In 20 days, I will be on my way home. I'll be milling around in Edmonton, in fact, waiting for my red-eye flight to Pearson International. Wow, I am really looking forward to it. As much as I like my work, the stress that comes with it (most of it unnecessary and caused by people who should know better) can keep me up at night. I'm not exaggerating. There was a point early last week, where I really felt I could just pack it all in and leave because there was no point anyway. I was having anxiety dreams and really wanted to hide from the world. My friends Owen and Andrew both seemed concerned that I really would throw my hands in the air and flee back to the South, but that is because they don't know me well enough, yet. I fight for the stuff I believe in, dig my heels in and don't let go. How was that for mixing a metaphor? At any rate, I assured them I wasn't prepared to go just yet. There are a few things I need to accomplish first, then... well, at that point, who knows? It also hasn't helped that I haven't spoken to Gareth in over a week. Not even really on-line. It's the end of semester and he's working on projects, but nonetheless, it sure would have been nice to talk to him when I was feeling so low and vulnerable.

So, I entered the week with knots in my stomach and I went out with knots in it, but a different sort of knot - the excited sort. On Thursday I finally went for a test drive of the Kia Rio5. I first inquired about the Rio5 in September. I was looking to lease in October, near the end of the month, which was when I was told it would be arriving on the lot. There were delays. Mainly, I was told, due to a strike keeping the car on a dock in Vancouver for three weeks. I pretty much lost heart. But, after being denied a line of credit at the BMO, and offered a shitty loan at the same bank, I got a line of credit at President's Choice Financial, I was free to buy a used vehicle. So I planned to do this. I made calls and inquiries and each time the car would get sold to someone else. Feeling despondent, I was just about to flip open the classifieds one more time when I saw the light blinking on my office phone. What was it? A message from the Kia dealer saying the car had arrived.

See where this is going?

On Thursday, butterflies in my stomach, I left work and headed down to the lot where the car was waiting for me. It was adorable and blue and I liked it immediately. The roads were bad, what with it being cold and snowing, so my test drive never got the car on the highway nor even over 3rd gear (it's a standard), but I liked it. It rode nicely and heated up quickly. I also got to bond with the dealer as he scraped the ice off the inside of the windshield (a very common occurance up here) with a razor blade ("Oh great, I get to test-drive the Kia to the ... hospital", I told him when he almost cut off his finger). Very neat trick. I will invest in a blade for such purposes. When I returned to the dealership, I asked him to start an application. I wanted the car. And never mind leasing - I decided I wanted to have an asset and so I would opt for financing. It's a long finance period: 5-7 years, but it has no catches, no penalties if I buy it out early.

Friday morning, the message on my answering machine at work told me I had been approved. I was thrilled. My mother had offered to co-sign if I failed the check, but I didn't want that. I passed, though, and then it was off to the insurance company to get me some. I went through the TD Bank mmmmm-something and opted for the full package and am paying a reasonable rate of 730ish bucks a year. Not too shabby. The insurance company faxed the particulars to the Kia dealer, who went down to the vehicle registration centre and even got me my plate. My mother was stunned when I told her I drove the car off the lot Friday night. Sure, it didn't have winter tires yet, nor the mandatory block-heater, but I'm taking the car in tomorrow to have both done. Now the issue is, do I go for studs on the tires or full winter tires. To have winter tires installed, I'm probably looking at $500, including labour, which is really effing expensive, but then I'll have them for next year, too. I will discuss it tomorrow. I don't really have the money at the moment, what with rent having just gone through. But... I have that line of credit, so...

THIS IS MY BABY !

It is remarkably satisfying to have to make such adult decisions ! Seriously. Sure, I won't have any disposable income for a while now, but I have the freedom to just, you know, pop out to the store, or go downtown for a drink. And that's something. That's a LOT of something.

Anyway, now I must go be responsible and get some homework done. I've been seriously falling behind. I'm about two units back from where I need to be and that makes me a little unhappy with myself, especially since it hasn't been that busy a week. Relatively speaking, anyway.