Last weekend we went to look for a new car because we were still driving one borrowed from  the garage that condemned our old Vectra and we were ready to purchase the new Forster vehicle. Apart from a house, a car is one of the biggest purchases you make in life and its a lot of money if you get it wrong, so we had been looking on the internet for a week or so and seen a couple of possiblities but had been told about a Mondeo at the garage where our old one was and it sounded good so we had a look.

First thoughts were that it was a nice looking car and the main driver, Jamie, was impressed but we needed to look deeper even though the guys at the garage had told us that two of them had owned it and the last one had only sold it to Ron (the garage owner) because his wife didn’t like driving it because it was too big. They also told us how well looked after it had been only having three previous owners and the first had always brought it back here for servicing, then the two mechanics had owned it and both knew what it had done recently like  new tyres, cam belt suspension bushes etc.

So we now knew its history and that it had always been looked after we took it for a test drive and again it ticked all the boxes with a smooth ride nice clean interior and although Jamie mentioned its “lack of performance” I reminded her that her days of drag racing the local “Chad’s” are over now she’s a mommy with responsibilities…it’s driving Miss Daisy not driving like crazy, now!

The garage owner was away on holiday until Thursday so we took it back to the garage and asked that they keep us in mind first if anyone else looks at it and we will talk to Ron on Thursday. We left knowing that if he was asking the right price we had just driven our new car, so the search was over at the first car!

Thursday came (yesterday) and it was time to open negotiations, something I never feel comfortable with because they are doing that sort of thing all day everyday and I get the oppertunity once or twice in ten years? I rang and after pleasantries just said “How much are you asking for the Mondeo?” when he said £1200 I just replied “OK, we will come up there later today to talk about it” and bid him good day.

Jamie and me then spent the day plotting our tactics, we rang the scrap dealer to find out how much we could get for our old car if we drove it up and signed it over to be crushed and the best price we got was £140 so we knew even if we pain the garage the full asking price we drive the old car around the corner and get 140 quid back straight away but figured we could use that knowledge in negotiotions at the garage later. Next we checked the Auto Trader website to find similer cars of the same spec and standard to see what the market price was and it came out from £900 to £1500 depending on criterea so he was asking about the right sort of money but we thought £1200 is his top end so we need to offer low so we decided to offer £900 plus the Vectra and see what he says… We would also take cash, every car dealer loves cash they can do a lot with cash …

I was nervous all day knowing this is way out of my comfort zone but Jamie kept reassuring me that the worst he can say is “No!” which is right but I have to stand there and be a man with big cahonies and barter with the guy. We decided to take Reagan to tug at any heartstrings there may be (LOL) and we practiced what I was going to say and how I was going to say it too! When the time came Jamie picked me up from work and we drove to the garage with £900 pounds in cash in an envelope, paperwork for the Vectra and a phone number for the insurance company so we could get instant cover if we can drive it away if successfully buy the car.

It went something like this:
“Your asking £1200, would you take £900 + the Vectra?”

He takes sharp intake of breath through gritted teeth
“I don’t think I can go that low!”

I stay silent, letting him comeback with his next offer…

“I could give you £150 for the Vectra?”

I bet you could, I thought, knowing its scrap value! So I rubbed me chin a bit and said
“Give us a couple of minutes then and Let us have a think and talk about it!”
My thoughts were he has only knocked £10 quid off so let’s say £1000 (which was probably our limit anyway) + the Vectra and if he says yes, we have a deal.

So back to the office and our last offer, I placed Reagan on the chair between us:
“Will you take £1000 in cash plus the Vectra?”

A little hesitation before
“Alright then..” and the deal was done.

Jamie and I were happy with the outcome, which I believe is the only thing that matters because when all said and done if you are happy with the deal it doesn’t matter what the deal was! I was personnally pleased too because I had carried out our plan and stood me ground a bit in the process so I went out side to call the insurance company while he and Jamie did the paper work, and 20 minutes later drove away in our shiney new Ford Mondeo 1.8L LX Zetec 5door “family” hatchback!

