Broke, busted, disgusted

So, I registered for classes on Monday. It went well - I got all my fist picks. School will be brutal, though. I have class from 9AM-5PM (with an hour break) Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. On Wednesday I'll only have class in the morning, and on Friday in the afternoon. The fun part? Once a month I'll have a 6:30-10:00PM class on Thursday. That means I'll be spending a full twelve hours at the campus. Oh joy. I think I'm taking the equivalent of eight 3hr classes. And then I get to work Wednesday afternoon, Friday mornings, and Saturdays.

... I wish I could say I was looking forward to school, but at this point it's more overwhelming dread and anxiety than anything else.

On a semi-related note, I'm debating whether or not to get a car for being in school. Let's see, cons:

• Maintenance will take additional time and money
  
• INSURANCE. Because, you know, I'm younger than 25 so I'm automatically a hazard to everyone else on the road.
• High fuel costs (but it shouldn't be too bad if I'm primarily commuting to/from work and school)
• ...similarly, will I use it enough to justify the expense?
• Paying for parking, like any other school, will be a ripoff.
• I'll have an unlimited-use transit pass, a mandatory purchase. How can I not use it?
  

And some pros:

• -30c (-22f) degree weather and snow during the winter. I sure don't want to trudge through a foot of snow and then wait outside for a bus.
  
• I'm going to have lots of books/supplies that I'll need to ferry to-and-from each class, which will be a hassle to do on a crowded bus.
• Those 12hr days are going to be absolutely brutal, and I'd like to be able to go straight home afterward and not spend an hour in public transit.
• I MISS DRIVING. For how fun it is and that pointless little feeling of freedom and independence.

I did some calculations a month or so ago with my friend, and we factored in insurance, gas, and maintenance. I can't recall the exact figure, but I think I was looking at (roughly) $200 a month. It's a decent chunk-o-change. The 20-something male in me craves it. The money-grubber in me wants to go without. It's truly pathetic how often I've bounced between doing it and not. It depends on my mood, I guess... I just can't reach a firm, confident decision. I was the first person in my family to get my license, and here I am bumming rides and buying bulk bus fares. And I enjoy driving so much. But I also have this unhealthy obsession with holding onto every precious dollar, in the hopes that I won't be totally financially ruined four years from now. The fun thing, or the smart thing. The safe thing, or the stupid thing. Do I satisfy the left or right hemisphere of my brain?

One thing's for sure, though, I've decided to sell my old car. It makes me feel horrible - I get so attached to the cars I buy, it's such a big decision and a hurdle for me to make. And then I use it, and discard it. Why sell the old car? Aside from the hassle of insuring and repairing and wading through the paperwork to bring it into the province... Gah, it makes me feel so incredibly shallow for saying this, but... I want something more exciting. More than 110HP? A 0-60 time below 10 seconds? RWD, even? I can't help it. I've become so hypnotized by the vast world of automobiles over the last year or two that my dear lil' Civic ain't quite enough. Not that I intend to street race it or peel out at the lights (although going to the odd track day could be fun), but I just want the satisfaction of driving a car that's a bit more than an econobox.



Right now, if I decide to get a car, there's a '92 Nissan 240SX, '93 VW Corrado and '94 BMW 325IS in the running. They're all fairly used cars, as I'm aiming to spend somewhere around the $4000 marker. I'm leaning towards the Corrado for sheer aestetics, but the BMW may be a more wise decision.

Sigh, this is exactly the kind of dilemma I could do without on my run-up to school. The rest of summer is going to be horrible.
-Cril

Broke, busted, disgusted, agents can't be trusted,
And Mitchy wants to go to the sea
Cass can't make it; she says we'll have to fake it -
We knew she'd come eventually
Greasin' on American Express cards
Tents low rent, but keeping out the heat's hard
Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations
Can't go on indefinitely
And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality...

Mamas & the Papas - Creeque Alley