Having one car for three people is an impossible task. I thought that since my parents were retired, they would be able to put anything they wanted to do off while I work. Huh, that was dumb, especially since that, right now, I am pulling two jobs that stretch from 7 in the morning till 10 at night.
I was able to use their car to go to work Monday, but in the meantime we were busy finding a car. While on break I saw that Mother texted me: "Can you come home to go see a car?" Well, I guess I could skip working the night job for one day. Besides, I went in to that job on Saturday and explained to my boss what happened, and I said it was quite possible I wasn't going to make it. So I blew it off. Hey, I had to. Mother called me home.
Unfortunately, this is buying a car. Man, all the cliches about the salesmen are true: buttering you up with chit-chat, then pulling a bait-and-switch, then going to the back to talk to the manager about your counter-offer, then having you wait while they "find your car" -- now I know why people dread buying a car in person, especially if you need a car.
Luckily, Mother's a bitch. Her attitude may have cost me any chance at a normal relationship with a woman, but damn, being a bitch is absolutely crucial when you buy a car. So after one last back-and-forth, she (and we) did what many people recommend prospective car-buyers do to defend themselves against shady car salesmen: Walk away.
We left with our dignity and our wallets intact. Sadly, we also left without a car. So we (well, my parents actually, since it's their money) are now scrambling for a Plan B, which is going to another dealership. Already I heard their underhanded tactics. I called the person who contacted Father about their inventory, and the price he quoted Father was actually for a stick, not an automatic. Honest mistake, of course.
Nevertheless we are going there tomorrow morning, right in the middle of the work day for my day job. Therefore, I'll have to call in the morning and say that I won't be able to make it until lunchtime, and hopefully the dealership won't make me wait past that.
Add it all up and that means I have missed parts of two days in both of my test scoring projects. It's the first time I have missed any time with any scoring project. It's something I pride myself on, so I am very embarrassed that I am missing time at a workplace I had committed myself to. (Also note the irony that I have to miss work -- and thus lose money -- in order for my parents to spend money for a car. Like I have said before, if you are not busy making money, you are busy losing money.) Moreover, I am not sure how my bosses at both companies are going to take it. I know some people have been very understanding about the disruption the death of your car causes in your daily life. But I'm not sure that someone won't blast me for not having a backup plan for reliable transportation every day.
Look, I would much rather prefer using my parents' minivan while giving ourselves time and consideration to find the best price for a car. But my retired parents are apparently quite busy these days, and so sharing a car can't happen. I need to get a car now because I will need a car for the rest of my days, when finding jobs beyond these. I'm sorry, but finding a car takes priority. So if my folks call me home, I'll cancel work and come home. Again, I had to.
Because of this, my standing at the project during the day and the start of it at night (we train beginning on Thursday) is now in serious jeopardy. They simply don't want people to miss work. Understandable viewpoint; I just hope those who have the power to fire me understand my viewpoint. Won't know until (or unless) I get some verbal blowback for missing so much time at work.
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