We Bought a Truck! (+ other things)

Zak had Wednesday & Thursday of last week off from work, and we had a couple of great days together!  We have been thinking about buying a truck for some time now, and we figured that we'd put our tax returns towards it, and hopefully getting a decent trade-in for our car.  The Lumina ran fine enough, but there were some problems that worried us, and after talking it through, we decided a truck would be a practical choice for us.  When Zak gets a job in the forest service, it'll be good for that, I'll be more confident about driving in the winter, and we won't mind being the 'friends with a truck' to help move people.  So Zak has been checking out Craigslist and local dealers for the past month or two, trying to find something for us.

On Thursday we drove down to Lewiston to check out a place.  The first place kind of deterred us, and we went across the street just to browse another lot.  By happenstance, we found a truck we liked.  It was a bit out of our price range, but the salesman was actually really nice and helpful and we soon found ourselves in his office, talking numbers.  I was a bit more nervous about everything, but when we had some time alone, Zak and I talked through our budget and came up with an absolute limit, and talked everything out.  He was sure we could make it work, and once I thought about it long enough, I came around and agreed.  We planned with our current budget in mind, and if Zak or I get better jobs this summer, we will be able to make bigger payments and hopefully knock off some time in the long-run.  Zak was really good while we were discussing numbers with our salesman; he commented on how it was interesting to be on the other side of the table.  We lucked out an had a guy who wasn't overly pushy; Zak told him what we could afford and was strong.  I was a bit flustered, but trusted Zak.

After a few hours, we got everything worked out.  And we became the new owners of a white, '99 Chevy Silverado 1500.  WITH cup-holders (long story short: I broke every one of our cup-holders and attachments for holding cups within the first few months of owning the Lumina. I now am on my best behavior)!  It has a big enough cabin to sit three comfortably, a nice toolbox in the back, and a nice stereo--we just have to find our old CDs and something to make new ones with.  We drove home on a cloud; it was such a nice feeling to get rid of our old beater, and have a vehicle we were confident and proud of!  So far we just love it; I never thought I would own a truck, but I am finding myself eating my words, because I actually really love it.  It drives really well, and will last us for a long time.  We are over the moon about it.  It was our first big purchase together, and it was a bit intimidating, but we are so glad we did it!

When we got home from Lewiston, we ran and got bagels; we had left home without eating anything at all, and by this time, it was near 5 pm.  Nothing has ever tasted so good!  We had a few hours to relax at home, and then we were off to Pullman for a concert.  One of Zak's favorite (I like them too!) bands, Cursive, was playing at a small venue in Pullman.  He saw them a few years back in CT with his best friend and was thrilled when he saw they would be in town.  The venue is an old church-turned concert hall, and was really neat.  There were big stained glass windows and great acoustics.  Little did we know that there would be a ton of hipsters there, but Cursive is a bit of an indie rock band, so go figure.  We had a great time 'hipster-watching' and made up names and stories for some of the best ones.  The two opening bands were actually both good, which was a nice surprise.  Cursive had a great set, there was a good mix of old and new stuff.  Their encore was amazing, and we left around midnight just elated.  What an excellent day!

In other news, Zak was a sweetheart and bought me 100 tanning minutes at a local place for me for Valentine's Day.  I've been griping about looking paler than normal (guess that's what I get for living in a place with actual winter), and he thought this would help me feel more normal.  I called on Monday and talked to the owner, who was so sweet and answered all my questions, and when I went in, was so helpful.  I had a great experience, and went two more times this week.  I got a little pink on my tummy, because I normally don't tan that...at all.  But I am actually really surprised with how much I've enjoyed tanning in a salon!  And it's nice to feel more like myself; for me tanning is less of a 'tan is hot' mindset and more of a 'this is what I normally look like' thought process.  So this has already helped my self-esteem, and hopefully by the time I go to CA in June, I will look more like the Rachel everyone is used to!

That's about all the news there is to report on.  I've been making progress with my weight loss/healthy eating habits/working out, etc. regiment.  I've lost a few inches off my waist, 6 pounds, and have built up a fair amount of muscle since I started in January.  I've been a lot better about tracking what I eat, and eating healthier snacks.  It's been a pretty good experience so far!  Next month is Spring Break for Zak, but there are no big plans at the moment.  We don't have a lot planned out, but we are just enjoying life.  It's already been a really good year for us, and I'm sure it'll just keep getting better!