Greenwich Street Garbage after the blizzard – 1/2 sheet 140 lb Arches cold press
Two weeks ago, The Husband took the car in for an oil change at Honda. Turns out it was the most expensive oil change we ever got.
A salesman said our car was 10 years old but in good shape with low mileage and we could get a good deal on a trade-in. The Husband walked out CONVINCED that we needed to trade in the 10 year old Pilot for a CRV!
Last week we went back so they could show me the car. Like George Bush, I was THE DECIDER! The guy almost lost the sale when I, while looking at the back seat and mentally sizing it up for my almost 100 lb dog, said to me “See, there’s plenty of room for your grandkids.”
WHAT!!! My hands FLEW to my hips and I looked him straight in the eye and said, I DO NOT HAVE GRANDCHILDREN. MONEY IS SO COMING OFF THE CAR. Later when I found out he was 27 I said to him “I will give you two pieces of advice. NEVER, EVER ask a woman if she’s pregnant unless you either see the head of the baby emerging from the birth canal or she tells you she’s pregnant. AND NEVER ASSUME a woman is a grandmother. You may ask if she has children, but don’t ever ASSUME she had grandkids”. MORON (I added silently!)
After I got over myself, we went back to his desk and talked about the car and the pricing some more. I didn’t want to tell him that all cars look alike to me. A Honda and a Lexus. A Kia and a Subaru. The same to me. Seriously.
I only had one request. Heated seats for the winter. My sister has heated seats and one never forgets how wonderful one’s freezing cold butt feels in the winter when all of a sudden it becomes warm and toasty.
After we ran the numbers, I, as bad cop, asked him if he could do better on the price. He moaned, as they teach them in car salesman school and then said, “let me talk to the manager.” He walked over and he and three other guys very animatedly looked at a computer screen and down at the salesman’s paperwork and back up at the screen. I looked at The Husband and said, what do you think they are doing over there. The Husband, in his usual dry tone said “Playing solitaire.”
We got a little more money off. It was for the grandchildren comment.
Friday we go pick up our new Honda CRV at Bay Ridge HONDA. Then we are supposed to meet friends for dinner in Bay Ridge. The Husband actually said to me that he wanted to drive home, park the car in the lot and then take the subway back to Bay Ridge. I gave him a frosty glare. But my butt is toasty warm.
44 comments
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May 1, 2012 at 6:07 pm
jimmyboi2
What garbage!! I can practically smell it. Good work– as I always say, your cityscapes are my favorites.
Enjoy the new car– if I were there in person I would toss loose change inside for good luck.
Was it TRULY Bay Ridge… or Dyker Heights… or perhaps even Peacrest Ridge? (That undefined area between Leif Ericsson and Sunset Park.) (I refuse to say Sunset Terrace. Please.)
Great work and writing, as usual ! xoxo
May 2, 2012 at 9:59 am
Carol King
it wasn’t that smelly since it was in the winter. I always tell my out-of-town friends NOT to come in July and August when the City is very stinky. I forgot about the loose change!
I think it was truly Bay Ridge…88th and 4th Ave?
Happy you like the painting. Now I must move on to another cityscape.
May 1, 2012 at 6:19 pm
Beth Parker
I love the finished painting! You are so good at giving realistic grit to a painting. I just got my first new car in 12 years! Hubby bought me a brand new Jeep Wrangler (with heated seats). I LOVE it!! It’s making me very happy, as I wiggle my butt to the free 1 year of satellite radio. 🙂 Enjoy your new car, Carol.
May 2, 2012 at 10:02 am
Carol King
Hi Beth, I try to find the beauty in the city scenes but also try to leave in the grit. Thanks for noticing that.
Congratulations on your new car too. You got satellite radio for a year! Wow! We only get it free for 3 mos and then we have to pay $14.99 a month which will never happen.
I actually haven’t driven the new car yet. One of these days.
May 1, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Christine
I was not sure I’d like the finished work – as I so enjoyed the first posted beginning. I like this very very much. Thanks for posting.
May 2, 2012 at 10:03 am
Carol King
Yay! glad you like it finished. I always try not to over do it and then sometimes I do. I think I stopped at the right time on this one. Thanks for reading the post.
May 1, 2012 at 6:44 pm
lindahalcombfineart
This is urban naycher, right? It’s all in your perspective. Nice work!
May 2, 2012 at 10:03 am
Carol King
Yes Linda! Urban Naycha. Perfect. Happy you like the painting. Thanks for visiting.
May 1, 2012 at 7:08 pm
Deb
Fantastic work, Carol!
May 2, 2012 at 10:04 am
Carol King
Thank you, Deb.
May 2, 2012 at 12:03 am
peggy
Love the painting and of course your writing. So when can you, the husband and the dog take a little road trip to New Rochelle in those great new wheels?! Miss you!
May 2, 2012 at 10:04 am
Carol King
Soon, soon, I will talk to Matt. Although I doubt he will allow the barfing dog in the new car so soon. 🙂
May 2, 2012 at 3:54 am
hannekekoop
Carol, wonderful. I liked the first version already. This is fantastic. 🙂 .
May 2, 2012 at 10:05 am
Carol King
Oh, thank you so much!
May 2, 2012 at 9:04 am
Alison
Funny story, Granny!!! I hate it when the car salesman disappears, and then comes back with a “better” offer. I call it “The Wizard of Oz” phenomenon”: you very rarely get to see the Manager, but he’s the one who controls what goes on in the garage!!
May 2, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Carol King
Exactly like the wizard of Oz. What’s going on behind that curtain?????
May 2, 2012 at 9:56 am
Bonnie Luria
Carol- this could be your best piece yet! Both the painting and the ” talking to ” of the post pubescent sales guy. He’ll not likely repeat that mistake any time soon.
