TMI

I'm at the airport. Three hours early. I have a united club pass so I can relax before the flight.

But...

United doesn't have a lounge in this terminal so I was in the Naugahyde and metal seats, shifting and turning to get the right spot . Three hours to go. I will need the right spot.

Free wifi, do I'm good.

Until...

The dinner I had after the game. I met the owner of the cafe. Talked a bit about travel. And I told him I really like spicy good so he comped me a cup of vegetarian chili, made for me.

It was great but I knew it was one of those meals you pay for twice.

And I'm making the second payment waiting for my plane.

I bought a pair of earphones because I killed the last pair I had and I'm surrounded by stainless steel and listening to an assortment of stones, x, chuck berry and miles Davis.

The day could be worse.

At least I have some privacy .

Home soon ....

Baltimore

Dodgers stunk.
Went to the lost city cafe after the game. Great place, cool surroundings and terrific food. However, never tell the owner you REALLY like spicy food. I will pay for it tomorrow.
I'm at the motel 6 in the part of town a local called, the shit hole. Actually pretty cool. Coffeehouses, good pizza and an art school. And only one corner with hookers. This area is apparently coming back.
Got up to take a piss and saw remnants of flashing red lights in the window above the toilet.
Looked out of the door and two police crown vics pulled over a city bus. Ahh.. The city.
Moving hotels tomorrow. I doubt the right side of town will be as colorful.
Baltimore. You know how to have a good time.

power

I usually do a post after I get home from a trip. Looking back and feeling the transition. I really should have because the relaxed glow I had after the trip lasted all of 72 hours once I got back to work. 

Before I left for my trip the dealer I bought my car from called me. The sales guy told me the dealer was looking for used cars to shore up their position and wanted to know if I was interested. I was not. 

He told me he could at least tell me what my car was worth and that it would just take a few minutes and at least I would know. 

I am well aware of the psychology and manipulation that takes place on a car lot but I like cars and Scion has a new car that I was interested in driving. In my youth I would take a small amount of joy in taking a test drive in a car I could never afford by lying my ass of in a convincing manner by playing on the desperation of some sales slave. 

The last time I was on a car lot, it was a struggle and I didn't make a perfect play but I did better than I had done in, well, ever. 

I felt like after you win a bit in a casino... and you want to go back...just to see.... just to see what would happen. 

So car guy calls today. My day off. I'm watching a movie. He wants to know if I'm free. I either do my laundry or test drive a new car. I don't care what I smell like (today) so I meet up at 4:00PM.

I take the drive in the new car. Very nice. Low to the ground. Nice power but automatic and no sunroof. This car was $28,000, plus tax and etc. Nice to look at but I'm enjoying being out of debt. 

A new replacement for my car would be about $22,000. HA! for me to go for that I would have to get $18,000 for my car when I paid about $20K for it 3 years ago. 

So, I'm in the little room. Sales guy takes my reg and my keys to get my estimate and the work starts. What would it take to get you to buy today? You like the car, right? Your car is old this one is new....we all know the drill. 

I ask sales guy how much he thinks my car is worth.

Brow furls.

He taps his pen on a pad.

6? 8?

In my mind....*8! $8000!!!

In the little plastic chair, I turn up my lip but I don't move. He's doing his job trying to get me to give away my car and screw me as hard as he can with a new one. No harm, no foul. We are all adults I know how this is supposed to go and I'm not interested in a new car anyway. 

8, no. I say. 

What were you thinking of?

Hmm, I slumped in the little plastic chair and relaxed my butt cheeks so I could think. 

15 or 16, I say.

In my mind, to come up with $6K for a new car that has more power and set up better might, MIGHT, be a decent compromise to make, but I am not interested in a new car. 

So, I say 15 or 16 and I'm pretty sure by the expression on car guys face he suffered a momentary urination event. 

He says, as they always do....Let me get the manager on this. 

So I sit, alone, in the little room, in the plastic chair, five minutes longer than my patience should allow when sales guy and manager guy come in the room. 

Manager guy is slick, cocky. So I hear you want to trade your car for a new one. 

No, I say. And I explained the path that led me here. 

Well, he says, you're here. You've already made the decision. 

Now, when people tell me what I'm thinking and what I'm going to do it pisses me off. So he's working  from a bad spot now. 

In fact, He continued, statistics say that when someone comes on a car lot within three days they buy a car. 

This statistic sounded like bullshit to me but to reenforce my position I was sure not to buy a car because of my long history of dragging down the curve. 

Then, it starts....

If I gave you $11,000 today would you make a deal....

No I say...

11.5

No I say...

12

12.5

No I say...

14...

$14000! In this moment I remembered because he was looking at me every time he wrote a number. He was watching my reaction. 

This is the same guy that tried to juke me on my last car when I traded it in. Oh fuck, this was going to be good. 

Numbers were clicking slowly higher...

I will spare the intermediate steps. 

The duel ended when I refused.....

$17,000!

He got up an said, You're not ready... in polite disgust. 

Oh fuck, what a moment. 

I might have gotten up to $18,000 but then another manager would have came up to try and bring it down and who has that kind of time. 

I'm kind of exhausted. My car is running fine. Dirty but ok and I'm going to keep it but fuck I got to drive a new car and ruin a sales managers day. 

I'm having a black lemonade and relaxing. 

Laundry can wait.