Happy Holidays!

This was sposed to be done around Thanksgiving, so I could go down the typical list of things I'm thankful for. Guess I didn't finish writing it in time. Oh well, Happy Holidays!! My favorite gifts for the year are my girl, my family, my dog, beer, and my Volvo (see what I did there?). Next question please.

Oh, you want to hear more? OK, let's start with the girl. Let me tell you a little story. It starts, as so many bad decisions do, with an ad on Craigslist...

P1800 Sports Car. Super Nice. Ran When Parked.

The Folly of Craig

So, I peruse the Craigslists quite often. I see what neato cars are listing for this week. I look at motorcycles and dream of a life in a larger garage. Some time about two years ago I saw a weird old Volvo and managed to overcome my fears and put it in my garage.

But there's the problem. You see, the fear of the weird wasn't just the only thing holding me back from starting something new. It was also the only thing keeping me from diving off the cliff. From becoming an old car guy. You know, the masculine equivalent of the cat lady. Old cars parked everywhere. Transmissions and longblocks lining every shelf. Permanent blackened fingernails.

Gross.

And then there's Craig the Enabler. A whole pound full of sad little cars just begging for me to take home and give better lives. And now, with that fear of an unending march of litter boxes gone, they can all be mine.

Temper Your Enthusiasm

So, why isn't my garage full of cars and associated paraphernalia? This girl right here:

 (In the red, not the blue)

I showed her the very first Craigslist photo of the Volvo and she asks "Why?" I show her pictures of complete ones and she says "ooh pretty... looks like a lot of work." I say it's cheaper than divorce and go buy it anyway (remember boys and girls, it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission). She warmed to the idea of a project car pretty quickly when it got me to stop playing video games.

She's pretty good about not letting me take on new projects while I still have that god damned 240sx sitting in the driveway. God, she hates that car. I don't see why though. It's quick, it's light, it's fun, and it packs easily into overhead bins!

Who, Me?

Which is why I was shocked and amazed when I showed her a picture of an old Mercedes wagon (TURBODIESEL!!!) and her first words weren't "I've gotten you an appointment with the therapist for your problem. Isis and I will be living with my mother for a few weeks." Maybe she likes the thought of me putting my spare time into something more productive than practicing for Jeopardy tryouts. Maybe she appreciates me putting time and effort into something I really enjoy.

Or maybe, just maybe, it's her way of getting rid of the 240sx. "Oh those are cool! Just gotta get rid of the 240!"

...We're gonna need a bigger garage.