Radio recap.

For anyone who might have missed the beginning of my car radio saga, I will begin from the very beginning.

*Ahem*

I bought a car. It was about the most stripped-down car I could find. It had no AC, no power... anything (no, not even power steering), and of course, no radio. Everything else I can sort of live without, but I do like some NPR while I drive. To that end, I went off to Best Buy, and bought a radio. Then, because they're cool like that, they offered to install the radio for free, except I'd have to pay for parts.

Only, I didn't have to pay for parts. There weren't parts. My car was so damn new, they hadn't built the part yet. I have the car, I have the radio, I don't have the weird-shaped piece of plastic needed to connect the two. So, off I went on my merry way, determined not to give up. I went to the dealer, which told me that a) they don't install radios, and b) where I could find someone who does. So I went to a third-party (or I guess, fourth- or fifth-party by now) installation shop, which told me (gasp and shock) there is a part!

But it's backordered for a month or so. The people who do make the part are completely sold out. So I get back into my car, completely fail to turn on the radio, and drive home.

But there is a silver lining here. Yesterday, I went back to Best Buy to check the situation, and they called the company that told them there was no part, and behold: There is a part in Gilead! Hooray! But they can't sell this part to Best Buy. Don't ask me; I'm not a lawyer. It turns out, however, they can sell directly to consumers. So the Best Buy guy, who is by far the most fair and intelligent person I've met in any capacity in a long time, hands the phone over to me and has me order the part, directly from the manufacturer, over his phone, for half the price Best Buy would've charged me. And because he is so very awesome, he's going to honor Best Buy's "Install it for free because you paid a little extra for a nice radio" offer. So I'm actually getting it installed for cheaper than I would've, because I was patient and screwed over by circumstance.

Life is sometimes funny like that. Bear it in mind.