Today's Update

So I ran around today and did some things and figured out some things.

I can defer one of my loans if I pay a $150 fee. Doing so will let me defer it for three months. If I do that twice, that's $300 in six months instead of the $2100 that making the normal payments would add up to. I still need to hear back from the people about my other loan.

It looks like I figured out how my stuff is going to get to Menifee. Thanks so much Megan and Chris for taking a slight 3 hour detour on your way to your Christmas Eve party!

I collected a bunch of emails and addresses from my mom today. Tomorrow I'll be sending my support letter out to those people. If you want a copy of it, I'll post one here. If the only way that you'll consider supporting me is if I send you a hand written and autographed copy of it, then send me your mailing address and I'll get right on that.

Also, Mitsubishi may or may not give me $500. A while back, someone sued the company because their paint was fading. They won (really?), and so everyone with a Eclipse got reimbursed for a paint job. The reimbursement was different depending on different circumstances, but mine was worth up to $500 if I got a $1000 paint job. ("50% reimbursement up to $500.")

I had no idea what paint jobs cost, and the Maaco website I went to wasn't very specific about their pricing structure. I drove down to talk to a guy. His estimate was that it was going to cost me $1500 to paint my car. I told him that was out of my price range and showed him the reimbursement form that I had.

He looked it over, and noted the fast approaching deadline. I waited so long because I was hoping that I'd find a job and be able to pay for it. He listened to my sad unemployment story, then gave me a print out of a form that says I got a $1000 paint job. "Mail this off, get your $500, then come back and I'll work with you on the price." I'm not sure this form constitutes "proof of payment," but I mailed it off. We'll see if Mitsubishi decides to give me the money.

The guy I talked to was so nice. I totally want to give him my business, but I just can't afford it right now. Is it bad if I don't drive back there to get my car painted until after I come back from Romania, and get another job?