No Mustang for me - Redemption! :)

[GTP]

I have both ME and EE degrees, which means my resume gets a lot of hits.
PM me your email address, and I will email you my resume. I have a broad range of experience, and a good attitude if I do say so myself.

For a while I thought I was a shoe-in for a job in the area of my greatest expertise out in SF, but they passed. Almost couldn't believe it, because that specialty doesn't grow on trees.

Anyway, I would LOVE to work in Florida. I had heard that there aren't that many engineering jobs down there.

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[Surtur]

What kind of engineer...I'm hiring electrical and mechanical engineers in Florida for designing Buildings/Theme Parks/Resorts

if you ever need welders down there let me know

 

[GTP]

So here is an update on my situation.

I. The job layoff
First the California job prospect fell through. They passed on someone supremely qualified (me) in a niche position, but oh well. That stopped the research of getting a CA-certified car after moving to California.

My girlfriend remained very supportive, always encouraging me to get my ordered car. I am a saver more than a spender, and it was hard to justify to myself to replace my job and buy a new car “in reverse order”. But I knew that engineering contract work is the new paradigm, and so I wasn’t too worried about finding something soon enough. I have two healthy emergency funds, a couple of smaller backups to those, plus some business liquidation plans in the works.

As my updated signature line shows, I bought the car last Saturday, after inspecting it twice. It was so Perfect Enough that it pained me to consider not to go ahead and buy it.

II. The Ruse - taking delivery of my car
My girlfriend is so impossible to surprise in the time we’ve been together, that I decided to perform the ultimate ruse using the new car. (Now, my gf is not a dumb blonde, but a smart brunette, which is why it is so hard to surprise her - she always figures things out!) She kept asking me if my car was in, of course, and I kept saying No. So I planned out an elaborate ruse with my salesman.

There was a Roush event at the dealership Saturday, and she was willing to go, in spite of my car not being in yet. I told her that even though it was due, the factory had a “hold” on it and the salesman was checking on what the problem was.

When we got down there he told us “I’ve got good news for you. Your car came in late yesterday and it’s right outside.” We went out the showroom side door to a new blue GT automatic. (You see, she saw me order the blue car in June, but the very next day I changed it to yellow and never told her.)

She was so stoked that she gave me a big high-five and let out a yell. But the more we looked over the car, the more she realized the options were wrong. I said “They built my car wrong. Now I will have to ask for my deposit back and start all over.”

So we sent her off to look at the drive-in Mustangs while the salesman and I “sorted this all out”. Actually he and I spent less than 10 minutes for me to hand him the check, show the insurance, and have my license copied. She was walking back up as we were walking out.

Next was lunch from the grill, raffle prizes, and so forth. The salesman came back to say the manager wanted to talk to me. “Uh-oh” we said. So the salesman kept her company while I went to “pound on the manager’s desk”. In fact, I was signing all the docs for part 2 of the purchase process, and then I was handed my keys. That took only about 5 minutes!

The salesman then said “Ok, I think we figured it out. They got the VIN wrong and pulled up someone else’s car. We found your car and parked it right out front.” (Where it was waiting all along.)

So she walks out rubber-necking for a blue car, and said “Uh, so where is it?” She was standing right next to it, of course. I replied, “Right here” and motion to the car. She said, “What? Yellow?! You ordered the yellow car?” I looked her in the eyes, and held her close and said, “Babe, it has always been yellow.”

This whole thing played out over a couple of hours. The salesman deserves an award for his performance as we improvised on the script.

III. The reward
That night she programmed the car for the garage door, and my phone. She discovered the pony puddles. We changed the ambient lighting, and so on.

Today she admitted she is having more fun with the new car than I am. And that is what I was hoping for.

 

[RobbieFrazier]

So here is an update on my situation...

Today she admitted she is having more fun with the new car than I am. And that is what I was hoping for.

Awesome news and awesome ruse, Philip. Congrats!

 

[CM581978]

awesome, congrats

 

[matteos]

Was about to post sorry for your bad luck. Art least you didn't buy the car right before the layoff..but it looks like things have worked out, so that's good!!

 

[matteos]

Is it not PC for me to mention that two of the members that were kept (converting from temporary to full-time) are here on work Visa's?
I mean, there are not enough jobs everywhere in the world, but that stings a little, too.

(I will delete this post if it is pointed out to me that it is not PC. I don't mean to offend this nice community.)

I don't know about your situation but my work employed two Australian girls on work visas for a while... And they worked them really hard. If you're here on a work visa you're beholden to your company so that could be why. Not anything PC.. lose your job you're sent packing... A lit more to lose so a lot more dedication, could be why.

 

[ScottsGT]

I kept eyeing yellow and my wife of 26 years kept putting her foot down. She does NOT like yellow cars. No idea why, but as much as I liked DIB and RR, it was still a tough decision for me.
Besides, a 52 yo man in a bright yellow car would just stereotype the crap out of me with the "mid-life crisis" shit. I started my "Mid Life crisis" 30 years ago and haven't stopped yet!!

