mostly devoid of puking

We've been working towards purchasing a car for months now because both of our cars are too old to make the long drive to the jungle from the states and we'll need something a bit more durable when we get there. So we've spent weekends and evenings on the prowl, narrowing our choices and seeing what we can afford. (It's great fun with a four year old by the way, if you haven't tried it please, promise never, ever to do it. Ever.) So last night we ended up at a used dealership and ironically, they'd just received a car that met our criteria and more surprisingly, our tight budget. Score one for the economic depression - car dealers are desperate.

As we started to engage in the long death march to the finish line, the car salesman guy brought out his manager, a rather cute younger guy who starts off by saying something like We price cars like this to avoid the relentless back and forth that ultimately leaves someone throwing up until someone else caves in. There is always room to come down but let's be honest it's not like you are buying a new car or that this sale will make me much money and he seemed almost bored with us and for some reason the truthfulness of it worked for me - to him it was only about margin and getting the car off his damn lot. Somehow it felt like a challenge. Humanity was in order.

So as we descended the escalator to car negotiating hell I tried to entice him with things that might make us seem more human and less like a sale. We started talking about the jungle and what we needed the car for and we even made M share the M&M's we'd bought her earlier as a bribe. She woefully and under duress handed one (yes, only one) over to him and then I threw in the whole working with homeless people for good measure. His eyes clouded a bit as he chews the lone piece of candy so I said that last bit not working for you? and he replied to be honest the driving to the jungle stuff was more interesting, if I were you I'd stick with that so we did until I finally said look, your price still makes me feel like puking and he laughed and asked what price wouldn't make me feel like puking and we told him and he agreed, leaving me to wonder if we should be puking after all.

A little while later we are the proud owner of an older yet with acceptable mileage vehicle, one we feel will get us to the jungle and hopefully around town. Or at least once the water goes away. It struck us that we should also be looking into canoes, but we are choosing to remain optimistic. Besides, I hear canoe dealerships have even less puking. Or perhaps more M&M's. Either way we are chalking it up to uncharted territory, which I expect will be serving as the theme of our very existence for the next long while.

We've now raised $965 for the village. You people are amazing. Thank you.
Update #2: The total is now $1,005 coming in three different currencies. What a small world after all. Thank you so very much.