The kindness of strangers

So last night after work, we headed out to do some grocery shopping. This meant using the Jeep, which is always an adventure to say the least. We got a lot done, but when pulling into the parking lot of one grocery store, I was stopped by a complete stranger who wanted to tell me that my headlight was out.

I thanked him and prepared to continue into the store, but he then offered to give me a headlamp. As it turns out, he recently replaced his with a new set and happened to have a spare working lamp, so it's not like he was offering me something new. But still, I thought it was a very nice offer and thanked him for his generosity. It was too cold to attempt installing it right then and there, as we have all that arctic air blowing through town right now. I'd rather do it in sunshine on Saturday.

Running errands in the old Jeep last night reminded me of how upset I was over blowing the engine. I was just getting used to this vehicle and starting to enjoy driving it when the engine trouble hit. At some point we will have to get a newer vehicle to replace it but that is always filled with compromise as I never seem to be able to spend enough to get what I really want.

What would I want, you ask? Well take a look at the Jeep pictured here. It's clearly not mine. You can tell because it's all shiney and new. I really like the Jeep TJ (or Wrangler, in the US) and would be happy with just about any of them, ideally with a standard transmission and air conditioning. I'm not saying the TJ is the only thing I would like to drive, but it's a fun rig.

I honestly don't mind riding the bus to work. But damn, I miss driving my Jeep.