Bellevue Square

So, I was in Seattle for the Thanksgiving holiday and did some shopping. Well, more like I did some window shopping since I am still finalizing my Christmas list and waiting for more sales. However, at Bellevue Square, each night at 7pm they have a HUGE production called Snowflake lane. They have singers and dancers come out in costume and there are colored lights and everything. It's very neat and my son loved it. I'm sure it's costs a pretty penny to put on but it sure draws a huge crowd to the mall. And it gives you that holiday feeling, for sure. I know people in Spokane would LOVE something like this. Maybe someday......

So, I have had enough time to think about it and process the tragic accident at the Walmart in New York where the employee opening the doors was trampled and killed. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27955316/) My prayers are with the family of this man who died....senseless. And you know, I can understand that the 2,000 people gathered at the door were excited to get in. And I can understand that as the doors were opened, the momentum just knocked the guy to the ground. I can also understand that as people were stepping on him to get in the doors, the crowd was pushing from the back so no one could really stop and get the guy out or save him. I can imagine that the people in the back did not know a guy was on the ground and they should stop pushing to get in. BUT, the part that really makes me shake my head is how some of the shoppers were upset that they had to leave the store because they were closing that particular Walmart down. It was due to an employee death!!!! That is just so shameful.

Well, my holiday eye shopping was not as eventful and I am thankful about that. I bought 2 things that were 50% off at Toys R Us and I felt pretty successful. I guess Christmas is just right around the corner.

I am secretly VERY excited. I love this time of year....shopping, eating out since I'm out shopping, malls staying open late, friends in from out of town, GOOD food that is loaded with butter.....I could go on and on.

yy

What would Thanksgiving be without butter???

I don't even want to think about how many sticks of butter were used in our Thanksgiving meal yesterday. From the creamy mashed potatoes to the perfectly browned turkey......I think Paula Deen would have been proud. However, my waistline are not singing the same praises. wahhhh.....

BLACK FRIDAY!!!!
Went to Target already this morning......people were running to the electronics area and the toy section. There was a problem because this customer took TWO Star Wars Lego set things when they were only supposed to take one. The Target workers weren't "in place" yet and didn't stop the guy....people were MAD! Good thing I didn't need that Lego toy. Shheesh!!!

Wouldn't it be great if people shopped for cars with the same excitement? Where they show up at 5am and sit by the car they want. 1st come, 1st serve. That would be awesome!!!

My husband is working ALL weekend....so please come down, buy a car, and say HI!

Thanks.
yy

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who made this weekend a great one. We had a lot of great customers come in and it was good to see happy customers. So, again..thank you...and if you ever need anything, you can always contact me at yylee@spokanechrysler.com

Now..it's Thanksgiving time.....went shopping today at the grocery store and it was insane. I should have assumed that but it's still stressful to be in the middle of it with a 3 year old trying to drive his cars on the bottles of wine and a 2 month old screaming in the car seat because she wants me to hold her. Anyway, I'm safe and sound at home now....now if only the food would assemble itself.

We are going to Seattle for Thanksgiving. I'm so excited about that because we get to see some old friends from San Diego. We are having a huge dinner at our house on Wednesday. I hope our bbq grill still has propane in it!!! I guess Jay will have to grill in the dark...hopefully it won't be raining....although I have made him do it before...holding an umbrella while grilling... it's a sight to see.

yy

oh...the bailout.....

Forgot to mention that...so I guess the vote for the legislature is postponed until December. That gives the Big 3 enough time to go and write up a plan of how they will restructure and spend the bailout money. I think that's fair. I think EVERYONE wants to make sure they are responsible with the money...no one wants them to fail and for millions of people to lose their jobs. That would be terrible.

At least gas is falling......a little bit of a break on the family budget.

yy

Snow, Snow, Snow......ok, that's enough for the year.

We had some wet snow at our house yesterday. My son thought it was awesome and we looked out the window and nixed our Costco run. It was nice for a little bit to be in a warm home, drinking hot chocolate....and if this is all the snow we get, I'm good. I really don't like being cold and I don't like layering on clothes that you just get hot in and have to take off. I don't like snow boots (so big and bulky and hard to be fashionable) and walking in wet heavy snow is not my idea of fun. Also, I hate it when the streets are all wet and dirty from the sand and your shoes and car get all dirty. Yuck.....

