New Standard Driver

It's been a while since I last posted.  During this time period, we have lost one member in the Unit #83 household, but was quickly replaced by two new "members": a Scion FRS and a Subaru Impreza.

For my new job, having a vehicle is a must.  Therefore, our single car family became a double car family again (sigh... more expenses).  B bought a new asphalt gray Scion FRS, which has a manual transmission.  I'm of course is off limits, and his excuse was "you can't drive a standard, but if you can, you can drive it".

I love my Mini.  Technically, it was the first car I bought and own (well, the Golf was my first car that I drove full time... under a lease in my parents' name).  However, after Luigi's warranty period was over, it was problem after problem: the manifold intake required replacement, the passenger door won't unlock manually (even more weird), the engine shook after starting, and emergency brake light was on when the brake was off.  Just this year alone, I already spent $2000 on fixing the manifold issue.  The others remained unsolved.

So finally I decided to get a new car too: a cherry red Subaru Impreza.  

To be able to drive B's car, I also got a manual transmission.  About 10 years ago, I did take a 3 hour lesson on how to drive a standard.  It was an awful experience because the car was so old.  However, the benefit I got from that 3 hour lesson was that I did learn the 'skills' and retained 80% of it.  Hence, the driving experience for the last month or two was tolerable.  However, worried of stalling and rolling backwards, I put a "New Standard Driver" sign up, just to warn drivers to stay away.  It worked.  Yeah, I got some laughs from other drivers, but in general, many people have stayed away from me.  I should keep this sign up just to avoid being rear ended, but B thinks it's ugly and removed it.  

I thought with B here and with him picking out and buying a new car will end my bad luck with new cars.  WRONG!  Here's a brief history of my new cars:

2003 Golf

• Before leaving the dealership, it got a rock chip in the windshield; however, it was the dealership's fault and so it was replaced.
• About the second day it was on the road, I got hit and it got a 'scar' above one of the back wheels       

2008 Mini

• Either it was the first or second day on the road, I got a rock chip in the windshield.

Although it doesn't seem too bad, it is bad for brand new cars!  So what's wrong with the Impreza?  Here it is:

• Before leaving the dealership, the battery was dead.  They boosted it and the car was ok.
• Less than two weeks old on the road, mother nature decided to send down hail from hell.  The Impreza got a lot of dents on the hood, the roof, and some on the door(s).  I claimed insurance and still waiting for an appraisal.
• Approximately one month old on the road, I got a rock chip.  

Sigh.  I don't think I can get away with the rock chip.  It's frickin' summer and I still got a rock chip.