Jeeps, Diet Coke, and Other Harmful Addictions

First, a note on Diet Coke. I am a moderately intelligent, well-read, and generally aware person. I know that Diet Coke is full of chemicals which are, in all liklihood, not really meant to be ingested. I also know that caffeine is not particularly good for me. However, it's also sugar-free. The caffeine feeds my honest-to-gosh physical addiction. And it tastes good. If you think it's somehow incongruous that I am happy to profess the healthy goodness of Tofu smoothies yet I'm willing to power-slam gallons of a substance that has been shown to lead to cancer in labratory mice, you're right. I've just decided I don't care. I'm going to drink it anyway. That being said, please feel free to continue tellin gme how bad it is. Who knows, someday I might listen, and I'll certainly never be offended by other people looking out for my health. Thank you for your concern and continued support.

Okay, moving on.

I'm looking to buy an old Jeep. I love being in the woods, tooling around on 2-tracks, running through the occasionaly mud puddle, and just being out in nature. If you ever check out "Jeeping" web sites, the make it out to be this testosterone-laden, chest thumping, "MY Jeep is bigger than YOUR Jeep" kind of thing. That's not me. My father-in-law has a little postal jeep from the late 60's. I love it. The more time I spend bopping around with no specific end in mind, the more I enjoy it. I don't need to take a keg along or see how big a mud pud I can drive through or how large a log I can get over. I just want to be able to take my Jeep out and do my thing.

And therein lies the sticking point. I don't have a Jeep. I can borrow my Father-in-law's or my brother-in-law's, but they're not mine. Everytime I drive one of theirs, I worry that something will happen to it and it'll be my fault. (If you had my driving record, you'd worry too.) So I need a Jeep. Except no one seems to leave their old Jeeps sitting in the free pile at the end of their yard sale, and my wife is NOT cool with buying one right now. Something about not actually having any money and it being silly to spend money on something I might use 10 time s a year, tops. And the bitch of it is that I KNOW SHE'S RIGHT. It's completely illogical. I don't go North often enough to really get my use out of it. I know that I can always borrow one from a family member. I know NOTHING about auto mechanics, which is a major drawback when dealing with a vehicle that's over 25 years old and driven exclusively in the woods. I don't need a Jeep. Except I NEED A JEEP. I'm firmly fixated at this point and no logical argument will be able to free me of this urge. So right now I'm establishing my own charity. It's called the "Give Owen a Jeep Foundation" and it's sole purpose is to find an older Jeep that needs a loving home. So if you know of just such a Jeep, please let the owner know that there's a young man in Michigan who would love to take care of it. I'll wash it and feed it and make it feel pretty, I promise. Seriously, this is bordering on mania... But I've got to do something before this all ends up in divorce.

Alright, that's all for now. Laterz.