Now, don't get me wrong...if I'm in up in Vancouver, Canada, walking around in the Whistler skiing village....I'm very happy. There are pretty shops to step into, spa treatments to get, and tons of bars and restaurants to choose from. I can ski a bit but it's not too much fun for me. Instead of buying a lift ticket, renting skis, and lunch....I take the money and so something else. Of course, this was back in the day when the US dollar was so strong that everything would be so cheap in Canada. Sigh....the good old days.....

Anyway, I hope we have mild weather for the rest of the winter. I know this is wishful thinking.. but whoever thought we would have a black president either!!!!

yy

Big 3 bailout!

Well...a lot of talk about a possible government bailout has been in the news. I mean, you can't get away from it!!! Honestly, I see both sides of the issue.

This is what I have heard from the "NO" on the bailout side. Why would the American tax payer have to bailout a company that has been running inefficiently for so many years? They have many obligations that they have promised over the years to different parties and I don't see why that has to become my obligation now. If GM were to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy, that would allow them to restructure and renegotiate some of the contracts that burden their bottom line. Also, if they made more fuel efficient cars and stayed in touch with the consumer, they wouldn't be in the predicament.

From the "YES" side, I have heard some compelling reasons as well. Yes, American car companies need to change quick in order to survive in this market and why not have the government help them out with a loan. Also, many (millions!) jobs will be lost...not just in the factories. The ripple effect to the supplies and dealership will be huge. Also, with the economy in the shape that it is, is this really the time to say fix it on your own?

I think a blank check is not the answer and I also think the Big 3 need to change their strategy in order to survive in today's market. I also think it's ok to help out a industry that has so many jobs tied to it, especially since our economy is so shaky as it is. However, this help shouldn't just be a loan to nothing, but should have some guidelines and benchmarks to meet.

Our dealership is small compared to the others in this country and we have over 40 families that depend on a paycheck to support their families. Now, multiply that by how many other new and used car lots there are in Spokane alone....and I know Spokane would feel a HUGE pinch.

I know there is no easy clear cut answer right now but turning a cold shoulder and saying "only the tough survive and welcome foreign cars" right now might not be the right thing to do at this exact moment. I just pray for the leaders of this country....that they will be very thoughtful and careful in what they decide.

yy

home today....

Jay's home today because he is working from open to close starting tomorrow....until NEXT Tuesday. We have a HUGE sale (for real, no joke) starting this Wednesday so we figured he should be rested for it. It's great that he's home today.....I love family time. BUT...it's terrible when Jay works so many days and so many hours because it's hard to fill up all the time by myself with 2 kids. I feel bad that my 3 year old watches so much tv...but there is only so much one person can do. I know what I experience is only a glimpse, a mere fraction, a small tiny view of what a single parent must face in one day......I really admire those that put their all into their kids. I can't imagine it.........

I watched 60 Minutes last night on CBS. There interviewed Barack Obama and his wife. It was a fun interview and a real look at their interactions. It was refreshing to see real people who have had common experiences in their lives as President and First Lady. I know people have called him an elitist but I think that might be based on what university he went to. If you really break it down, he had a single mom raise him with his grandparents, is mixed race, worked hard to get to a top university, and then went to work in communities to give them a voice. He wasn't born into a wealthy family with a well established name, he didn't go to the best boarding schools so he could network and rub shoulders with the "who's who" in the wealthy world, and he didn't have the help of legacy status for admissions into some of the these school. Hard work and a dream can get you far in America.......

Let's make sure that keeps going on and on..........

I don't have enough time to comment on the Big 3 automaker bailout. Maybe tomorrow...

yy

Retail sales.....

There is a slump in retail sales. What a shocker. October had the worst decline since the Commerce Department started tracking retail sales in 1992. It's even worse than November 2001 which was right after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in NYC. Can you believe that? The spending has slowed now more than after our country get attacked!!!!

