The Toyota 3

Today is a nice, sunny Friday. Yesterday was cloudy with periods of light rain. 

Even so, yesterday I drove Nuria to Richmond to assist her with the purchase of another car. She had a 2009 Toyota that was wrecked by an inattentive driver who drove into her car. She only had the car for five months. The other driver was at fault so his insurance company, Progressive, was responsible for paying for damage. But Progressive would only pay for about 80% of what the car cost five months ago. So we had to add several thousand dollars to the amount Progressive will pay us in order to get another car like the one she had. And we're still waiting for the check from Progressive, but I assume they will pay us eventually. 

We found a 2010 Toyota that is almost identical to the one she lost. Like her destroyed car, this one is a Camry LE with "magnetic gray metallic" paint, ash color fabric seats, and has the same options as the previous car. It's almost identical except for being one model year newer.

I don't like driving to Richmond. The traffic on the highways is heavy and moving fast. Nevertheless, we got there and we transacted our business, and after about an hour we drove away. I had given written directions to Nuria that told her how to get home. But shortly after we left, I lost sight of her in the rear view mirror. I drove the route I had planned in advance, and I never saw her behind me again. But when I got home, her Toyota pulled up behind my Jeep about one minute later. Considering that the two of us had just driven over 25 miles, I thought that was amazing timing. 

We went back out to Burger King and bought a couple of Whopper meals. We both like the Whopper sandwiches, but they're never hot at that place. Never. "Barely warm" is the best one can hope for. Then we drove to Food Lion and bought a basket full of groceries, and then to home again. 

So now it's Friday morning and Nuria just left the house on a walk to a nearby insurance company. Her insurance is going to cost well over a hundred dollars per month, and it's only the minimum liability required by law. That price doesn't even include collision coverage. After she (hopefully) purchases an insurance policy for the Toyota, she'll then go for her usual morning walk around the neighborhood.

I lost a friend yesterday. Well, not a friend, exactly, but someone I've known for a long time and is the husband of a friend that I've also known a very long time—if you consider thirty five years a long time to know someone. I have another friend whose health has been declining for the past year. It's like, one day they're okay, and then they're not okay, and then they're worse, and then they're gone. If you have people that you love, let them know now, because our lives are finite and you never know what tomorrow will bring.

And that is VW's wisdom for this Friday morning. I hope all of you have a pretty weekend.