The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

So, a few weeks ago we saw an auction with a 1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia convertible and we decided to go. From the very few pictures in the ad, it was a apparent the car needed some work, but we didn't know how much. Well, as it turned out that day was a very rainy, dull and

muddy one. We drove up north for the auction and sloshed and squished through a muddy field and stood there for about an hour before the auctioneer got to the Ghia. We knew there were a few other people there who were interested in the car, but we really didn't have a clue how much the thing would sell for. I had made my mind up prior to the sale what our budget was, but it was clear once the bidding started that it was shot. Unfortunately, auctions are tough because you make your mind to drive there, stand in the rain, and then you don't want to lose whatever it is you are there for. This is how the auctioneers and the sellers make good money. We were quickly past our budget and finally gave up around $1000 over the price I had set in my mind. Our son was inconsolable, since he was so excited about the car, he cried all the way back to the truck. To tell you the truth, I was pretty bummed myself and I could tell my husband was too.

So, we made up our minds to search the internet for Karmann Ghias for sale that afternoon and it wasn't long until we found a bright, shiny red Ghia on a site. The seller was asking only a few thousand more than we had wanted to buy the other Ghia for, plus it appeared to be in solid shape. The other car would have needed lots and lots of work to get it up and running! So, we text messaged the seller and began to ask questions about the car. All the usuals, "how does it drive?" "Is there any rust?" Etc. As it turned out, even though the car was located in Memphis, the seller had just moved up near us for work and could meet us to discuss the car in person the next day. So, we made arrangements to meet up for lunch.

The following day, we met up with the seller and looked at more detailed photos of the car. It looked great; other than needing a new interior and some trim pieces, the car was solid (no rust), running (just had the engine rebuilt), and had new paint. I have to say, I fell in love with it at first sight. I have never in my life owned a red car, and never really had the desire to do so, but this car was different. We made the decision right then and there to put a 10% deposit down on the car and drafted an intent to buy the car on a sheet of notebook paper. After we handed over the money and a handshake, the deal was done, we would get the car delivered the following Sunday evening.

It was a hard week for all of us, especially our 4.5 year old son. He LOVES cars and could talk of nothing else the whole week! So, when Sunday finally rolled around he was unable to contain his excitement. Unfortunately, the seller was running late leaving Mephis and would not be at our house until the middle of the night! This was a disappointment for sure! But, we promised him that it would be like Christmas and when he woke up it would be there waiting. This was a help, and we finally got him to sleep.

I fell asleep around nine (as usual) and then was woken up around 12:30am by my husband. The car arrived, literally, in the back of a Uhaul truck--it is that small! With some finagling the guys managed to get the car out safely and it was in it's new home--the garage! We signed the bill of sale and handed over the balance of the money and that was that. I didn't take much time to look at it since it was way past my bedtime.

But, sure enough around 6:30 in the morning here come our son, "Mommy, the Karmann Ghia is here!!" He was out there looking at the car for about 15 minutes, I had to yell at him to come inside to get ready for school. I practically had to pry him off the thing.

This evening, we really got to take a good look at the car, and I got to drive it a few feet (out of the garage). It looks fantastic on the outside, other than needing some trim installed. However, the interior is all original and needs a complete overhaul. I am actually glad about this. The original fabric on the seats was red and black checks or houndstooth, which is one of my most favorite patterns ever. The vinyl trim was a mix between grey and taupe. So, I have decided to restore it back to it's original look as best as we can. I don't have tons to spend to complete this job, but I want to do it right. With a little love (and some money) this car is going to be awesome. I already love it and I have only had it for one day. This is going to be a fun project; I am not sure how long it will take to get it how I want it, but I am sure it will be drivable soon! I can't wait!

I'm back... maybe?

