Work and Play
Okay, work update (then the good stuff).
After posting the last entry I headed to work to find the safety team still in full force at the depot. Little did I know I would be spending the day with one of them in the jump seat of the bulk truck as I ran a route. Lucky for me the guy and I got a long pretty well, had pleasant conversation, absorbed a few safety lessons along the way, and shared a hilarious moment watching a troupe of local homeless folks who were, while drunk and disorderly, acting like clowns (likely unintentionally).
The day did go pretty well, I actually ran a full route for the first time since being solo and with the safety guy along, I learned a lot more about my job requirements and things I can do to make my life easier while on route.
End of the day came, we all parted ways dreading the 6 am wake up Wednesday morning for the big all-hands-on-deck safety meeting we were gonna be having.
The meeting wasn't all that awful. Just your basic safety stuff, video's poorly produced, cheesy games to "make it fun" and teach at the same time, the usual I guess. Unless your safety meetings don't include a Jeopardy like game, then you're really missing out.
Once the safety meeting was over, we did a little bit of hands on inspecting and education at the depot. We also applauded the return of our other bulk truck, finally inspected and ready to load and roll. Of course, it's not that simple apparently. The truck was gone over, like the other, with a fine toothed comb. Then the safety guys walked us through getting it ready to load with liquid CO2 by pressurizing the tank up. Then we began loading it up. After a quick trip for a lunchy munchy, I was up for taking the truck out for a few stops at least. With only about 4 hours left on my work day I headed out and hit a little over half a dozen stops.
Work update - fin.
Now for the fun stuff!
Yesterday, my sweetie and I headed out to run a few errands early in the day. Then we hit the road bound for Marietta, OH where I had been in talks over the phone with a guy about a Nissan Versa hatchback. Actually I'd spent every free moment at work the day before haggling with two guys over a couple of Versa's in Ohio. The one in Marietta and another in Columbus. I probably spent 4+ hours total working deals with the guys.
Once we arrived at the dealership in Marietta, we found the Versa and started checking it out and the salesman spotted us and came out to greet us. He got us prepared to take the car out for a test drive and off we went. I'd say we zoomed about, but the traffic snarl created by some road construction kept us from a quick start to our test drive. But we did finally hit the highway and really put the test into the test drive.
We thought it was a little squirrely, meaning a little loose in the steering and there was a knock that sounded not quite right in tight turns. But we were willing to haggle a little more. Sadly, however, they couldn't quite give us the deal we were looking for. So we hopped back into the truck and headed to Columbus.
Now the Versa in Columbus was really the one I wanted. It was in great shape, had a great package, was already listed at a fair price and had super low mileage. When we got to the dealership we went straight for the keys to take it on a quick spin. The ride was sooo much more smooth, quiet, no knocks, no loosy goosy steering in turns, a dream.
Just a quick trip was all it took to know that we were ready for some serious talks. Lucky for me I'd already done most of the leg work over the phone the day before, meaning the credit application and price haggling. We sat down with the salesman. I asked if his offer from the day before was still on the table. He confirmed. We then sat down with the finance guy and closed t he deal.
I have to say that in all my car buying history I've never had a deal go so quickly or smoothly before. The last couple of times we've wheeled and dealed for a vehicle it's been no less than 4 hours of time spent in a dealer ship. I know my leg work via telephone helped, but they could've tried to haggle back if they'd wanted. But they knew and we knew they were giving us the best deal possible.
We were in and out of the Columbus dealership in just under an hour. Now THAT'S how car buying should be! We said our goodbyes to the Titan and HELLO to the Versa!
After posting the last entry I headed to work to find the safety team still in full force at the depot. Little did I know I would be spending the day with one of them in the jump seat of the bulk truck as I ran a route. Lucky for me the guy and I got a long pretty well, had pleasant conversation, absorbed a few safety lessons along the way, and shared a hilarious moment watching a troupe of local homeless folks who were, while drunk and disorderly, acting like clowns (likely unintentionally).
The day did go pretty well, I actually ran a full route for the first time since being solo and with the safety guy along, I learned a lot more about my job requirements and things I can do to make my life easier while on route.
End of the day came, we all parted ways dreading the 6 am wake up Wednesday morning for the big all-hands-on-deck safety meeting we were gonna be having.
The meeting wasn't all that awful. Just your basic safety stuff, video's poorly produced, cheesy games to "make it fun" and teach at the same time, the usual I guess. Unless your safety meetings don't include a Jeopardy like game, then you're really missing out.
Once the safety meeting was over, we did a little bit of hands on inspecting and education at the depot. We also applauded the return of our other bulk truck, finally inspected and ready to load and roll. Of course, it's not that simple apparently. The truck was gone over, like the other, with a fine toothed comb. Then the safety guys walked us through getting it ready to load with liquid CO2 by pressurizing the tank up. Then we began loading it up. After a quick trip for a lunchy munchy, I was up for taking the truck out for a few stops at least. With only about 4 hours left on my work day I headed out and hit a little over half a dozen stops.
Work update - fin.
Now for the fun stuff!
Yesterday, my sweetie and I headed out to run a few errands early in the day. Then we hit the road bound for Marietta, OH where I had been in talks over the phone with a guy about a Nissan Versa hatchback. Actually I'd spent every free moment at work the day before haggling with two guys over a couple of Versa's in Ohio. The one in Marietta and another in Columbus. I probably spent 4+ hours total working deals with the guys.
Once we arrived at the dealership in Marietta, we found the Versa and started checking it out and the salesman spotted us and came out to greet us. He got us prepared to take the car out for a test drive and off we went. I'd say we zoomed about, but the traffic snarl created by some road construction kept us from a quick start to our test drive. But we did finally hit the highway and really put the test into the test drive.
We thought it was a little squirrely, meaning a little loose in the steering and there was a knock that sounded not quite right in tight turns. But we were willing to haggle a little more. Sadly, however, they couldn't quite give us the deal we were looking for. So we hopped back into the truck and headed to Columbus.
Now the Versa in Columbus was really the one I wanted. It was in great shape, had a great package, was already listed at a fair price and had super low mileage. When we got to the dealership we went straight for the keys to take it on a quick spin. The ride was sooo much more smooth, quiet, no knocks, no loosy goosy steering in turns, a dream.
Just a quick trip was all it took to know that we were ready for some serious talks. Lucky for me I'd already done most of the leg work over the phone the day before, meaning the credit application and price haggling. We sat down with the salesman. I asked if his offer from the day before was still on the table. He confirmed. We then sat down with the finance guy and closed t he deal.
I have to say that in all my car buying history I've never had a deal go so quickly or smoothly before. The last couple of times we've wheeled and dealed for a vehicle it's been no less than 4 hours of time spent in a dealer ship. I know my leg work via telephone helped, but they could've tried to haggle back if they'd wanted. But they knew and we knew they were giving us the best deal possible.
We were in and out of the Columbus dealership in just under an hour. Now THAT'S how car buying should be! We said our goodbyes to the Titan and HELLO to the Versa!
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