tired of this

[A_goodman]

So here is the exchange that soured my mood today.

As I'm leaving for work, I told W good by and she said that she'd been thinking about this wknd. I am planning on taking the boys down to Austin to visit my sister's family. W said that maybe I should rent a car, since the van needs two new tires and a rear break job as well as an oil change. Now the tire place said the tires need replacing, but there's still a lot of good tread. She took it in for the front breaks a while ago and they suggested a rear job. This was after all this started. Since then I've changed the breaks on my car which I'v done several times, so I could do the job, but she never asked me.

Anyway, I was one foot out the door, so I told her we'd discuss it tonight. She said fine and walked off. I could tell she was peeved a little. Not that I care really, but it was curious to me.

On the way to work, it dawned on me that she just doesn't want to be stuck driving my car (which won't make it to Austin). Now, I drive a beater. I've never owned a new automobile in my life. "her" car is a newer minivan. My car has 345k Miles on it, won't lock, sometimes stalls with the AC on (at stops) and burns oil.

Why do I drive a POS? Because, at first, we made stupid decisions about debt and got in a hole that took years to get out of. We both found Dave Ramsey and climbed out. We're almost debt free (House and student loans). When we were young, We couldn't afford an extra car payment on top of hers. Then the debt period, and now I'm dead set against any more debt. We have two boys in private school and aftercare. Plus all summer they're in a summer program which costs only slightly less than the regular tuition. Could I buy a car on the money we spend on tuition? You damn betcha! I could swing a nice Mercedes or a sweet crew cab 4X4. But I SACCRIFICE what I WANT for what is important to me, the best education for the boys I can afford (even when I couldn't afford it). We have one nice car and one POS. I have ALWAYS driven the beater and let her drive the good car.

So here now, she will have to drive my car for a couple of days and she want's to rent a car. The car rental will cost as much as getting the work done that will STILL need to be done.

I will calmly tell her this evening that I've decided to get the repairs done with that money and go ahead and take the van this wknd. The cars are family property and both our names are on the deeds. It's not that I have to be the man tonight that bothers me. I'm not affraid to anger her. It's that she is using tangents to get what she wants and that she is unwilling to put up with what I do everyday for even a few days.

Who is this woman?