I know I have dramatically cut down on personal shopping but for me, it's because prices have gone so out of control in the past years. I mean, who would have thought that a pair of denim jeans could cost over $200! I'm sure Mr. Levi's never imagined that at all. I have seen t-shirts for over $100 and sandals that were priced over $1000. Yes, one thousand dollars!!! I did not accidentally put one to many zeros at the end of that. Now, I had to admit that I am very into brand names and these items weren't found at your local Wal-Mart (although they are up 10% for 3rd quarter). But normal, middle-class..even upper middle-class people can't afford such things without going into debt!!! So, needless to say, I have cut down on my shopping....extreme bargains ONLY!

So, Nordstroms is down 57% and I read that Starbucks was down 97%. I think they need a new accountant or something...that was the BEST number they could come up with?! So, as I have told my husband many times, if the government would give me a limitless credit card or a line of credit, I could personally shop our country out of this recession/downturn. AND, I have very good ideas on what to spend it on..not just a hot pair of winter boots for myself. I would want to buy cars for all the Meals on Wheels locations and Boys and Girls Clubs in the area. (All from Spokane Chrysler, of course.) I would want to purchase new beds and bedding, clothes, etc. for the local shelters. I would want to purchase school supplies and hire TUTORS for all the elementary schools as well. (The forever inner teacher coming out, once again. I guess once a teacher, always a teacher.) And the list goes on and on....I guess instead of the $10 billion a month going to the war, I could do other things with that money, for sure. No, this does not because I do not support our soldiers.....I never said that. I have GREAT respect and honor and indebtedness to all of the men and women serving our country. It's just that what I thought the war was for isn't anymore and I think we need a new course or plan.

ANYWAY, at least the price of gas is down. Maybe with the savings in my gas tank, I can get my tall Americano with 1 Splenda and an inch of cold soy at Starbucks and help them out a bit. Even though I am still perturbed that Howard Schultz sold the Sonics to that Oklahoma City bandit.

yy

The economy....

I heard a funny commercial on the radio the other day. This dealership was saying that gas prices were down (true) and that the economy was back (false). It made me laugh because anyone who watches the news, reads the newspaper, or talks to real people knows that the economy is not even in a recovery stage. Yes, lower gas prices help a family out but it surely doesn't cover your mortgage or help a small business keep up with rising expenses. However, I am not complaining....I'll take the low gas prices and enjoy them for now. I guess it will be good until OPEC decides to cut production so drastically that we feel it at the pump. I hope that doesn't happen.

Yesterday was a great day to get a good deal...the dealership was busy and positive energy was in the air. You can still come in today to carry on the momentum. I know my husband and the other managers want to keep strong sales going. Make a reasonable offer...you could get a great deal.

yy

It's already Nov. 10th?

Again, as an adult, time goes by too quickly and there is always too much month left after the money is spent......

We have 9 more new cars to sell this month. Yes, again. It's a never ending cycle....but we all have to have goals in our lives. It's just that ours refresh every month.....uggh!

It was my sister's birthday on Saturday. I can't believe she's 26 already. I can remember being that age.....you almost don't want the 30's to come. Now that I'm in my 30's...I don't want the 40's to come!!! Yes, another cycle that rears it's ugly head. My sister and I joke about this store that we pass by in the mall..it's called Forever 21. It's ALL over California and they started opening stores in the Seattle area recently. I can't EVEN call it by it's real name since I'm no where near that age...I have to call it Forever 29. And it fits, since I like to think that I turn 29 each year on my birthday.

Has it sunk in yet that we have a black president? It's still amazing to me...I keep thinking it's NOT a tv show like "24"...this thing is real!!!

yy

2007 Honda CR-V's and Toyota Prius

We have to get rid of our CR-V's and Prius' right away. They are BOTH priced under $20k. If you know anyone that needs a great little SUV for the winter or a hybrid, please send them our way.

So, I guess Wal-Mart is the big winner right now in the retail world. I had to say that it is much cheaper than other stores......and being a Super Wal-Mart also helps. Everything is at one store..well, most everything. I noticed that the selection of certain items isn't as great as like Target but their prices are better and I can't get groceries at Target. It truly is easier to stop at one place for everything....although I have never shopped at Fred Meyers. I have no idea why even though it's basically the same concept. My son thinks we get everything at Wal-Mart. If we are out of something or need to buy something, he always says that we need to go and get it there. It's either there or Costco. If you ask him where he got his pajamas, he will tell you both names. I guess I shop there a lot!

yy

Nancy Pelosi

I guess the CEO's of the Big 3 are meeting with her today. I wonder what that will do because there are so many people who need the money in the bailout. It's like there isn't enough money to go around.....I'm afraid that someone won't be around at the end of this recession. GM is too big to go down though...right?