After filling it with petrol at the local station we decided to go out for dinner at the Salt Cellar and celebrate our purchase! Happy Days!

Reagan’s bedtime was eased to 20:30 on Monday night because she is napping at about 19:00 so we thought keep her awake and to bed earlier. Not sure Reagan saw it like that she was awake yesterday morning an hour earlier lol the little….any way it was down to me to do bedtime again last night because mommy was off to the gym again for a little mommy time.

As she left Regan was dozing but began to fuss and cry just as mommy disappeared, not too bad because I quickly sussed that she was wet but it was bath-time so I just took her upstairs and laid her on the changing table while I set the bath running. I was no where near as nervous as the last time I did bath-time but still could feel a little panic trying to remember everything I should do. The bath was ready and I stripped Reagan down and wrapped her in the duck towel she loves so much.


“hang on where did all this duck stuff come from…?” 


Carefully I placed her in the bath and began to wash her and she seemed to enjoy the water and I sort of enjoyed watching her splash about but my job was to wash and wash I did, even shampooing her hair this time but only because I realised I hadn’t used soap up to that point, just a flannel, doh! Not to worry she’d had a good wash and now we were done, but on taking her out of the bath she starts to scream blue murder, our little daughter does not like to be cold, so straight back into her towel she went.

Once dry and in a lovely talced nappy I dressed her in her onesy for the evening and laid her on the bed while I went to make a bottle, this didn’t go down too well as our daughter doesn’t like to be kept waiting for food either! When I returned a minute or so later after rushing around like a blue arsed fly preparing the bottle we lay down and she drank her lovely warm milk supper. After finishing it she was almost asleep and it was very tempting to just leave her there but I needed to wind her and successfully got a huge burp from her after only four good pats on the back!

We then lay on the bed together and I carried on telling the story of how mommy and daddy met which she was interested in for about 5 minutes then drifted off to sleep, and so did I…..

So yesterday was dominated by the football and we had an early dinner to accommodate it, why any England fan bothers to go to so much trouble is beyond me, but we do? On reflection we just were not good enough in any of the four games and never looked like world beaters at any stage of any of the matches.

Yesterday, we were outplayed in every area, and even a disallowed but perfectly good, goal should not become an excuse for our exit! At two nil down we looked like we could concede at every German attack but then we scored and very shortly after that, we should have been level unfortunately, for some inexplicable reason Lampard’s goal was not given? What we didn’t need was half time to come because they really “did not like it up em!” After half-time we were never at the races and it was embarrassing to watch our national side ripped open so easily and look decidedly inert up the other end! It was all over at 4 – 1 down but for me, when the manager needing to chase the game, brought Heskey on I stopped watching choosing instead to have a look at Facebook or chat to anyone who would listen, until we were finally put out of our misery?

Over paid big time charlie’s that can’t play basic football and make the mistake of believing their hype!

It’s disappointing to watch and we should be used to it, but we believe we have a chance until we have our noses rubbed in it by a half decent team and sent home with our tails between our legs! My feelings have certainly changed since the last world cup and I certainly won’t be loosing any sleep over our woeful performance because this bunch of over rated prima-donas won’t be either. They will jet off on their holidays today (extended by two weeks, because they lost!) not giving a shit about it, so why should I?

I have realised that there are far more important things in life…!

Last 16 match today for England and if they are to progress then they will have to beat the Germans, a team we have had many a tussle with over the years and apart from 1966 we have in the world cup come out second best to them but generally the matches are tight and nervy affairs to watch and I expect today’s match to be the same.

Reagan was weighed at the clinic again today and was a healthy 13lb 12oz which makes me so proud that she’s doing so well, and I know I say this a lot but it really is a credit to how Jamie is raising her and the time she puts in everyday to make her that way. The other big thing she did today was go and have her first set of immunisation shots for Whooping Cough, Tetanus and Polio which is never nice even when you know that’s coming but if you’ve NEVER experienced any pain in your whole ‘short’ life it has to be a little traumatic to say the least. Jamie said although she let out a terrible scream once it was over she settled and then just slept so I’m pleased about that.