Tuesday, January 15, 2008
I surprised Dave with an iPhone for his birthday, which was today. That’s right – he turned THIRTY today! He was totally unsuspecting. I knew I had to be careful, since he is not as gullible as I am.
I knew he either wanted an iPhone or a camera lens for his digital SLR. Since I don’t really understand lenses and didn’t feel like doing the research, I decided to buy an iPhone on the sly, then wrap and hide it just before his birthday.
I did this with an accomplice, Dan. Dave handles my finances as well as his own, so I knew I couldn’t go buy an iPhone with my credit card because he would possibly see the credit card statement. I also didn’t want an online order to arrive at an untimely moment.
So Dan bought it yesterday at the Apple Store in Pasadena and brought it over while I was sick at home (not planned). I wrapped it in three layers of wrapping paper, stuck it in a different-shaped box, and wrapped that. Then I hid it in the coat closet, where Dave would never look for anything.
We went to dinner tonight at Mi Piace in Old Town Pasadena. Instead of giving him a card, I told him 30 things I love about him. On our way home from the restaurant, I kept saying things like, “Did you have a good birthday?” When he answered in a perfectly normal way, I knew he didn’t suspect a thing. I shouldn’t have felt paranoid that he would notice the wrapping paper had changed positions in the living room, or that the checkbook that I’d taken out to pay back Dan was on the couch, or that he would look in the checkbook and see the carbon copy of $400-odd dollars made out to his brother. He tells me now that he didn’t notice anything.
From the moment of the unwrapping, he has been bowed over that thing, tonight’s plans to watch the third season of The Wire totally forgotten. It’s so cute to see the kid in him, haha.
| Tags: memories, married life
Friday, December 14, 2007
I’m so excited! Last night Dave and I bought our first new car together at Gardena Nissan. It’s a 2008 Nissan Altima 2.5 S. The photo below has my exact color, Majestic Blue (yes, I went from a blue Altima to another blue Altima):
Why Gardena Nissan when it’s 25 miles from where we live? Because they gave it to us at $1340 under invoice with 1.9% financing over 36 months. My OCD at an extreme, I read and followed every word of CarBuyingTips and Fighting Chance. I gave up playing Zelda on my commute for a solid week so that I could read through all 7 chapters of CarBuyingTips which I printed out and brought with me. It was worth it.
Later I might blog about the whole negotiating and haggling process, and my interesting and sometimes nasty interactions with some dealers. For now, I (and Dave, probably more so) am just happy we got a great deal and that this is all over!
| Tags: memories, obsessions, married life
Monday, December 03, 2007
I’m trying to decide on a new car… that has been the most painful part of the process so far, and I haven’t even discussed price with any dealerships yet! Most of it has been in the form of agonizing over different makes and and models, looking at their stats and pictures and records of reliability, depreciation, crashworthiness, etc. It’s driving both me and Dave crazy, but buying a new car is a big deal for us, and we want it to last at least 7-10 years.
So far we’ve test driven several contenders:
Toyota Camry – It felt just like Dave’s current 2005 Camry (smooth and easy to drive), and it looks even cooler. What’s not to like? But I’m hesitant because of negative reviews on Yahoo! Autos.
Honda Accord – This car did not feel as familiar as the Camry – the steering was tighter, the gas pedal was harder to push, and the engine was noisier. The design inside and outside was very angular and masculine, which appealed to Dave but not so much to me. It had an MP3 disc player – very important to me.
Nissan Altima – I was quite impressed. Nissan is introducing CVT technology transmissions, which is usually used in luxury cars and hybrids. It feels like one continuous acceleration when you press the gas pedal, and there are no bumps or jerks of the transmission switching gears, because there are no gears! Pretty cool. The power was great for a V4, thanks to the CVT. The Altima had the biggest glove compartment we’ve ever seen – enough space to hold two Los Angeles Thomas Guides!
Mazda 6 (5-door) – Similar to the Accord, it felt noisier and more “sporty” than I am used to. The fifth door, i.e. the hatchback trunk, opened to reveal a very large storage area.
Honda CR-V – Yes, we are considering an SUV, in order to have an alternative to the Camry with more space, and for something more fun. Also, everyone at work who has kids tells me that I should get a bigger car if I plan to have kids in the next couple years. I don’t really understand why. I know a kid means more stuff, but does such a small person really require that much space?
Toyota RAV-4 – Not a contender. Too small and the side-swinging trunk door annoys me.
Still agonizing over the decision…
| Tags: money, married life