Show pony factor 9.98

Today I awoke with a little spring in my step for a few reasons. Firstly I was picking up my (yes I am so allowed to call it MINE) brand spanking new Ford Territory that was my prize for making it to the Top 5 Kidspot Bloggers. This is one of the very few quality perks I have EVER had from almost 6 years blogging. Sure, there is the occasional swag bag filled with pasta, breast pads and cleaning products or some shampoo sent from a PR company, but today, for me, was PAY DAY. She’s been a looooong time a comin’! Secondly, I got to skip the School run as I had to catch the train to Campbelltown to pick up said car. Any chance to get out of that and I’m in – even a train trip to Campbelltown will please me these days. The peace! The quiet! The scenery! The no children!

So, off I sprung to Bowral train station bright and early. Rob and the girls dropped me before School and I even felt like I was important. Or had a purpose, somewhere to be. To do. Besides the supermarket, or ballet. It felt good. The grey brigade were in FULL force. Puffer vests galore but a very pleasant train that made me feel like I was travelling in the countryside outside of London. The sun was shining and it was quiet. No children to be seen. Anywhere.

I sat on the train and watched the world go by. I admired my new yellow handbag picked up at the Garage sale and thought how nice it looked against my scarf. I listened to old ladies chatting about where they were going to get their lattes when they arrived at the MCA on their day trip. Big Bowral issues.

It was pretty. And it struck me – I actually do live in the country. Funny that.

After an hour I arrived in (much warmer) Campbelltown. I am ashamed to say that I have never been to Campbelltown. I walked around trying to find an ATM and then couldn’t get ANY money out because I had none in the account. I tried some phone banking, only to transfer the money to a weird account that meant I still couldn’t get money out. I tried my credit card, but had no idea what the pin was. So, I walked to the car dealership instead of grabbing a cab, only to realise that it was literally 2 mins away from the station anyway. Der.

I was met by Joe. A small, stocky, friendly man with a firm handshake for someone with such small hands, who reminded me of a hairier version of Danny De Vito. Exactly as you would expect a car salesman to be like. Except he was so sweet. In between signing paperwork I soaked up the sheer maleness that exists in car dealerships. They are just SO blokey. There were men in cubicles, with car like jackets on, chatting in manly tones on their phones. Men in groups making polite chit chat and saying things like “Yeah mate, I just couldn’t get the Mrs over the line on this one.” Men in small meetings talking about targets, and stuff. I wonder if car companies will ever get it right with realising that women are the ones that make decisions about cars for families? Or even for their husband’s?

Then, after much hand shaking and congratulations, and not ONE question (winning) asking me what a blog was, I met Helen, who showed me the ins and outs. Helen was a champion. She laughed at me as I giggled like a kid pressing all the buttons and asking her “what’s this one do? Hey Helen, what about this? And this one? Helen, what does THIS ONE DO?” Helen, because she was a woman, didn’t make me look under the bonnet once, and focused on stuff like cup holders and putting car seats in and making sure my radio was tuned to 702.

After about 15 minutes the strangest thing happened. They gave me the key and bid me farewell.

I immediately called Rob (on my blue toothed connected phone nonetheless) to say “How can this really be happening?” and after he told me to focus on driving correctly and getting out of the car yard, I hung up, turned on my SAT NAV and headed home. Loving myself sick.com.au

And now, there is this fancy blue car in my driveway. It’s just a car I know, but today it’s shining and sparkling and so much more than just a car. It’s something. Something tangible. Something that says “Hey Beth, well done.” It’s something to show my husband, and my kids, and friends that I did something. That all that writing at my table day in day out counts for something. I mean of course each day I am reminded by this brilliant community around me, but to look out, and see it actually shining at me? Today it just seems to count a bit more.

I’m superficial like that.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to have a series of posts (this is not one of them) to write on topics that have been selected by Ford and Kidspot. It’s going to be good fun – hop on in and join in the ride – there’s plenty of room! And yo! Kidspot and Ford? Thanks. For reals.

Comments

  1. Congratulations Beth. That is so awesome. Enjoy every minute – you deserve it. x

  2. Well done and good luck. I so get all of that. superficial, pfft.

  3. YESSSSSSSSS

    Did you go to the TORLET on the train? Did you drive out of the dealerships thinking, SO LONG, SUCKERS! Did you caress the steering wheel as you drove home?

    Cannot believe you’ve never been to Campbelltown. I went to school there once, yes. Yes I did.

    CONGRATULATIONS. You know what happened as you drove into your driveway today?

    You arrived.

    XXXXXXXX

  4. Thanks for the giggles, enjoy your pretty blue car!

  5. Let’s call it Shiny Macbeth.
    xxx

  6. Yay! Go you. Did you soak in that new car smell??
    WE have a Territory and they’re pretty darn good.

    Enjoy your success pretty lady. xxx

  7. Look at you Beth – you’re a PONY!!!! I think you should video yourself doing that and upload it to the blog. Everyone will LOVE it. You are seriously in the big leagues now Betty. Well done you. You’re nailing it x

  8. Congratulations Beth. I am so happy for you. x

  9. It’s wonderful driving a new car. What a fantastic reward for blogging.

    We bought a new car a few months ago and I loved our car salesman. He was amazing. He made us endless cups of tea, admired my nervous test driving, pretended to be shocked when he heard my age (“No! I thought you were twenty-five maximum!”), and gave our baby so many compliments that we thought about making him a godparent. Oh, it was fantastic. I want to buy a new car every time I feel bad about myself. There’s nothing like it.

