Belle and I visited a new pediatrician in our new city today. Belle proved that, like her mom, she's not a doctor's dream patient. She fussed from the moment we entered the waiting room until she was back in her car seat heading home, including red-faced, tear-streaming screeching during the actual examination and two shots.
Despite the tears, Belle checked-out healthy. She's just over 22 pounds and over 31 inches long (fiftieth percentile in weight, seventy-fifth in height),and she is growing and developing as a fifteen-month should. I couldn't be happier!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
New car owners!
We bought a new car- another first for us. We are thrilled to own a 2012 Hyundai Sonata. (And, yes, I am especially excited that we bought a Korean car since part of my heart belongs to Tae-Han-Min-Kook).
Despite the fact that we live a mile from a Hyundai dealership, we bought the car from a place a few towns over, about 10 miles from home. That's because you don't mess with me, especially when I am making a large purchase.
See, I was treated poorly at the nearby dealership. I was astounded by the behavior of the car-sellers at the local dealership. I realize that gone are the days when "the customer is right," but I also thought that the days when a woman wasn't respected when she is on her own were also behind us.
I am getting ahead of myself.
Craig and I looked at the car at the nearby dealership, and we both liked it. We returned to the same place and worked with the same salesman (separately) to test drive the car. I returned yesterday to price out the car; to find out exactly how much the car would cost from this dealer once we had negotiated all of the details and add-ons. First, the dealer asked me where my "hubby" was and if I'd talked to him (as in, did my "hubby" know I was there). Then, he made me wait while he got some papers together. While I waited, another car dealer belched loudly (I heard him from halfway across the room). When he noted that I had heard his burp, he looked at me, laughed, and said that the burp was louder than he thought it would be. No "excuse me." Gross!
The dealer I had been working with finally returned with a three digit number scribbled on a piece of scrap paper: what my monthly payments would be based on the currently financing deal and the suggested manufacturer's price of the car. I said, "I could have done this math at home." I tried to explain again that I wanted to price out the exact car we wanted to buy. Again, he had me wait for an awfully long time. While I waited, the greeter/secretary belted out Christmas tunes while she unpacked the dealership's Christmas decorations. Two of the car sellers asked her to lower her voice or to stop singing, but she went on belting away. Unpleasant.
Finally, my car salesman returned with a print-out from Hyundai.com of all the standard and optional features available with the 2012 Sonata with no pricing information. This was, again, information I didn't need to go to the dealership to obtain. It finally became clear to me that this dealer was not going to take me seriously or answer my questions or give me the requested information without my "hubby."
I left angry, offended and frustrated. I liked the car, but not the dealership and certainly not the salesman. Craig to the rescue! He found and contacted another dealership and, yada yada yada, we own a Sonata!
Oh, wait, I "yada yada yada"-ed the best part: Craig was a stellar negotiator. We got every feature we wanted in a car and more, and we bought the car for $1100 than the lowest price we found anywhere, including on Buyer's Edge to which I have access as a members of the teachers' union. If you need to buy a car, bring Craig. He means business and get what he wants.
And don't piss me off because you will lose my business.
Despite the fact that we live a mile from a Hyundai dealership, we bought the car from a place a few towns over, about 10 miles from home. That's because you don't mess with me, especially when I am making a large purchase.
See, I was treated poorly at the nearby dealership. I was astounded by the behavior of the car-sellers at the local dealership. I realize that gone are the days when "the customer is right," but I also thought that the days when a woman wasn't respected when she is on her own were also behind us.
I am getting ahead of myself.
Craig and I looked at the car at the nearby dealership, and we both liked it. We returned to the same place and worked with the same salesman (separately) to test drive the car. I returned yesterday to price out the car; to find out exactly how much the car would cost from this dealer once we had negotiated all of the details and add-ons. First, the dealer asked me where my "hubby" was and if I'd talked to him (as in, did my "hubby" know I was there). Then, he made me wait while he got some papers together. While I waited, another car dealer belched loudly (I heard him from halfway across the room). When he noted that I had heard his burp, he looked at me, laughed, and said that the burp was louder than he thought it would be. No "excuse me." Gross!
