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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Chrome Doesn't Pay


I never thought this could happen to me.  I’ve read about it and heard stories, but it was something that always happened to somebody else.

I paid off my car! From one shiny bumper to the other.  Actually it's been a long time since they were shiny. If Carolina Red Mud is a color in the big box of 64, that's what color my bumpers are.
 
But they're MY bumpers. Because I paid off my car!
 
At least, I thought I paid off my car. I went to the website and authorized the amount listed in the PAYOFF block.  Then I did a little Payoff Dance and ate some chocolate. 

Then I fantasized about what I would spend all the extra money on.  Perhaps we’d have meat for supper.  Does meat come in any style other than hamburger?

I might splurge on light bulbs for all the lamps that need something bigger than 40 Watts.  Or maybe I would pay my car insurance on time.

I marked the date on my calendar, so that I would always know when to celebrate.  I paid my car off!

And got a bill the next month that said I was late on my car payment.

Excuse me?

It turns out the PAYOFF block lies. That’s the block that tells how much to pay before the second hand on the INTEREST DUE clock ticks forward another percentage point.

The Solemn and Greedy Car Payment People said I needed to may THIS amount. And they put that amount in a box marked PAYMENT DUE.

But I already did my Payoff Dance, so this made me sad.

So I don’t care if the Car Payment People come carry off the car to their Evil Car Payment Laboratory.

They should get it today.  It’s 92 degrees and the air conditioner just broke.

 

 

3 comments:

Dawn said...

hahaha!! Sounds a lot like my car payment fiasco of a few months ago, which resulted in paying off one Toyota 2 months early. My Car Payoff Dance happiness was dulled by a call that our OTHER car payment was LATE. Toyota somehow bounced me into the wrong screen, so I made three Camry payments in one month, and none on my Highlander. :( Darn those car people.

lisa said...

Really enjoyed how you coped with the power outage. We can all benefit from being without electricity for 1 day - just not when it's below 40 or above 70 ;-) Glad you're back to writing!

Amy Mullis said...

Dawn, isn't it amazing how fast you can get your hopes up and how quickly the Evil Car People can dash them in the dirt?!

Lisa, thanks! I'm starting to enjoy it again!