girl gets unexpectedly smashed into by another lady, while driving home... now, 2 weeks later, car is declared totaled and dumb insurance company makes the lamest offer ever possibly conceived on said smooshed vehicle!
refusing to take them at [their well below] face value, girl tries to be wonderfully understanding and patient with claims adjuster. unfortunately, for the customer service department, this claims lady has no concept of polite conversation. girl speaks with multiple sources to assure herself she's not insane, finally decides to continue holding out for a better offer and/or settlement on her precious [now non-funcatory] vehicle.

coming to the realization that a replacement must be found, girl begins online search for cars... can't find anything in the lame price range created by the bunk insurance company! girl gets wholly upset and has entirely too many random emotional outbursts throughout the week, around otherwise unsuspecting folk... girl is blessed beyond belief by wonderfully compassionate and together pals who help pull her through with open arms, quiet responses, and encouraging talks.

finding out the the insurance company has absolutely no intention of continuing coverage of an actual mobile car now that an offer has been made, girl decides to go to parents for possible momentary loans... in hopes of finding a miracle at the auctions over the weekend!
papa is the bomb, and quickly comes up with the silly amount offered by insurance... and adds an extra sum, to make things more feasible. papa also assures his daughter that a car can be made available to her, even if she doesn't find/buy one this weekend... so no pressure is involved should she not find 'the right' thing this weekend. girl is very grateful for such awesome papa-ness! *more tears*

great friend and personal mechanic pal accompanies girl at ungodly hours of the morn to drive into the quasi-city and check out numerous vehicles in the lot, up for auction... nothing really jumps out at the girl, although many nice cars were there, but they sit through the auction, with eyes wide open and attent at all goings on around them. towards the end, the last subaru is driving up, friend leans over to girl and says, "what do you think of that one!? are you gonna bid on it!?"
a short lived discussion ensues, they get up and walk closer to the action of the auction. thinking, praying, observing, the girl throws in a timid bid around $2500... it goes back and forth with her and couple other men until it hits $3500. remembering her pal had said he'd bid until then, she turns to him for back-up. he simply shrugs, "it's your money..."
The excited auctioneers and onlookers are going back and forth between them. she quietly nods at $3700... the other guy agrees to 38... she nods, again, at 39... suddenly the other guy makes the most shocked and almost absurdly offend face at the struggle... somehow they get him to nudge up again to an even 4 thousand... turning, once again, to the girl for another bid the men are insistant... as she hesitates, turning to her friend, "Don't look at him!" they goad, "You didn't listen to him before!"
*hardly able to hold back a giggle* she is quickly taken closer to the car, "did you look inside this thing?" the man asks, insisting "you were willing to pay 39 hundred, and you don't want to pay 41!?"
"some of us have budgets" she quips.
"would you do 40 and a half?" he asks sincerely.
giving sufficient pause, the girl agrees, once again... with a simple nod.
eagerly announcing the next jump, the men move on to the other side of the lane to address the man... he won't go for it and the car is suddenly sold to the girl who looks up to the Heavens and gasps, "PraiseGod� I have a car!" heart is thumping wildly for all the excitement and anxiety involved, the girl is nearly shaking... yet finally relieved from much of the annoying anxiousness that had surrounded her for the last few weeks.

in summary: the girl is now the proud owner of a 1996 forest green Subaru Legacy L.