Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

I'm trying to be better about getting back into the regular blogging schedule.  My goal this week was to post on Tuesday & Thursday.  If you tuned into your reading list or came directly to my blog, you noticed a new post was not, well, posted. 

Life was pretty intensely, roller coaster-y this week, with some awesome news.  

On Tuesday, I interviewed at a company (let's call them BHI) I worked for back in 2014, as a contractor.  Fast forward, and I was interviewing again for a contract position there, though in a much different department.  The goal was to get in the door, wow them, pray the position goes permanent and have it offered to me. The interview schedule was from 2:30 until 4:30 pm.  I didn't leave there until 6:00 pm. Obviously, I hit it off with the 3 principals. 

On Wednesday, I interviewed for a full time position at a well respected company (let's call them WK) in a industry in which I have no previous experience. Not that it matters, as my skills are transferable and I would be working for 4 principals, whom I connected fairly well with during the meetings. 

Oh, and on Tuesday, I also had a phone screening interview for a different & full time permanent position at BHI.  ARGH!!  While I passed the phone screen, I knew that there was a chance these face to face interviews would come after I received an offer from either of the two above opportunities. 

It's amazing to me that while I've been job hunting/applying like crazy to everything that remotely interested me, nothing, nothing, nothing and then BAM!!  I'm a hot commodity. Go Figure!

Here's the kicker this week and where the wheels came off the truck.  Just about literally!  I embarked for the Wednesday meetings, happily listening to an audio book, rolling in my beloved Element. 

For exactly 30 seconds. 

There was a cluuunnkkkk, then a metallic scraaaaaaaaappppe, and then no power steering, though I had power.

CRAP!!!!

I manhandled the truck thru a turn around, called DH to bring his keys down so I could commandeer his van, and told him to call the boys (our beloved mechanics) to come tow the Element. 

R.I.P. Beloved Honda Element

I called the shop before the interviews started but they hadn't had a chance to even crack open the hood yet. okay. By the time I finished the meetings, they had news for me. 

Not good news.

The water pump exploded.

Decision time! Yes, I knew the Element was getting up there at 14 years old. Yes, I knew that 275,899 miles was a good long time. Yes, I knew I'd eventually have to find a replacement vehicle.  I just chose not to face that reality until I was absolutely had to face it.

Well folks, things got real in a hurry! I could no longer put off what I knew was going to be really, really painful. The worst part is that Honda has not re-released the Element so I couldn't just run down to the Honda dealer & pick one in a color I liked. 

That meant I had to hunker down & research makes & models in one evening, in order to start the test drive & shopping yesterday. We have activities this weekend in 2 different directions & 1 vehicle wasn't going to cut it.  And renting a car for a week while I decided was just going to dent the budget unnecessarily. Can we say crunch time?

I borrowed DH's van, leaving him at home so I could traverse the dealers, sorting out facts from emotions.  Yeah - good thing I was alone.  The vehicle that was at the top of my possibilities crashed to the bottom once I experienced it first hand.  The stretch vehicle ended up staying beyond my grasp. 

The vehicle I swore I didn't want, is now residing in our driveway. 

Never even test drove it  - it's the same as DH's, one year newer and in a prettier color.  I'm back up running and ready to roll on down the road. And just in time!