So, I haven't been on here to blog for over 2 months. So, where have I been? Well, the last several months have been crazy to say the least! My husband James was working on finishing up his last semester of school and started a job (yea!), I work full time and suddenly things have gotten super busy, not to mention that we lost one our employees so I have more responsibilities now! Probably the biggest reason I have been MIA is because the weather has warmed up and now this tons of yard work to tend to..I have 2 acres and it has been raining like crazy lately which equals WEEDS! Most evenings we are out in the yard until 7:30 or 8:00 and then realize, "oh yeah, we need to make dinner, eat, get the kids bathed and get them off to bed!!" OOPS! So, that leaves me absolutely no energy to do just about anything other than melt into my beloved sofa, attempt to read or watch tv, and inevitably fall asleep while doing so. I am so behind on the normal business stuff that I have no idea when the last time I entered transactions in Quicken, I know I am behind on my time sheets at work, and my desk at work as well as my house look like an utter disaster! What can I say, I'm BUSY! Not only busy though, but I have been stressed out! Luckily, I think things are un the upswing... hubby is done with school (woo hoo!), we are interviewing for a new designer next week, and business is picking up. I am confident, relatively speaking, that I will get into the groove and be able to de-stress soon.

Today, we had our first garage sale ever. That may have been a source of stress for me, of course being the over achiever that I am, I spent tons of time obsessing about signage, organizing, and pricing. Overall, we didn't make a ton of money or anything, but we were able to clean out closets, the attic and the garage! That is a big achievement in itself. The bed of the truck is loaded up with all the items that did not sell which we will deliver to Goodwill tomorrow. An unexpected benefit to the day was the opportunity to meet some of our neighbors which I have not met before. Pretty sad that we have lived in this house for 4 years and still had not met the people 2 doors down! The downside to the day was the incredibly painful sunburn I got on my shoulders, chest and back. I know I should have put on sunscreen, but honestly from 5:30 to 9:30 this morning I was moving non stop. My ad listed 8am as the start time for the sale and there were people there at 6:30. Oh well, can't say I wasn't warned! I am not sure when the next time I will have a sale is, but it was certainly not a bad experience.

Tomorrow's agenda, since the weather has finally started to cooperate, it is time to get after my garden. Last time I blogged, I shared pictures of my cute little peat pots with the seedlings in them. Well, since then I have lost many plants due to my crazy cat and sheer neglect, but I did manage to get 24 tomato plants, 4 cucumber, several bell pepper, several carrots, and several beans. So, I plan to try to get those in the ground tomorrow. They have been transplanted into 4" pots with soil, but they are ready to go. The most exciting part of this year's garden is that I have expanded it significantly and I didn't have to do any work! I picked up a card for "Till it's Done" tilling service when I was at Creekside Gardens a few weeks ago and the rate was $.10/SF or a minimum of $40. For our garden which was about 400SF, it was $40 even. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have that back breaking work done, it was well worth the money. Also, the other exciting thing about my garden this year is that I have pumpkins growing! Last fall, after Halloween, I threw whole pumpkins in the garden for compost and now I have little pumpkin vines growing! Not only did the pumpkins act as a fertilizer, but they gave me a new plant! I can't wait to see if they yield any pumpkins! I guess I have a few more exciting things this year about my garden...one of them is that I got a rain barrel! It's actually an oak barrel used for beverage aging (think wine barrel), I just need to have a certain handy man hook up the hose connection and down spout and we will be in business! The barrel not only looks good, but will save me on water in the garden since it is literally right next to it. My last exciting thing is that I finally started a compost bin! I was inspired by The Frugal Girl's blog where she showed how she created her compost bin out of nothing more than a plastic tote with holes drilled in the top and bottom. So, I went to Big Lots and bough the biggest tote they had (one with latching handles) and had my handy guy drill some holes for me and we all set. I put the bin right outside my patio, so that it would be easy enough to deposit into and started collecting green waste from the kitchen in a sealed plastic bucket under the sink (think cat litter or big plastic ice cream container). Right now, the bin is about 1/3 full and already looks great as of the other night when I turned it. There are lots of little flies in there which are kind of annoying, but surprisingly it is not rancid smelling or funky. Hopefully, before long I will have rich compost to add to the soil.

So, I am not a super gardener or anything, but I am enthusiastic. I am thinking of joining the local garden club to connect with other gardeners who know lots more than I do, so that I can get better. Right now, I feel like I have the basic veggie garden down okay, but the plant varieties and gardening techniques for the rest of the yard are beyond me. I have learned a lot about plants and what works/does not work since we moved here, but I have a long way to go. I know I really don't need any more extracurricular commitments, but I think it is worth a shot.

Anyhow, I am exhausted from a long day. So, I will see how working this blog back into my routine works since it really is a good outlet for me to contemplate and discuss my life. As I titled this blog "Our Life Without Instructions" I can't really blame myself for being a slacker now and then. Ha ha.