could be towed behind a motor home. I looked at some ratty looking used cars. Someone told me that any Saturn, even automatic transmissions, could be towed. I assumed the Saturn dealer did not carry cars in the price range I felt I should stay within. I stopped by their lot anyway. As fortune would have it, thank you, God, I got a salesman who has just sold a new Saturn to a couple who had a ‘93 Saturn with the tow equipment already on it and wanted to sell it themselves. I called immediately and went out to see it. It was perfect and in great condition. I knew the couple was the type to take good care of it. I paid $500. to hold it until I got paid for the house. This ran my bank account short, which only created more pressure. Again – what if the sale of the house deal fell through? Believe me those last few days were “killers”!
After it was all over and I was finally paid, I found time to write a few letters to the right people regarding the incident related to the unyielding, inconsiderate agent and can only hope that he meets with the same treatment that he gave to me. I hope the letters might help other “seniors” from meeting the same fate as I had with this agent.
The sale of my house was haphazardly done because of the buyer insisting on going through an Agent. I could have had the whole thing wrapped up very simply weeks before but when an agent gets involved and all sorts of complications must be faced. This and that “necessary” inspector (not so), delay after delay, more frustration. Would they find anything that might cancel the sale? I had almost moved out completely of the house into the motor home, plus used up masses of credit cards! Anxiety!! YES!
CHAPTER 4
PERILS OF PALMER JOURNAL
The following is how those days progressed:
This is the Perils of Palmer… Nine days (or more) of SHEER frustration, stress, problems - setbacks - you name it - I had it!
May 16th, Thursday - After haggling between two potential buyers for my van, finally the lady buyer agreed to take it, but I had to knock off $300. She insisted her mechanic check it over and arrange for the smog corrections and certifications. I got a bit irritated at him saying the van wasn’t worth my price. He waved the Kelly Blue Book at me, which I had checked online as well as shopped around used cars. I knew my price was fair. As it turned out, he became an Angel for me.
On that Thursday, I drove the motor home out to Palm Desert to pick up the Saturn I was buying. After paying for it, the man was to help me get the car hooked up to the motor home. While turning the bulky motor home around, it was shaking horribly and not running right, then the door flung open. I put it in park gear, hopped out of my seat to go over to fasten it. I did not know the heavy “L” shaped iron step inside the motor home opened for storage inside. It had not been fastened at the dealership nor was the carpet on top of the step glued down. They never told me or showed it to me. I slipped on the loose carpet and the iron step opened and slapped across the back of my leg. It was scratched and bleeding badly. The couple helped me clean it and bandage it. We attached the Saturn to the motor home but it wasn’t budging. It was shaking badly and would not move. There was no over night street parking for motor homes. We left a note on the windshield and I drove the Saturn home, tired, frustrated and hurting. I should have seen a doctor the next day but I had NO time! Later, I did go to the Immediate Care but it was closed. I phoned a doctor who told me to take the antibiotics I had on hand. It was incredibly painful and kept bleeding. I could not find a comfortable position for my leg that was now bruised from my knee to the bottom of my foot.
May 17th – Friday - My birthday was spent racing around trying to get the motor home problem resolved. As it turned out, the mechanic who gave me a problem over the price of my van came to my rescue. He closed his shop early to go to Palm Desert with me to see what he could do. He found a very SICK carburetor and fiddled with it to get it running. I drove the motor home to his shop and parked it. He drove my new-to-me Saturn back to his shop, then I drove it home. I love my new car and had mixed emotions of joy and continued aggravation. I was too tired and frustrated to think about my birthday. Even when I celebrate it alone, I treat myself to my favorite wine, caviar or some favorite delicacy; instead, I bandaged my leg and went to bed.
May 18th - Saturday – The mechanic insisted that I be at his shop while he rebuilt the carburetor in case he needed me to go for parts. As I stood around trying to be helpful, very appreciative of him taking his day off to help me, my leg was hurting and aching terribly. I knew I shouldn’t be standing on it. There was no place to sit. Plus, all of this time consuming day at the mechanic’s was putting me way behind on getting my house ready for the buyers and to get all my essentials OUT of it. I tried to sit or stand with my leg bent and off the floor. It was a very long day, finally it was transformed and the Angel mechanic had performed his miracle for me.
May 19th, Sunday - was spent packing and loading motor home. I hired a guy to put the heavy items in the “basement” storage. I was surprised at how much we could get into those storage spaces. We had to take an old heavy professional VCR edit machine to a garage for a friend. And -- OHH my aching back! My leg was no better – I had to keep it well bandaged as it was weeping constantly. It was irritating to have three hours wasted with the final inspectors checking out ever nook and cranny trying to find faults! Would their report sink my sale? Oh, more anxiety!
May 20th, Monday- the Buyers were to be at the agent’s office at noon. The salesman said they were to make their final inspection of the house. Every room was a mess. I quickly cleaned as best I could. They never showed up at the house, but at last all papers were signed and the money was delivered to the Escrow office. Last minute stuff was unbelievable. My office has thousands of little items that had to be thrown out or put in the motor home. I worked feverishly to get it all finished on that day.
May 21st, Tuesday – The Escrow office was giving me more anxiety as the woman officer said she couldn’t get the check made out for another day or so. Apparently she had personal things to do that were more important. I asked “What am I to do, since I will be out of my house today, shall I park my motor home in front of your office and sit there and wait until you find time to make out my check?”
For weeks I had been trying to get the owner of a crystal shop to look at my crystal collection, especially the giant one I could not lift - finally he came out and got them all to sell on consignment. I was running out of space inside the motor home and still stuff that had to be OUT of the house - where would it go? I just crammed everything in the motor home intending to sort through it once in Montana.
Around noon, I was shocked to see the salesman walk up to me and deliver the check for the house to me - I should have been ready to leave right then, but still more last minute cleaning. Regardless of how the husband had fouled up the transaction, I still wanted the house to look perfect, warm and friendly for them. I rushed the check to the bank and ran into a hassle with the bank over NOT releasing the money for days. I had a payoff amount on the motor home for only two days. I sent the check to the Credit Union for the payoff immediately.
Trying to help me save money, the mechanic had a customer of his bring a used hitch for me to buy for $20. The ball was too small so I had to rush over to a store to buy another for an additional $10. As I was hooking it up, I was so exhausted, sweating and anxious, then the pin wouldn’t go through the hitch. I thought it was too big, so I rushed over the store before they closed and got a smaller one, another $11. (Dumb me, I didn’t line up the holes right! I knew better - just forgot!)
Finally by around 6 PM I removed my gloves – the car was attached to the motor home and was ready to go and I was ready to bid my fond farewell to Palm Springs with no regrets about leaving the community or my house. I had to gather all the strength within me as I drove out of that gate – I had only driven this big bus a few miles, now I faced hundreds, maybe thousands of miles with no anchor anywhere. Yes, it was very scary! As I crossed the desert, the wind was blowing. The wind IS a problem! The plan was for me to spend the night in 29 Palms since I got such a late start. My friend in Montana, where I was headed, also had a cabin in 29 Palms where her son and