Repair vs. Trade

Last week I took our Subaru to the dealership because there was a small gas leak in the engine and fumes were coming into the car, not the best thing to have with a newborn. So the shop said they could fix it, oh and by the way there's all this other stuff wrong too and it will cost you $2700.

The Kelly Blue Book value for the car is $3250, only $550 more than the cost of the repairs so I decided that it didn't make much sense to dump that money into repairing it but it would be better to put that money towards another car.

Dealerships in my area of New York are a lot like other places in the country only it has New Yorkers as the salesmen. So imagine a car salesman with New Yorker attitude showing you cars that you sort-of like and telling you that they are making you a huge deal on it and that you would be missing an opportunity if you don't act on it right now.

I went to five different dealerships and each one of the them want your contact information before they will talk to you about a car. This way if you leave without buying something they can send you a letter in the mail and call you to try and get you to back in there to sell you a car you don't want.

I finally found what I was looking for on day 2 of looking but it was a lot more than I wanted to spend. I couldn't get them to budge any further on the price so I left and told them I would think about it. This gave them license to call me twice the next day to see if I was going to come back.

I waited 2 days before heading back and making the deal. In the long run we decided it was better to spend the money on something that we really liked and that would hold it's resale value longer than the cheaper cars out there. I bought a certified used Nissan Murano from the dealer in Newburgh, NY.

I signed the papers on January 20th and in the middle of the process we stopped to watch Barack Obama take the oath of office. It will be an experience I won't soon forget.

The best Wednesday yet!!

Yesterday was the best Wednesday I've ever had. I was running on less than two hours of sleep when someone knocked at the door waking me up once again. This time it was somebody new, a nurse named Maureen. Maureen said that she was just in time, reached up and said "Ok little one, just where are you?" She said that the head was right there and it was time.

About 6 pushes and 20 minutes later my daughter Josie was born. It was 7:58 am on Wednesday January 7, 2009. She came out and cried immediately. The nursed put her on the warming bed and she let her bowels flow, a little black bubble coming out between those little pink cheeks. I said, "I guess YOU get to change the first one."

When that little person came out I felt this rush of emotions, I thought to myself, "look what my wife just did, I can't believe that was living inside of her." I then felt a sudden realization that this little person is my daughter and a great sense of love came over me and I knew that this amazing event was going to change everything.

I know that New York can get the best of people, but this one event is going to live on in my memories as the greatest part of my life here. I will always be able to say my first child was born in New York.

Josie Jeanne Swertfeger - Day one

Happy New Year

Last night I was watching Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve as I was all cozy in my apartment 65 miles away. I sat there thinking that those people must be idiots to want to freeze themselves just to watch a flashing ball slide down a pole 60 stories above their heads.

Yesterday we had two inches of snow and in the city there were 30mph wind gusts ripping up the avenues causing a wind chill of 0(zero) degrees. The people on TV didn't seem to mind too much. They were just happy to be in New York for New Years Eve. I think that when you live here things begin to lose their luster, the magic is gone. I've always thought New York is a nice place to visit, especially when you want to go out and you don't care how much money you spend.

Christmas time in New York is awesome though. The tree at Rockefeller center, the window displays up and down 5th avenue, it is truly something to see. If you ever get the chance, don't pass it up but be sure to bring a warm coat, hat, gloves and a scarf. You're going to need them.