After so many setbacks and disappointments, things are finally settling into a good place for me. I don't want to be complacent, because I know situations can change without warning (as they have several times in the past few years), but I am cautiously optimistic.

Things are going well at work, which is a very good thing. I'm consistently one of the top producers in my department, which of course pleases this Leo. I've always been a little competitive. I've been making bonus every month since I was hired on permanently. It's so nice to not constantly worry about money for a change. That's a new thing for me.

I finally took the plunge and replaced the last big thing that needed upgrading: my car. The Santa Fe served me pretty well, but was teetering toward an expensive repair so I decided that money would be better put to use toward a newer car. I decided on the Kia Soul, after a couple of my friends bought them and said good things about them. I started looking at used Souls (and that conjures a few interesting images in my head), but the cars available that had the features I wanted were only a couple thousand less than a new one, so I figured I might as well look at new cars, too. New cars come with a nice long warranty, for one thing, and I wouldn't have to worry about how it was treated by a previous owner.

I went to the Kia dealer on Sunday and test drove a pretty green Soul, which I promptly fell in love with. They had just gotten her in a couple hours before, so she was brand-spanking-new. Five miles on the odometer! So I took a deep breath and started the process to buy her. I picked her up after work yesterday, and squeed all the way home. She's so pretty! And shiny, and new, and full of fun new features like a backup camera and Blue Tooth connectivity! The guy at the dealership showed me all the controls and how they worked, and connected my phone. I can listen to my podcasts in the car now! Whee!



I haven't settled on what her name is yet, but I'm leaning toward "Fern." I want to drive her around a bit and get to know her before I decide for sure. Ferns are one of my very favorite things.

I'm looking forward to all the places we'll go, and the adventures we'll have together.

I put out a plea on Facebook the other day for someone to take me car shopping, and my friend Pam answered the call. We went to a place I found on the BBB website (natch) that is nearby.

( At the dealership )

Then we stopped at Five Guys because I promised to buy lunch, and by then we were starving. It was my first time there, and I give it a thumbs-up. Tasty burger, and the small fries were too much for the two of us to finish. Go there with an appetite!

We stopped at Trader Joe's to pick up a few things afterward, and as I was checking out, the cashier handed me a bunch of roses and said, "Happy Valentine's Day!" They were giving out all the leftovers. What a nice surprise!

At Pam's, I did a couple loads of laundry while her dog repeatedly tried to climb on top of me and kiss me. We potted up a few plant cuttings she had for me, so now I have green growing things in my apartment! And I have clean laundry, and fresh food, and the prospect of a new(er) car. So huge thanks to Pam.

It was a very long day, and I actually was still asleep when my mom called me at about 8:30 this morning, which is highly unusual. I'm usually up at the crack of dawn, or before. I guess I needed it!

It's beautifully sunny out this morning, and not so windy, so I'll get out and have a nice walk sometime today.

( Musings on rambling. )