Jenni and I had some stressful times this week but it ended up for the best.

Monday I interviewed for a new position at my job and got it. Instead of being a Bay Delivery Driver I'm now a Bulk Driver which means alot more money, it's hourly so it's a more steady pay and it's alot less work and hours because all I'll be doing is dropping off pallets at Wal-marts and Sam's Clubs. No stocking shelves and manual lifting.

Jenni also got a call from Mark Whiteside, the guy that sold me my Ford Ranger. We hadn't heard from him in over a year but we still get Christmas and birthday cards from him every year. He always sends cards that are Christian based too. He asked how things were going and if we were in the market for getting a new or used car. She said we really weren't because we weren't wanting to finance anything and were on the path to becoming debt free thanks to Dave Ramsey.

Tuesday we got our tax returns deposited for $2400.

Wednesday I woke up for work and had the feeling like I should stay home. I don't usually get that feeling but when I do I listen to it and stay home. So I called out sick and went back to bed. We slept in and relaxed all day. Then we decided to venture out for some iced coffees from Dunkin Donuts and looked around Big Lots.

On the way home the car started having some problems. It started losing power and was sputtering, the temperature started to climb sharply and white smoke was pouring out the tailpipe. We barely made it home and when we got out of the car we noticed that the smell of the smoke was that of antifreeze.

We started panicking because this is our one and only vehicle and I use it to get to work. What the hell were we going to do now!? We looked up online at the symptoms and found that it was more than likely a blown head gasket. So I called out sick again on Thursday. They weren't too happy about it but I just said there was nothing I could do about it. I just told them I was sick as a dog and they'd have to manage.

I called the shop where I got my tune up and had them tow the car in for a look-see. They said that it was more than likely a blown gasket but they'd take it apart and make sure it wasn't also a cracked cylinder head. In the mean time we rented a car so I could go to work for the time the car was being worked on.

Friday the shop called and verified that it was only a blown head gasket and was easily fixable. But it would take a week or so and would cost $1400. Not a problem. The car is worth investing that money into because it's a decent car. Oldsmobile Cutlass Cierras are very good cars and besides this problem the engine is in tip top shape.

But now we couldn't get a used 2nd car like we planned. We wanted to do this because I was tired of leaving Jenni home alone without any vehicle all day long and if she had a car she could go out and do things instead of being stuck at home. Plus she could get a part time job if she wanted and we'd get out of debt even faster.

So we started looking around at some used lots that finance and were only really wanting to finance something under $5000. Then we both got to thinking about Mark Whiteside calling. He sends us Christian based cards every year. We're both Christians. After over a year with no contact he had called us out of the blue and asked us if we needed another vehicle and he did this TWO DAYS before our car died. And we got the money to fix the car the DAY BEFORE it died.

So we figured those were some pretty strange signs. So I called Mark and told him what happened and made an appointment for Saturday morning to go in and see what he had to offer. Again we were only looking for something around the $5000 range so as to not dig ourselves deeper into debt. But the cars he was showing us in that price range were high in mileage. I wanted something lower in miles since I put on alot driving to Nashville every day and I couldn't trust Jenni's car anymore.

Then we spotted two cars. A Crown Victoria and a Mercury Grand Marquise. They are identical cars in every way inside and out. But the Grand Marquise was a year younger, 2006, and had only 31,000 miles on it. It was $11,000 though. We drove it and then we talked about it. We are within three months of being out of debt so we figured that if we got this car and attacked the payment with a vengence we would have it paid off in less than a year. We need two cars and this is the kind of car we've both always wanted and it would last a very long time.

So we got approved for the loan and got it! This car is spectacular! It is a special edition as the previous owner ordered it directly from the manufacturer and told him exactly what he wanted and it was delivered to the dealer. It's got a lando top, leather interior, V8 engine, power everything including the seats that move in every direction, power pedals so they adjust forwards and backwards, woodgrain dash, on-dash diagnostic and digital readout. It tells you how many miles till you're empty, the current lifespan of your oil, your average MPG and tells you when your fluids are low.

This is the most comfortable car we've ever driven in and we couldn't be happier. We both told Mark about the strange series of events that led us to this point and he said, "You know, the Lord always provides for us, even when things look their worst." Jenni's car dying was stressful indeed but it picked the perfect time for it to do so.

Anyway, here's some pics of the new car.