Gas keeps falling.........that is the small bright light in this dark storm.

We had a customer agree to work that was worth around $5000 in our service department. This was all agreed upon over the phone and when they came in to pay their bill, they had less than half the amount to cover the bill. They were mad at us for not taking what they had. I think they are in the process of hiring an attorney and contacting the Attorney General. Of course, their story is that we told them it was $2000 and when they came in, it was $5000. There is no way we could do that or would do that. I think people think that the owners are not human and have a business to run in tough economic times. We also have morals and ethics that are in firmly in place due to our faith. We also know that upset customer's from dishonest practices will not come back or refer us and it hurts our business. Why would we do something like this? It's crazy to think how people try to do anything possible to get ahead. They don't realize that we are not a HUGE conglomerate that owns Spokane Chrysler...we are real people with real feelings with real bills with real employees to support.

yy

President-Elect Obama

I never thought in my lifetime that I would see an African-American president. What a historic time this is.......

I'm still in shock!!!

Now if just the stock market would rebound a little bit!!!

yy

Voting day!!!

Every vote counts! What a great, historic day in America today!!! I wish McCain and Obama well today.

Some perks that I have read about online:
1) A free Krispe Kreme Donut that is a star shape with red and blue sprinkles if you show your "I Voted" sticker. However, I don't know how that works here since it's by mail-in ballot.
2) A free tall Starbucks coffee. It was only supposed to be Florida but I think they expanded it nationwide.
3) A free scoop of Ben and Jerry's ice cream tonight between 5 and 8pm.

Enjoy!!!

yy

Another Seattle Sports weekend.....

Well, I have to admit that I am a huge fan of Seattle sports teams. However, this past year has been a difficult one.
1) The Sonics are GONE and watching the Oklahoma City Thunder or whatever natural disaster they choose as their mascot.
2) The Mariner's had a horrible season, but choose to win at the end so they weren't the WORST team but 2nd to worst. So, that means they won't get the 1st pick in the draft..they will get the 2nd. Way to start winning at the end guys.
3) I am a UW alum. The Huskies have been making a mess of the football program and I can't handle watching another game. My only consolation this season is that WSU is doing worse. The Apple Cup should be an exciting battle of who can score...something...anything.
4) The Seahawks are falling apart at the seams. Is it because Coach Holgrem is leaving? Yes, I know Hasselbeck is injured but he wasn't lighting things up at the beginning of the season either. Yes, the wide receivers were injured as well but if you paid to study pass routes and to run and catch a ball...you should be able to do that.

SO, sigh.....sports is not a happy thing for me these days. Add that on to the economy and how nervous I am about the election....geez. I had to watch the Texas/Texas Tech game for some sports relief. Good thing that was such a great game. Oh, and I watched the last Formula One race in Brazil where Lewis Hamilton won the Championship. Who knew racing could be so exciting?????

Well, a new month is beginning. Many people think the last weekend or last few days is the best time to buy. Actually, there is never a bad time to buy because you wants a fast start at the beginning of the month and momentum to be moving in the middle of the month. And of course, the last push at the end of the month...just ask for Jay and he will always give you a great deal.

yy

Thanksgiving is right around the corner!!!

Time always goes by too fast as an adult. I remember thinking when I was in elementary school that Christmas was always years away...and now that I'm older...the time flies by and the next thing you know..it's Christmas. But it's funny how there is always too much month left over after the paycheck is spent.

Thank you for all our customers that bought new cars. If you can believe it...we hit our number... exactly of what we needed to do. Only by the grace of God......

So gas at the pump is going down and down...hopefully that will ease the holiday money crunch a little bit. But to be lulled into thinking it's going to stay this low is easy to do....but be warned...it won't stay at this price forever. OPEC is much to money driven to allow that!!!! Since they know Americans still drive at over $4.00/gal., you know they will cut production to drive up the price a little.....

yy