Donk @ Life

I have a looming expense hanging over my head. I'm not sure when it's coming, all I know is that it's coming soon and I dread it. The expense? A new car. My poor hoopty is starting to show signs of wear and tear.

I have a 1999 Monte Carlo that I purchased for about $4000 a few years ago. I think it had around 50K miles on it when I bought it. Now it has 160K and is starting to show some wear and tear. First of all, it doesn't handle like it used to. I'm not sure what the problem is there. It also eats wheel bearings like no tomorrow. These things are probably related.

Today, I had to finally break down and get a new window switch for the driver's side. This window issue has been going on for years though. I remember being in Charlotte a couple years ago and the window going down, but not up in the middle of a rainstorm at a KFC drive-thru. After fiddling with the switch for a while, the window rolled up and didn't act up again for a while. Then one day, I was coming home and I had to roll my window down for something. It was cold, of course. And bam, the window didn't roll up. I had to break out some tools to get the damn thing up this time. Since then I carried around this little screwdriver that could hit the electrical part of the switch and roll up my window. I only needed that screwdriver once.

Today, I am at lunch. I go through the drive thru to pick up my order and I start to roll up the window. It got about half way and then stopped. I made it back to the office, but my face was numb from the cold and "wintery mix" that was coming down. I fiddle farted with that switch out in the parking lot until I finally gave up. I pronounced the window switch dead at 1:39 p.m. EST. Advance Auto didn't have a switch of course...they never have shit I need. So I called this other part store that is just across the street from the office. They had the switch, but it was $71. I was willing to pay that price too so I wouldn't have to drive home in the rain, snow, and sleet with my window down (on the interstate no less).

I hopped across the street to the little store and the girl had the part waiting on me. I called ahead of time. Since I worked in the industrial park, I also got a discount, reducing the price from $71 to $60. Go me. I popped in the new switch and Bam! window up.

I hope things like this don't keep popping up on that car. It's not the greatest, but it's good on gas and gets me from point A to point B with minimal hassle.