Day 45: Mormon Loop Hike and More Truck Stuff

I have a short list of shopping and errands to do today: gas for the new truck, lunch from Chick Fil A, iPod hookup, locking truck bed cover, and fire department patches. My final goal is to go for a hike!

I complete the first three stops with no problem. The truck cover proves to be more difficult. I can't find what I am looking for for under $1000. I'll have to find a used one. Somewhere in all of this, I get a call from the dealer. They need more information from me to get the financing done. Something about a recent pay stub. Uh oh. That will not go well. The last pay stub I have is from October and was only for a week of work. I don't see that helping to convince anyone to give me a loan. I call back and leave a message. I stop by the fire department supply store. Despite my begging, they won't give me a fire department patch for some reason. Department policy or something. I manage to get a few EMT/medic patches though.

I head off to the trail head for Mormon Loop. Looks like a nice little 4 mile hike. My phone rings as I pull into the parking lot. It is the dealer. I answer. I hear him just fine but he can't hear me. Great. I call back. Still can't hear me. I restart my phone. Get the call through but no answer. Shit. I guess he is with someone else. I want this done and dealt with! I set out for my hike, really worried that they might take my truck away if they can't finance me.

New truck parked at the trailhead

 I start to hike. I get about half a mile along the trail when I decide to call USAA and see if I can get $1000 more on my loan. If worst comes to worst, I can put down another $1000 and cover everything. I call. My phone won't work. Ugh. I turn it on and off and call again. I get half way through the menus before my voice stops transmitting. Ughhhh. I call again and finally get a representative. "Hello? Hello? Anyone there?". YES I AM HERE. UGHHH. FUCK. "Hellooo? I'm sorry, I can't hear you." The phone hangs up. I am going to throw this damn phone that can do everything other than function as a phone off the side of this damn mountain. I call a friend who has been texting me as I hike. She can hear me just fine. I thank her and try USAA again.

Finally, success! And the guy can hear me! I stop walking, just in case the problem has something to do with my signal. I ask if I can get $1,000 more approved on a loan. He puts me on hold... for 15 minutes. I pace back and fourth on the trail. I find a survey mark on a rock. Cool! I pace some more. I am bored. Finally he comes back. Nope. They won't give me any more. Ughhh seriously? What does a person need to do to get an auto loan around here? I have good credit, have had credit for almost 5 years, have a job with the government (how much more secure can it get?), and a college degree! I sound disappointed with the news. He offers to look up the value of the truck. I am not sure how that will help but I give him the VIN number. He informs me that it is worth $3000 more than I am able to pay but I can probably talk them down $6000 or so. Uhhhh. I really don't see that happening. I already set a price that I had though I could do that is really pretty reasonable. But thanks for the help....

Survey Marker!

I continue my hike, mildly distraught. Shortly after, I get a call from the dealer again. I lose reception. Dammmiittt. I find reception and call him back. Yes! Contact finally. And there is good news! The financing is done. With almost 2% lower APR than they had originally told me. They need a little more down though. And my loan term is shorter even though my monthly payment is a little higher. That's fine with me! I was going to overpay my payments anyway and probably still will. That will save me money in the end. I have to go back in to pay the rest of the down payment. I tell him I am hiking and should be done in 2 or 3 hours and I will come by. Yay!

Pretty!

I continue on my hike. I find a trail map along the way and check it. This is not the trail I thought I was on. I figure out the route back and set off anyway. I walk and walk and walk. Maybe I missed a turn? I know I need to be on this trail to get back but I am not sure if I missed something. I go to check the map on my phone. It is dead. Awesome. I keep walking. I am definitely going the wrong way. This is the last time I go hiking on a trail system. All of my other hikes have just been a single up and back trail. Nooo problem there. Well, if I keep going I will eventually get to a trail head with a map so I can figure out where I am.I finally round a corner and can identify some landmarks in the city. Uhhh, that is not where downtown should be if I am anywhere near where I parked. Great. I pass a few people along the way and finally reach a parking lot.

Tooo many trails...

Uhhh, how concerned should I be about this...?

I examine the map and finally find where I parked. It is 3 miles away via trail. It looks closer via the road but the trail is pretty straight forward. I am approaching the 3 hours that I had told the dealer. I decide to hike back. I start to run. I want to get back fast. I am tired of hiking. My 4 mile hike has possibly doubled in length. As I go running down the trail, I run by a younger couple that I had passed. "Did ya forget something?" The guy asks. No, just forgot where I parked! They offer to give me a ride to my truck. Ummm. That would be phenomenal. I am so over this hiking thing for the day.

I hop in the car and we talk about local hikes and Alaska as we wind down a windy mountain side road for about 15 minutes. I did not realize I had hiked that far up vertically. I am glad I did not decide to walk down the road. 20 minutes later, I am back at my truck. I thank them profusely and hop in my truck. I set my GPS to the dealer and head off.

I pull up and a salesman walks up. "Nice truck!". Thanks! Apparently he is friends with the previous owner and the one who accepted it as the trade in. And he likes to talk. We talk about the truck. Alaska comes up. He goes hunting up there sometimes so we talk about Alaska for a while. Finally, I tell him I need to get to finance. I am already later than I said I would be! I walk in, resign a few papers, run my debit card, and am finally all done! The truck is officially mine, well, mine and the lien holder's.

As I walk out, I see Matt and the sales manager that I had talked to the last fest days... "Hi Anna! How's the truck?" Awesome, thank you very much! I head back to the truck. The sales guy is still around. Want a water? Yes! I ran out right after I got back from my hike. We talk some more before I finally head off. At some point he calls the previous owner. I find out how recently the differential/t case oils have been changed. They are good to go for a while and are synthetic. Excellent!

It is now dark. My new truck has tinted windows. They suck for driving in the dark. I will have to get used to this. My truck is still super fun to drive regardless of the tint.I make it back. I decide to cook something. Let's try cooking beef parmigiana. I run to the store and grab the few things that I don't have to make it. Hanna is still at school. Boo!

I get back from the store and get on my T100 forum. I have posted to inform my truck buddies that my T is gone and offered to give my repair manual to whomever wants it. I got some really nice responses from them. A few people want my manual too. I spend some time posting and responding. They want a detailed comparison of my T and my Taco. I can do that! While I am doing this, Hanna arrives. And asks what I did today. I am instantly distracted from my posting. I start with my dysfunctional phone and continue through my departure of the Honda dealer. Uhhh, how was school? Oh, are you hungry now? Let me start cooking stuff.

I cook dinner. It isn't quite as good as the chicken but this is my first time making it with beef.  Ohhh welll!!! Next time!