Tomorrow is 416
15/04/17 07:47
As I was saying, Evan finally bought himself a laptop. He's been such a gaming hound that getting his own device only made sense. To say that he was thrilled with his purchase is an understatement. In recounting our experience at the Apple reseller Nancy lamented the fact that she couldn't be there with Evan and I when we made the purchase. Who doesn't want to see children experience happiness in life? I think Evan's desire for a laptop was greater than the reluctance he felt about getting this done so he relented and off we went. There wasn't a lot of finagling once all was said and done since discounts on Apple products are few and far between. We did a little research online and noticed that he could have bought last years model at a discount but I've never been one to chase discounts when it comes to technology and that was ultimately my counsel to Evan. When it comes to Apple products, it just makes sense. And so now Nancy and I have our computer back. Evan is going to miss his "sauna" as he puts it which is a reference of course to just how warm this particular room gets compared to other rooms in the house during the winter months when the heat is on. Nancy and I worry that he will disappear into his room and we'll never see him again. I guess time will tell. If that is what makes him happy then that will be that. Stay tuned.
I made reservations at a local restaurant for Easter dinner. I will accompany Nancy and her mother and it should be fun. As fun as it can be I suppose when having dinner with the in-laws. Mrs G had her sights set on another restaurant if I'm not mistaken but I had the opportunity to make reservations at another place so I went ahead and did just that. It's not the quality of the meal or even the location at the end of the day that matters. It's all about traditions and spending time with your loved ones on those oh-so-special holidays. As for me, I'm just along for the ride. Given her druthers, Mrs G might have liked to have had her meal at the dining room at Riverwoods but that was the least attractive option to Nancy and I so we turned our attention elsewhere. Nancy and her mom can reschedule something at Riverwoods at their convenience.
Truth be told, I have the heebie jeebies about having dinner at Riverwoods so won't be joining in. There is something about institutional dining that makes my skin crawl and whether it be hospital food, cafeteria food, or communal dining halls for senior citizens it's all the same. I'll have hot dogs with Mrs G at the drive-up window at Burger King before stepping foot inside Riverwoods or like establishments. It reminds me a little bit of one of my people at work back in the day who would never partake of food brought in from home by his co-workers. Not a slight one way or another but you knew that about him so you took it in stride. One is entitled after all to his or her own predilections. When and where I have the choice you can expect me to follow the voices in my head and sometimes that works for other people and sometimes it doesn't. It is what it is.
Our test drive yesterday was fun! Sitting here a day later my thoughts revolve more around the buying experience than the vehicle we were looking to buy. Why certain things were presented the way they were, why they didn't push back when they should have pushed back during the negotiations stage, why now after 24 hours has passed that we haven't received a follow-up e-mail from the sales guy saying thanks for the visit and attaching a picture of the car we were interested in, is beyond me. I shouldn't have to tell the sales guy as I did that they stood to make more money if the car was financed and that should be taken into consideration during the negotiations phase.
Our sales guy was nice enough but couldn't close the door behind him much less a deal that was there for the taking. It's all about relationships after all. Cars come and go but relationships are forever. Well, almost forever. Forever looking for an edge in the process, I looked up the dealership in Yelp before heading over there and there were plenty of bad reviews. Perfect. I presented myself as someone who wanted to do business with them despite the horrible reviews and that was their opportunity to prove to me that they were worthy of my attention. That had to be worth something. I think I'm one of those guys who enjoys the game and wants to play caring less about the financials and more about "winning." In other words, I'm happy to pay full price but would rather not given half a chance. These guys were amateurs. They need to do better. We're heading down to Massachusetts today to a dealership where we hope to see a wider variety of colors and combinations for this particular model. Don't need another test drive. Wish us luck!
I made reservations at a local restaurant for Easter dinner. I will accompany Nancy and her mother and it should be fun. As fun as it can be I suppose when having dinner with the in-laws. Mrs G had her sights set on another restaurant if I'm not mistaken but I had the opportunity to make reservations at another place so I went ahead and did just that. It's not the quality of the meal or even the location at the end of the day that matters. It's all about traditions and spending time with your loved ones on those oh-so-special holidays. As for me, I'm just along for the ride. Given her druthers, Mrs G might have liked to have had her meal at the dining room at Riverwoods but that was the least attractive option to Nancy and I so we turned our attention elsewhere. Nancy and her mom can reschedule something at Riverwoods at their convenience.
Truth be told, I have the heebie jeebies about having dinner at Riverwoods so won't be joining in. There is something about institutional dining that makes my skin crawl and whether it be hospital food, cafeteria food, or communal dining halls for senior citizens it's all the same. I'll have hot dogs with Mrs G at the drive-up window at Burger King before stepping foot inside Riverwoods or like establishments. It reminds me a little bit of one of my people at work back in the day who would never partake of food brought in from home by his co-workers. Not a slight one way or another but you knew that about him so you took it in stride. One is entitled after all to his or her own predilections. When and where I have the choice you can expect me to follow the voices in my head and sometimes that works for other people and sometimes it doesn't. It is what it is.
Our test drive yesterday was fun! Sitting here a day later my thoughts revolve more around the buying experience than the vehicle we were looking to buy. Why certain things were presented the way they were, why they didn't push back when they should have pushed back during the negotiations stage, why now after 24 hours has passed that we haven't received a follow-up e-mail from the sales guy saying thanks for the visit and attaching a picture of the car we were interested in, is beyond me. I shouldn't have to tell the sales guy as I did that they stood to make more money if the car was financed and that should be taken into consideration during the negotiations phase.
Our sales guy was nice enough but couldn't close the door behind him much less a deal that was there for the taking. It's all about relationships after all. Cars come and go but relationships are forever. Well, almost forever. Forever looking for an edge in the process, I looked up the dealership in Yelp before heading over there and there were plenty of bad reviews. Perfect. I presented myself as someone who wanted to do business with them despite the horrible reviews and that was their opportunity to prove to me that they were worthy of my attention. That had to be worth something. I think I'm one of those guys who enjoys the game and wants to play caring less about the financials and more about "winning." In other words, I'm happy to pay full price but would rather not given half a chance. These guys were amateurs. They need to do better. We're heading down to Massachusetts today to a dealership where we hope to see a wider variety of colors and combinations for this particular model. Don't need another test drive. Wish us luck!