well. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Ask them if they're willing to put aside the amount you are expected to pay towards the purchase, so that you can get your equity out when you move. That will either shut them up, or it will force their hand. Or they can give you the items when you move. Their choice. If they're looking to ride on your coat tails, let them invent something, copyright it, and then market it. LOL...and it's not free cash; you earned it. You're not being an asshole...but they sure are doing their fair bit towards being one themselves. It might be time to consider leaving. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Thanks, guys! Just came in from the drive. Wayyyyyy too tired to post tonight, but it's a nice car. Got out of the dealership at about 3 pm, hit tons of traffic, so didn't get lunch. I put 230 miles on it with Dad in the car, and we went up to Shoals Inn for dinner (farther than Camarillo, Gary). Love that place, and it was the perfect excuse - gotta get used to the car, you know? LOL! Story and photos tomorrow afternoon, I promise. It's just too late tonight. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I'm outta here in a few minutes to go get my "new" car. I am going to take it on it's inaugural drive and take Dad out to a late lunch out in Camarillo, but when I get back, I'll post some shots of my new wheels. I'm pretty pleased. I was so excited about finally having a car I could trust, and that was reliable, that I didn't manage more than 4 hours' sleep last night. Good to have something nice happen every once in a while...it's no Saab turbo, though. Only 4 cylinders, but at least it's a stick. Oh well... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Sorry, Hume is not the same as Wallace. Good try, though. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Terrorism isn't a scratch on your arm - putting neosporin on it and then a bandaid is just not going to work. Terrorism is more like metistatic cancer. Surgery, chemo and radiation...some pretty serious treatments of the cause. Needed so that life can continue, and done with as much kindness and palliative care as possible, but still absolutely necessary. Darius, what I've never seen our President do (whomever he was) was tell the interviewer they were getting angry, and that the interviewer apparently didn't want to finish the interview. That is extraordinarily manipulative, and controlling the conversation in an amazing, not-quite-subtle way. And the proof was in the pudding: Wallace then sucks up, changes the subject, and the interview continues. As if that was an interview...more like filibustering. I expected more from a vet like Wallace...but apparently, he's either off his game, or is so....Dan Ratherish that he just can't deal with the heavy shit anymore. I certainly didn't see him playing soft with Reagan, you know? Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Heart, Deuce. Thanks. Yes, it does indeed help...no doubt. And GunnaJump, thanks for your thoughts, too. I hate this waiting and testing. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

We're not sure of anything right now; tomorrow morning there will be tests, and next week there will be tests. So until we know, I can't predict the path this will take...but I am holding out hope for the easier part, you know? Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

And I needed to hear that, Triple F. You're a dear one, and I very much appreciate the prayers. The only thing I know right now is it's going to get tougher before it gets easier, but with friends and prayers, we'll make it through. Bart'sDaddy, when the time comes to get first hand info, I promise I'll pm you. I promise. Thanks so much for the offer. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Told ya it would work out well...!!! YAY!!! Miss Shadow has a home now!! Simon sings to me...it's really more like caterwauling, but it's his song. Goes something like this: Rowlllllllllllllllllllllll meeeeeeeeoooooowwwwwww yooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrr... Translated, it's something along these lines: "Where are you, how come dinner's not ready, scratch me NOW!!" Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Erm...he bears a strange resemblance to Pops' avatar.... He's a cute little bugger, indeed. Congratulations, and yes, of course he remembers. And he won't forget. Thus, the savings account for therapy bills... Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Interesting. Not having seen the interview, but having watched Wallace for years, I find it fascinating that he was so easily manipulated and intimidated by Iran's president. Soft ball? Absolutely. Ahmenedijad was in charge of that interview, no question. And when it got a little contentious, he threatened to walk out, told Wallace he was getting angry, and the topic changed to a much softer subject. Master manipulator is the president of Iran. That interview is telling, and allows us to see just what difficulties present themselves when having a conversation of any import with him about the future of both Iran and the world. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

THanks, everyone. This is such a great place - put up a plea, and get tons of help really quickly. Thanks, and you all rock. We don't know what's going on, just yet. It's not me, I promise. We've got some more tests scheduled for Friday, and also for Monday, and we should know more then. At least, by then, I'll have some modicum of understanding and be able to understand some stuff a bit better... Thanks again. I really appreciate it. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

Still testing. No dialysis yet, but it's been mentioned. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