The dealer I had been working with finally returned with a three digit number scribbled on a piece of scrap paper: what my monthly payments would be based on the currently financing deal and the suggested manufacturer's price of the car. I said, "I could have done this math at home." I tried to explain again that I wanted to price out the exact car we wanted to buy. Again, he had me wait for an awfully long time. While I waited, the greeter/secretary belted out Christmas tunes while she unpacked the dealership's Christmas decorations. Two of the car sellers asked her to lower her voice or to stop singing, but she went on belting away. Unpleasant.
Finally, my car salesman returned with a print-out from Hyundai.com of all the standard and optional features available with the 2012 Sonata with no pricing information. This was, again, information I didn't need to go to the dealership to obtain. It finally became clear to me that this dealer was not going to take me seriously or answer my questions or give me the requested information without my "hubby."
I left angry, offended and frustrated. I liked the car, but not the dealership and certainly not the salesman. Craig to the rescue! He found and contacted another dealership and, yada yada yada, we own a Sonata!
Oh, wait, I "yada yada yada"-ed the best part: Craig was a stellar negotiator. We got every feature we wanted in a car and more, and we bought the car for $1100 than the lowest price we found anywhere, including on Buyer's Edge to which I have access as a members of the teachers' union. If you need to buy a car, bring Craig. He means business and get what he wants.
And don't piss me off because you will lose my business.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Generation gap?
Today, a freshman walked into class singing, "Straight up, now tell me, do you really want to love me forever?" Without thinking, I finished the line to the song: "Or I am caught in a hit and run?"
The student looked at me, eyes wide with wonder and excitement. "You know J. Cole, Ms. Cepler?!"
"Who?" I asked. "I thought we were singing Paula Abdul."
To this, my student responded, "Who?"
Turns out, this J. Cole sampled the two lines from the song Paula Abdul made famous in 1988.
Boy, do I feel old...
Living where I teach
The other day a student told me she had seen me walking. When, I asked? She didn't remember. "A few days ago." Where, I wondered? On a street she and her mother drove down.
I must remember to walk as if I could run into or be seen by a student and her mother at all times.
Relatedly, I was on the phone with a parent today. While I explained the child's quarter one grade, I looked up the student's information and learned that the child student lives a block from me. Yup, I could have walked around the corner from my home this afternoon to have the conversation about the child face-to-face at the kid's house.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Test driving a car
Belle was quite cooperative during our car shopping experience, including riding in her car seat in the back of the two cars with two different car salespeople. She really enjoyed exploring the various cars, too.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Belle goes to high school
Belle's new wagon!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Belle and Stella
Stella father and I direct the school plays. At this afternoon's performance, the kids (and Stella's mom and Belle's grandparents) came to support our efforts...or just walking around the lobby eating Cherios.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Tough Weekend
The Next Boston Pop
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Mommy who?
I took Belle to day care this morning. She smiled when I dropped her off and didn't mind when I left. Even more indicative of her adjusting to day care was when I picked her up. She smiled at me when I walked into the playroom, but kept on playing. She fussed when I picked up her to leave; she was having so much fun! Good. I'm glad to know that she is safe and happy while I'm at school.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The welcoming committee
Since we moved into our new home on Monday, I have given no fewer than two house tours each day, meaning we've had a steady stream of visitors welcoming us to the area. People have been so warm in welcoming to us! Yesterday, a friend of a friend who lives nearby stopped by with a basket of treats and an invitation to Shabbat lunch this week. How kind!
And herein lies a delightful difference between the suburbs and the city: I didn't meet any of our neighbors in Manhattan until Belle came along (babies make great conversation). For more than four years, I rode the elevator with people and didn't say a word. I bumped into neighbors in the mail room and said merely, "excuse me." And now I know neighbors after 3 days of living in a neighborhood instead of a high-rise.
I think we'll be OK here in White Plains...
And herein lies a delightful difference between the suburbs and the city: I didn't meet any of our neighbors in Manhattan until Belle came along (babies make great conversation). For more than four years, I rode the elevator with people and didn't say a word. I bumped into neighbors in the mail room and said merely, "excuse me." And now I know neighbors after 3 days of living in a neighborhood instead of a high-rise.
I think we'll be OK here in White Plains...
"We're not in Kansas anymore..."
A little bit we miss NYC already. We ordered take-out Italian the other night because our kitchen was too full of boxes to be functional. The take-out menu that came with the food we ordered had printed in big letters on the front "Delivery until 10pm!" The exclamation point indicates that 10pm is an excitingly late hour at which to received delivered food around here. We are SO not in NYC anymore...
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
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