  10. What a SHINY Pony!! Lucky duck. Well done.

  11. That’s so awesome, well done! I totally get how that could make you quite giddy!!

  12. From one country girl to another! You rock the blue car!!!!! Congrats x

  13. Go Beth! Anywhere & Everywhere… Love it!

  14. Brilliant! I totally get it. You make me want to win a shiny blue car one day!

  15. Nice. Very nice. And congrats!!

  16. That’s just so great!! What a good day indeed. All those sleepless nights were worth it. Slightly green with envy (I know, bad bad me) but really happy for you.

    Katherine, I loved my car salesman too. He was very special. So much so, when he passed away from a brain tumour 15 months after purchasing my new car from him, I went to his funeral. I was treated like family. Thinking of you Tony xx

  17. Yay what an awesome prize! Is it yours for keeps?!! Hey.. I grew up in campbelltown! It’s an interesting place with loads of cat dealerships!! Haha xxx well done

  18. You said it: “Hey Beth, well done.”

  19. Go Beth Go Beth ..ahh ha! ahh ha!
    Congratualtions this is so exciting…and blue is a cool colour 🙂 xoxo

  20. Vicki Harding says

    SO much fun! (You getting a car and me reading your post.)

  21. fucking. awesome.

  22. Well done Beth, I totally get what you mean by having something tangible for you to say ‘you know what, I AM pretty freaking awesome at this gig’. Blogging is like that, sure you get the ‘perks’ of the community and relationships yadda yadda yadda but to actual get something, a shiny something, for all the hours you put in and effort and precious brain cells is pretty amazeballs. Love that car sick Beth, you deserve it. Go you, you and your fully sick Terri (I used to have a territory, and they must be called ‘Terri’, they like it, just so you know).

  23. Congratulations Beth. Funny thing is while I was reading your post I felt very proud of you even though I don’t ‘really’ know you. I guess thats what so great about this whole blogging thing…making ‘friends’ with people you’ve never actually meet.
    Anyway, I am proud. Let’s hope this is the beginning of lots of lovely things coming your way.
    Drive safe.
    PS: Did you get to choose the colour?

    • Thank you for being proud, and you DO know me. Promise! No colour choice, but am quite pleased with the navy. It’s going to get VERY dirty VERY quickly round here though!

  24. So so happy for you! Mx

  25. Congratulations! Very well deserved:)
    ~Anne

  26. You have every right to be loving yourself sick. You really REALLY deserve it. xx

  27. So thrilled for you, Beth! All those words DO mean something and it’s lovely that you have something tangible to remind you of that EVERY DAY. *bounces*

    You deserve it, honey. Revel in it, believe it. KNOW it.

    xxx

  28. Oh lady, I read this nodding along like mad. We (or should I say ‘I’ because you are darn tootin’ the chicks in the household make all of those decisions) just bought a new car. I picked it up last week and I must say EVERY encounter I had at that dealership was just SO blokey… except for Anna in the finance department. They ARE so stereotypical aren’t they… almost like they’re right back in the 50’s, with Don Draper and the like. But there is nothing like that new car smell and just feeling well, important. Such a car wanker I am now.
    Well done my friend, you have made the big time… and it’s about time too! Enjoy that sexy car now.
    xo

  29. Really excited for you Beth, well done! Can you write about the new car smell and how it matches your outfits??

  30. Well deserved Bev!

    Enjoy that new car smell. Have a blast tooting and beeping in the south.

    In fact, I’ll see it tomorrow at the nursery workshop, WOOT!

    x

  31. Well done you! That is unreal. Thrilled to see you win something so amazing, well deserved of course! Annie x

  32. Oh congratulations Beth and hope you enjoy the ride! Well deserved.

  33. awesome car and so very well deserved. I LOVE my territory, just an awesome car!

  34. Brilliant!
    Now when you say “in a minute, I’m just doing some work on the computer” – you can then direct the family’s gaze out the window to your payday for said “work on the computer”.
    Great job!
    :-)x

  35. Traci Sparkle Devlin says

    SO.GOOD!! Congrats and SO well deserved. Drive that shiny car like a bastard!

  36. Bravo Beth! Love reading your blog and given that I’ve only done about 3 posts this year, I am in awe of the commitment and writing talent you have. There is no pretty way of writing this so I am just going to put it out there….are you going to “bless” the car and make it truly yours? We had dinner with some mates last night and I was telling them about this post and it somehow came up that mr k and I aren’t the only ones who feel the need to bless a car (or dining table or new couch) with some special action. (of course it was much sexier pre-30s and kiddo but it has become a tradition now and traditions must be followed)

  37. Well done !!! Totally deserved !!

  38. SO FREAKING STOKED POOKIE.

    Am test-driving a car for a week in a couple of weeks. BESIDE MYSELF. May come over all Thelma & Louise quite frankly.

  39. Ok, so clearly I have been hiding under a rock somewhere this past week (I blame the jetlag). This is AMAZING. Congratulations. Totally deserved. So pleased you won. Now you go enjoy that big fat car. x

  40. Well Done you! I think it’s great and you have evry right to be bloody proud of yourself.

  41. WOW! Congrats. You deserve it. Love this post, and love Baby Mac 4 Eva.

  42. Anonymous says

    Well done. So deserved – even though I’ve only just found your blog. I know the feeling with no money in one account & phone banking stuffing up. Enjoy your new car!!

  43. Well done! And good on Ford and Kidspot for giving you the payment that us readers cannot give (cash, car, prizes) Well deserved.

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