It’s a Par-tay, but you don’t want to be invited…

Good times continue to roll in this house.

Or rather, almost roll outside of the house.

This weekend, I thought it would be fun to spend some money.  I went up to Big City for my sister’s birthday, we had good times, good food, and a good party, and then I headed home with one of my other sisters.  It was dark (heck, it gets dark at 4pm this time of year, so night driving is impossible to avoid) and it was snowing.  Apparently, it was also icy.

Can you see where this is going?

My sister and I ended up skidding through a stop sign (which was the stop sign for a T-intersection of two major highways), went sideways over the highway, and into the ditch on the other side.

I own a Volkswagon Touareg (his name is Hansel, and yes, I name my vehicles). That thing is meant to take on some heavy duty roads.  It’s also freaking heavy, which is, I think, one of the only reasons that we didn’t roll that sucker.  We bought it used, which is the only reason that we could afford the thing, but it’s served me well.  I feel safe in it when I’m driving it, if I’m going to hit a deer on one of the many highways that I have to travel on a regular basis, I’m going to make it through the situation alive.  It’s a good car.

It’s also an import.

Import=3 times as much as a domestic if something should ever go wrong with it.

Apparently, normal wear and tear is not considered to be slamming yourself into the ditch, knocking the tires off of the rims on the driver’s side, and doing who knows what other damage to the car.

So far, the damage came in at one bent rim, a couple of broken sensors, and that’s it.  But it pulls weird now, and it doesn’t feel as safe as it once did.

I know how much it cost to replace that stupid rim.  Way too much freaking money.  Fortunately, they found one at a wrecker’s, but it was still way too much freaking money.

Hansel goes in tomorrow to check out the wheel alignment.  I’m afraid of them looking underneath it and it costing us the down payment on our house.  Because Small Town only has the 3 major (domestic) dealerships here, they don’t know how to fix the import.  Meaning, we’re probably going to have to take it to the actual VW dealership in the city, and they’re going to rub their hands with glee at all the Christmas presents and vacations that they’ll be able to purchase after they’re finished with the thing.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love my VW.  Love it in a way that I didn’t think I could love a car.  But if you’re ever moving to a small town, I recommend not owning an import.

Or at least don’t hit the ditch in it.