 

[Zemedici]

So here is an update on my situation.

I. The job layoff
First the California job prospect fell through. They passed on someone supremely qualified (me) in a niche position, but oh well. That stopped the research of getting a CA-certified car after moving to California.

My girlfriend remained very supportive, always encouraging me to get my ordered car. I am a saver more than a spender, and it was hard to justify to myself to replace my job and buy a new car “in reverse order”. But I knew that engineering contract work is the new paradigm, and so I wasn’t too worried about finding something soon enough. I have two healthy emergency funds, a couple of smaller backups to those, plus some business liquidation plans in the works.

As my updated signature line shows, I bought the car last Saturday, after inspecting it twice. It was so Perfect Enough that it pained me to consider not to go ahead and buy it.

II. The Ruse - taking delivery of my car
My girlfriend is so impossible to surprise in the time we’ve been together, that I decided to perform the ultimate ruse using the new car. (Now, my gf is not a dumb blonde, but a smart brunette, which is why it is so hard to surprise her - she always figures things out!) She kept asking me if my car was in, of course, and I kept saying No. So I planned out an elaborate ruse with my salesman.

There was a Roush event at the dealership Saturday, and she was willing to go, in spite of my car not being in yet. I told her that even though it was due, the factory had a “hold” on it and the salesman was checking on what the problem was.

When we got down there he told us “I’ve got good news for you. Your car came in late yesterday and it’s right outside.” We went out the showroom side door to a new blue GT automatic. (You see, she saw me order the blue car in June, but the very next day I changed it to yellow and never told her.)

She was so stoked that she gave me a big high-five and let out a yell. But the more we looked over the car, the more she realized the options were wrong. I said “They built my car wrong. Now I will have to ask for my deposit back and start all over.”

So we sent her off to look at the drive-in Mustangs while the salesman and I “sorted this all out”. Actually he and I spent less than 10 minutes for me to hand him the check, show the insurance, and have my license copied. She was walking back up as we were walking out.

Next was lunch from the grill, raffle prizes, and so forth. The salesman came back to say the manager wanted to talk to me. “Uh-oh” we said. So the salesman kept her company while I went to “pound on the manager’s desk”. In fact, I was signing all the docs for part 2 of the purchase process, and then I was handed my keys. That took only about 5 minutes!

The salesman then said “Ok, I think we figured it out. They got the VIN wrong and pulled up someone else’s car. We found your car and parked it right out front.” (Where it was waiting all along.)

So she walks out rubber-necking for a blue car, and said “Uh, so where is it?” She was standing right next to it, of course. I replied, “Right here” and motion to the car. She said, “What? Yellow?! You ordered the yellow car?” I looked her in the eyes, and held her close and said, “Babe, it has always been yellow.”

This whole thing played out over a couple of hours. The salesman deserves an award for his performance as we improvised on the script.

III. The reward
That night she programmed the car for the garage door, and my phone. She discovered the pony puddles. We changed the ambient lighting, and so on.

Today she admitted she is having more fun with the new car than I am. And that is what I was hoping for.

That is what its all about, friend, congratulations. :cheers:

 

[GTP]

I kept eyeing yellow and my wife of 26 years kept putting her foot down. She does NOT like yellow cars. No idea why, but as much as I liked DIB and RR, it was still a tough decision for me.
Besides, a 52 yo man in a bright yellow car would just stereotype the crap out of me with the "mid-life crisis" shit. I started my "Mid Life crisis" 30 years ago and haven't stopped yet!!

Yeah, engine, transmission, luxury-level, and color are the basic, and difficult, choices.

I gravitated to the "colors" end of the list of 10 paint choices. I "kept eyeing" back to yellow, too, and took that as a clue. But there remains doubt as to what might be the best long-term choice - one never knows. I like all the other colors, too, but it seems that there may be fewer yellow cars, and the color reminds me of those outrageous yellow Ferrari's and Lambo's we see photos of. Besides, when I told my lady that I knew she preferred DIB, she said "It's fine, it's your car." Her best friend saw it on the delivery day and remarked that it was her very favorite color, too, so go figure. (Her hubby has a black Saleen and RaceRed GT.)

Yes, this is my mid-life crisis car. Or rather, it is my reward for driving sedans and minivans for the past 30 years (and for not having any other "sins"). It is my street-legal, luxury, and daily-driving race car, so it may as well be yellow. I have just enough self-confidence to not care what others conclude about my color choice.

As to your comment about your wife - I get that. Check the Anyone that owns a mustang & has a Girlfiend/wife has been in this situation thread. Your wife's comment on your desire for yellow could be jealousy to a blonde turning your head when your wife is a brunette.

BTW, I am older than you, healthy, and forever young at heart.
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