If anyone on board has experience in renal failure, either in yourself or in others, could you please PM me? I have some questions. Thanks in advance. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I read something once, about how there is more dog food consumed than baby food...in considering that, it seems appropriate. Why? Because babies grow up, stop eating baby food, and dogs don't (except for the occasional table scrap). I think the same sort of logic follows here. We are, as a society, exposed to Snow White and the & Dwarves long before - and far more consistently - we are exposed to the 9 supreme court justices. Furthermore, their names don't change - it's always the same story, so what we learned at 5 will be the identical thing at 35. However, supreme court justices do change...so combine the fact that we are exposed in one case early to a set of non-changing characters, I don't find it odd at all. I knew all the Super Friends before I even understood what a President did, let alone his name. I can name all the Super Friends, and of course all the Presidents, but Super Friends have stayed the same, and the presidential name has changed. Those who've identified Harry Potter v. Tony Blair is a similar thing, I think. Kids who read the Potter books - well, they're like any other fan base; lots of attention paid to them, their parents purchase items with Potter on them, and even school implements are also covered with Potter paraphernalia. Tony Blair doesn't have the same sort of exposure; unless, of course, all the parents are in Speaker's Corner (or are our type of people). The difference is 7%, which, in a poll known for an error rate of 3% +/-, means that it's pretty much not a surprise nor a problem at least to my way of thinking. In re: Homer(s), I knew who Homer was in 4-5th grade. I read his original stuff in 10, and 12 grades (the stories I read in 4-5 were level appropriate). I'm not sure what the purpose of the question would be, other than to demonstrate that popular culture may not be reading the classics - but then, we already knew that. That's why it's "popular culture" and the classics are forced down the throats of teenagers (in English classes. I loved that stuff, though. Then again, I'm odd...). Same issues present in the Krypton v. Mercury argument. I could tell you all the planets' name, but may not have managed to get the one closest to the sun. On the other hand, I do know that the earth is "3rd Rock From The Sun," 'cause that was a great tv show. But would I have known it otherwise? Sure, because of AP stuff in high school. But anything more than that, I don't know that I would've passed. Is it really important that I know which planet is closest to the sun? No...it sure is for those who study it, and as you said, may lead to an interest and/or understanding of some of the applicable chemistry facts and processes, which might be important to me...but I also don't remember how I was taught to read...and yet, I do that often and well. Same thing with chemical stuff. I know better than to mix X with Y unless I want an explosion, but I can't tell you why, or where I learned it. That doesn't make me unintelligent, nor does it bode poorly for an entire country. If I were an astrophysicist, or one of those guys who measure interplanetary gravitational effects on the lunar rover, yes, it would be very important for me to know. As for Larry, Moe and Curly, they were on TV every saturday (The Million Dollar Movie!!!) as I was growing up. It wasn't until middle and high school that I learned the three branches of government. OTOH, I also watched Schoolhouse Rock, and learned some stuff from that... I wonder, about the 11% knowing who was the last SC appointee, if people also answered that it was the other people who had been appointed recently - or the ones who'd been nominated and not made it through. That would be interesting. As for knowing who American Idol guy was, I knew - but only because of the interviews he gave, and the stupid Ford commercials he makes. Again, his exposure is greater. I suppose what I'm trying to get at is that while those of us who love politics and follow that closely, more people do not. Is that a shame? Perhaps. Does that mean that everyone should do as we do? Hell no. I remember when SC was put up - it was because of the need to separate this forum from the regular ones - because people weren't interested. Those of us who are, well, we participate. But to expect others to be as interested in it as we are is not reasonable. There are people who have interests way outside mine, and who, if they polled me, would find that I was woefully lacking in knowledge they consider basic. Are they wrong? Sure. But I don't think it's "sad"; rather, I think it's pointing to what a person is exposed to, often and early, as well as pointing out that different people have different interests, and that's just the way it is. Just my opinion, of course...take it for what it's worth. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

The suspect is a guy named John Carr or Karr, with a connection to Conyers, GA and a former Boulder CO resident. He was arrested on unrelated sex crime charges in Thailand, is (or was) a second grade school teacher, and has some sort of conviction record of sex crimes. If the above is true, the slime should hang, slowly and with crabs chewing on his private parts. This is going to get very, very interesting... Ciels- Michele Edited to correct information regarding the conviction record. I wrote in error (or on unconfirmed report), and have changed my post to reflect that. ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

It's going to be very interesting how this pans out - so many people are convinced that the Ramseys were involved at least somehow, and so many details have already been known... Fascinating. God bless that child, and her family - so much heart break in it. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I am so proud of you, my friend. You've come a long, long way, learned ever so much, and have, in my mind, grown oodles from this experience. It is so nice to see who you've grown into, and make it through the obstacle placed in your way, and through the rough and the hard part. You're pretty cool, Chris. And I'm proud to call you friend. Hugs- Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

So I caved and got a Honda. Good, used 2005. 14,300 miles on it, so still in the breaking in period (well, sorta). It wasn't what I started out looking for, but hey, sometimes you just bite the bullet. And they did take the Jetta in trade, too. I drove an Accord for years, and I loved it, so why not? I think I'll enjoy it, though. It's got some nice features. I'll get it on Friday, and get some photos up. Only 4 cylinders, and not turbo, but hey, it's a bit sporty nonetheless. And yes, there's a negotiation story, too...and the fact that on the test drive, we ran out of gas (that helped the negotiation along...). Thanks for all the advice, and the help. I appreciate it very much; and while it's not the Saab, I think I'll be all right for a few years. Then, maybe, I'll be able to get a really spiffy machine. 'Til then, I'll drive the Honda. It's a far cry from the Jetta, but then again, the Jetta has gasped it's last...but I'll miss it. Miss it very much. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~

I'd love to get another Jetta...but they stopped making them, and my Dad's mechanic (apparently he's the God of Mechanics) told Dad that parts will become more and more scarce as time goes on, and that VWs have electrical issues (as I am discovering...). I was considering a 2002 Cabrio GLX (I think), but Dad really wants me in a Toyota, Honda, or something with that sort of staying power. So, at least that limits my choices. Ciels- Michele ~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek While our hearts lie bleeding?~