introducing...

laverne, jr.
little v
lj
v2
my new baby!

i went car shopping last saturday with my homie and his friend in tow to make sure i didn't get screwed over. the day ended with me taking an '04 honda civic home but leaving it in the driveway until we settled on a reasonable interest rate. after doing my own research (including consulting with my credit union) i decided that the civic was not the best buy for me and found a much better deal on an '08 sentra. in the meantime i had to return the civic (which i only drove to and from the dealer) and they tried to make that as hard as possible. now it's friday and everything's straight and i can think about all the good things that have happened to me recently.

and a lot of good things have happened. so much that i've decided that 2008 is the year of the upgrade. i'm upgrading everything in my life and it's gonna be fantastic.

rip laverne

somebody hold me

the damage to laverne will cost more to fix than she is worth. this means i have to buy a car. i'm numb right now. i've waxed poetic about me and vernie before so you can imagine how i feel. folks, we've reached the end of an era.

any car-buying advice is welcome. i think i'd prefer to get a used or pre-owned vehicle to keep costs down. i really wish i could take public transpo to work.

ouch

my friday was going swimmingly swell until i rear-ended this guy on my way to work. of course laverne got the majority of the damage and she is currently sitting in my driveway with her front bumper in the backseat (front seat too for that matter). one more thing on top of everything else i have to deal with right now. i sulked all wknd and woke up today with a better attitude about the situation. that is until my coworker said my insurance might not fix the car depending on the extent of the damage and how much laverne is worth and that i'll probably have to buy a new car. y'all already know how i feel about buying a new (to me) car. i'm really not trying to have another monthly bill. i'd rather just fix laverne and keep it moving.

thanks a lot, coworker. now i'm gonna sulk some more.

in related news, the rental car place hooked me up with a dodge caliber in black. i'm not sure how i feel about it yet. i don't really like how it has me sitting up so high. and there's no tape players so i'm without my xm radio. i'll be driving like an old lady until vernie is back in commission.

my devastatingly exciting life

after yawning throughout cardio on saturday morning, the ladies joked that i must have been out all night partying. really i had been up until almost 3am trying to finish book 5 of harry potter (i actually finished after i got home from class). after sharing this with the class my instructor deadpanned, "we need to work on getting you out the house."

i could go into a long diatribe about how there's nothing to do here and the crowds suck and blah blah blah. but the truth of the matter is i don't particularly care to go out unless it's to socialize with ppl i already know and i'm not really into spending money for a mediocre time. i'm cheap and the last thing i need is to waste my money on wackness.

anyhoo, this entry is about me finishing book 5. i started book six and i'm excited because i have NO idea what happens. i've seen all the movies so i had a pretty good idea of what happens in books 1-5 - book six is completely new. i've avoided spoilers from everywhere (even the office...thanks schrute! i had to change the channel) and i hope to finish up with it this week or next.

other things i did this wknd:
-watched degrassi (is it wrong to lust after 20 yr olds?)
-shopped for my halloween costume
-impromptu philly trip (what's the big deal about tony luke's anyway?)
-started & finished the rise (it's for a book discussion)
-attended a pie crust technique class at williams sonoma (the pie wasn't great but i'll be attempting my own from scratch this holiday season)
-stopped laverne's oil light from flashing
-bought a framed matisse print for $5 at a yard sale (it's going up over the sofa)
-tried on a lovely coat that i will covet until it goes on sale and will no longer be available in my size.

and laverne passed inspection this morning (clap for her © mizrahi)

since last we spoke...

...i've lost at total of 10.5lbs and my booty is rounder. all that kicking and stuff has made it a bit more firm. awwww yeahhhhh © barry & lavon. my sister called me muscle butt. sizzle, sizzle. speaking of muscle butts, have you seen janet on this season's antm? i'm enamored with her booty. i can't find a picture so you're gonna have to watch the show to see for yourself.

...i celebrated my thirtymumbled birthday.



and i actually got gifts!



...i got my hair cut (and colored). i was bored and it was long overdue. it's asymmetrical and reddish brown now.

...i got to test drive the new c-class mercedes.



luxury driving was always a concept that eluded me (ironic considering the amount of time i spend behind the wheel). it never dawned on me that i could have a car where i didn't feel every pothole or roll back on hills. the first one i drove was navy with tan leather interior and it was just okay. the second one though was black on black with a sunroof...just damned sexy! if i could afford it (and the overhead) i'd buy one with no hesitation.

...i've finished the first four harry potter books. i'm not looking forward to reading the 5th because the movie make me feel some kind of way and i know the book is much more in depth. plus i'll probably only read it at home because it's too heavy to be lugging around with me.

...i bought four new tires for laverne. hopefully she won't need anything else anytime soon.

...i attended my ex-roomie's bridal shower. it was a lingerie brunch so i got her a white nightie and a whip. it went over well and i want one of my own (the whip, not the nightie). the wedding is this wknd and i’m kinda sorta excited about it.

...i had the best salsa EVER at this spot called tequilas in philly. i mean, it was so fresh and the taste was so clean. as much as i like mexican food i barely eat salsa; i usually just dip my chips in the juice. but the tomatoes omg they were perfect. i also had a raspberry margarita (on the rocks) that was bomb. yum yum yummy.

things have been a bit confluffled around these parts so i really haven't had a lot of time blog. rashad called me out so i felt obligated to update. so *wikki wikki wikki wikki wikki wikki wikki wikki wikki wikki wikki wikki wik THERE IT IS!*

update on my hooptie

she's in the shop right now and i'm at home for the day. i went for a second estimate at my usual shop and it's not gonna cost nearly as much as sears said (of course). so it looks like i may not have to rent a car for my ex-roommate's wedding wknd. yay!

my hooptie

i met laverne in the fall of 1996. i was starting grad school and had qualified for an auto loan. since my school wasn't in walking distance i really had to get a car. i hadn't had much experience driving - i was already away at college when i turned 17 and got my license. with no car to practice on i was still pretty much a novice, even though i had taken behind the wheel my senior yr of hs (shoutout to mr. hicks!). laverne was my road dog.

we've been through a lot together. from the first time i drove her to school and scraped that car in the parking space next to mine to the spring break road trip from atl to chi to nj and back to atl - she's always been there for me. but vernie's getting older now.

lately she's been making a lot noise...embarassing me at drive-thru windows and such. despite that she's been a trooper. she made it all the way to bk and back on saturday. however, yesterday proved to be too much for her. while i was on my way to a meeting her brake light and battery light came on after i turned on the air. luckily i was just about to pass a sears so i stopped in to have the battery checked. turns out nothing was wrong with the battery but my alternator belt was dragging on the pavement. and the noise was coming from her vibrating heat shield (that sounds nasty) that the mechanic just cut off and threw away (that sounds really nasty in a different kind of way) she's better now but i was told that she needs new cv joints and tire rods in the front AND she has a "massive oil leak"* as well as a cracked pipe somewhere near the exhaust - all that's not gonna be cheap to fix at all.

i've been feeling for the past few weeks that me and vernie were gonna have to part ways soon. we've been together for 11 years and it may be time for her to go. i have no desire to take on a car note at this time nor do i wish for my car insurance to go up. i'm just getting my budget stabilized and i'd like to keep it that way for a while longer. what is i'm gonna do??

pssh.

*the mechanic's words, not mine. if it was massive i think i'd notice huge oil spots wherever i park. on another note, man was that mechanice fine. fine fine fine. i had visions of me lathering his greasy arms and hands with lava soap and scrubbing his grimey nails with one of those handled nail brushes until they were sparkly clean. sweet n sour sauce, indeed.