Cars and Things Going Through the Roof

When dementia came into our marriage five years ago, we had two cars. Hubby passed two Alzheimer's driving tests and the possibility existed that he could be one of those seniors who drive who knows where and gets lost. Fortunately DH had at one point decided he wished to be a passenger and we would no longer need two cars. 


The decision of which car to get rid of was made for us.  A DUI driver totaled the gas-saver Saturn three years ago as reported HERE. So for three years we have had one gas-guzzler without car payments--The Expedition.  In 2013 it turned 200, 000, but my plan was that it should last until 300, 000. Somehow with help from Kenny we had been able to get  hubby into the passenger seat, but that step up on the running board was always a challenge. 


Tuesday morning the gas-guzzler engine rattled horribly as I backed out of the garage to go substitute teach. Fortunately my next door neighbor was able to give me a ride to school and teacher Mrs. Watson gave me a ride home. Tuesday night the Expedition was towed by AAA to Firestone who said it needed an expensive valve job that they didn't do.  I had the car towed to our Plant City FORD dealer where we bought the car thinking either repair or trade in the SUV. The diagnosis was an "intake manifold and engine problem" and it would cost $6400 to fix it. Wednesday Sally drove me to school to sub and picked me up from school and Thursday, yesterday, was the day to solve the transportation problem. I canceled my sub job. We needed a new (used) car rather than sink $6400 into this car! 


Kenny had Thursday afternoon free for us after his morning doctor appointment. He picked up DH and I about noon, and the three of us headed off to lunch. I got a text from my husband's daughter to go to a large Toyota dealer in Lakeland rather than try to barter a deal at our local Ford dealer where the gas guzzler was housed with my automatic garage door opener. Kenny thought that was a good idea to go to Lakeland and we got on I-4. 


Lakeland Toyota had recently expanded. We sat at a round table in large sales lobby ready to do business. Kenny commandeered Marcie to help us decide on a smart car. It was important that hubby be able to easily get in and out of a car now--it couldn't be too small.  Marcie had just the used car for us--gulp--with a seven year car payment after I put $2000 from a credit card down.  No trade-in, here, folks, and I could see their point. Dealing with the gas-guzzler at Ford would be another day. 


It took all afternoon for this lovely car to become ours as I am thinking prices are just through the roof even for five year old cars with 55,000 miles. Love this new-to-us shiny car with a great warranty that we acquired at twilight. It is a 2008 GMC Arcadia SUV and hubby just has to put his rear end on the seat and move his legs in. Perfect! And we do not have to rent cars to travel as we did last spring. 




Before Kenny came to drive us to Lakeland, I had yesterday morning to start decorating for Christmas It was time to start putting out my Swedish and hand-made decorations. Last Christmas we had not put up a tree because we flew out of town to my husband's son's home for Christmas. The artificial tree with its lights already on it was stored in the attic above the garage. Two years ago my husband had gone up the ladder to get that tree, but with his decreased mobility I needed to do that last night. 


When we came home from Toyota, I parked our new car in front of the house since the garage door opener was in the gas-guzzler at Ford. It was time to get that tree down with no car in the garage. I pulled the ladder down from the garage ceiling.  I climbed the ladder and asked Kenny to catch the tree that I would hand down to him. Suddenly. . . 

Something else had gone through the roof! 

Kenny took the picture and I'm thinking we should have filmed this for America's Funny Home Videos. Hubby of course got mad and swore profusely. This is what dementia patients do at his stage--their filters are gone. 


After dinner my husband had forgotten about our new car when I reminded him. He walked to the front door to view the smaller fuel-effiicient SUV, amazed that he didn't remember that we have a new vehicle. 


This morning I have bruises and a story to tell the teachers where I have been substituting all week. I will not remind hubby about my going through the garage ceiling. If he notices the hole, I will say Pharis is fixing the garage ceiling, which is true.