May 2, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Carol King
Bonnalaaaaaaaaaaaaa, I’m blushing! Thank you very much. And when you come to NY we can go to Bay Ridge and teach that kid a thing or two.
May 2, 2012 at 11:05 am
asmalltowndad
Oh you fell for the OLD let me talk to the manager bit! Let me guess, he came back and said that the manager wouldn’t do this for everyone but was going to make this a special deal for you guys. Oh well at your age, being so young, you don’t have the experience yet. Wait till you get a little older and a little more experience under your belt, and you’ll be fine! Does this help you feel a little better Carol? LOL
May 2, 2012 at 2:47 pm
Carol King
Ryan, this is the first time in my life that I was ever involved in buying a car. But I knew the old “let me talk to the manager” bit when I heard it. But of course you’re right. Since I’m so young, how would I even be able to GUESS what was going on!
Nice to see you here…BTW, How are you feeling????
May 2, 2012 at 4:46 pm
asmalltowndad
I was messing with you Carol, I have never met you, but I know you’re way too smart, both academically and street smart to let anything get passed ya!
I’m feeling great, just busy as @#$% with graduations, work, and yes the occasional turkey hunt (God what a redneck!) Thanks for asking!
May 2, 2012 at 4:05 pm
AKLizzy
Yay for heated seats!!!! & the painting is lovely!
May 2, 2012 at 4:38 pm
Carol King
thanks Sweetie. And you should know from heated seats!
May 3, 2012 at 1:41 pm
lesliepaints
What an awesome story. Money off and heated seats! Congratulations on the new car for the family!
The painting, finished is awesome! Perfect! Love the touch of snow coming down and the splatter! Very effective! This is unique!
May 4, 2012 at 10:01 am
Carol King
Thanks so much Leslie, I’m glad you like it. And yes, we have a new car. I still haven’t driven it yet…one of these days.
May 3, 2012 at 8:20 pm
cathyannburgess
ok…The Husband, over here, said that is the best story he’s heard in a long time…”she’s real good,” he comments. I agree….another solid laugh from this very sad person today.(dog trial looms)
And my “WOW” !!! this is a fabulous finish to your “in the tradition of the Ashcan School” of painters. Really. I love it.
Hugs…..and truly…is the CRV good or what? I am thinking of getting one to replace my flashy red Accord which these aging bones are tired of climging in and out of……
May 4, 2012 at 10:03 am
Carol King
Thanks for your comments on the painting and the story. And thank your husband too. Yes, the new Ashcan school! That’s me.
When I went to look at the CRV they were pushing the Accords hard. But after the pilot and now that my hips hurt me when I sit too long, the CRV is just the right height. Check it out.
May 4, 2012 at 5:04 am
June Malone
Damn WordPress for not allowing me to do more than one ‘like’.
May 4, 2012 at 10:04 am
Carol King
hahahahaha, thanks for your comment. I will consider it “liked” more than once.
May 4, 2012 at 3:05 pm
northpenninegallery
Carol, your posts are hilarious. The pregnant baby thing and grandparents had me rolling. My wife has a little business, she’s called the Gingerbread Mam (small play on words). I once told a lady that our ginger wine was very good for morning sickness. I knew instantly what a huge mistake I’d made. Cracking post and painting.
May 4, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Carol King
Hi Keith, so nice of you to stop by and comment. Happy to hear you liked the painting and the post. I laughed at your ‘morning sickness’ comment you made to that woman. I bet she walked away from you in a huff.
May 9, 2012 at 3:59 pm
northpenninegallery
The sort of thing you only ever do once 🙂
May 5, 2012 at 11:26 am
cathy
Ok no fair my comment about trash picking in the alleys of Detroit didn’t publish… hotpants!
May 9, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Carol King
Rats! Now I’m curious about what you possibly couldn’t have written about trash picking in Detroit.
May 9, 2012 at 3:00 am
pointypix
firstly, that painting is fantastic-who knew you could make bags of rubbish look so wonderful!
secondly, that’s hilarious! i can totally relate to your outrage! i even hate it that i get called madam instead of miss despite not being a miss anyway, even an old one! glad you got your heated car seats! like you all cars are the same to me. i’ve only ever driven the same make and model-nissan micra trading them in every decade or so for a slightly newer version! and no heated seats!
May 9, 2012 at 2:58 pm
Carol King
thanks, Nicola, on your comments about the painting. They are appreciated. And I still get annoyed sometimes when people call me ma’am instead of miss and I’m about 80 years older than you are. 🙂
I still haven’t driven the new car. But I’m an excellent passenger.
May 11, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Irina
Interesting choice of landscape).
Congrats on new car, no-no-no-grandma.
June 8, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Carol King
it’s a city scape. We have a lot of trash! LOL!
May 30, 2012 at 2:38 pm
frankeber
love this story, Carol!
June 8, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Carol King
Thanks Frank.
June 8, 2012 at 9:45 am
napabelle
Well done! I do like all that black! You have evolved so much in your art Carol! This is fabulous: precise, but not rigid, close to reality yet filled with your feelings (not easy in a subject like this)… Great job!
June 8, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Carol King
Thanks so very much Isabelle. I appreciate your comments.
June 15, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Jana Bouc
Wonderful painting, great subject and you are hilarious!!!! I love your comments to the stupid salesman!
August 10, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Stephen Quirke
Hey!? Paintings of Garbage! You are so uninhibited. And it is so full of atmosphere with the snow, the signage and the garbage – I love this painting – and the sales story – I saw a cartoon somewhere with these sales people behind a counter telling customers that it was taking longer because the system was down and they were doing everything manually – and they were all playing solitaire with playing cards – I can also relate to the warm seat business. One of my small pleasures in life is to get into a car that has been warming in the sun on a chilly day. (o: