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Toasting The Jeep
September 1st, 2009 | Jeff Zutant
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Well kids, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Jeep gave out. Or at least the warranty I bought for her did. They denied my claim because the Jeep is "equipped with over-sized tires." They are one centimeter larger than the tires that came with the vehicle. (I have my doubts about extended car warranties from third party vendors. I wouldn't recommend them.) So, I will sacrifice the Jeep and rent a car for the return journey. It looks like a station wagon is in my future.
I toyed with the idea of buying a truck and continuing on, but at some point you have to lessen the risks you're taking and bite the bullet. Who knows what condition a used vehicle is in? Then I could be stuck in the middle of nowhere (again) without a ride.. and out the cash. I thought of buying a $400 junker just to see how far we would get, but then I'm just throwing money out the window. And an unemployed man with car payments and a mortgage to deal with when he gets home has to draw the line. I think it's time to get out my pencil.
The truth is, if I could get paid for these stories from the road and sell a picture here and there, I would do it. I still may. I could sell the house, take off and write a book. But things need to be taken care of first before that journey begins. So now, we sit here in Mendocino after camping up and down the coast between here and San Francisco. We have no regret, but some semblance of normalcy knowing we can get home.
The Jeep was a fine sacrifice for this trip. I realize that I could have kept her for years, if I hadn't decided to bring her in the first place. But adventures are for making bad decisions and drinking over the good ones. Live and learn. Never get bullied by your brother into doing anything. (Just kidding Jay. Thanks for looking after the house for me.) Not knowing whether or not she would make it was half of the excitement, though. I put a bunch of money into her and I almost had her just right.
There is always another trip to plan, another road to take and another Jeep to fall in love with. So for now, we will toast to her memory and I will continue to mourn for the remainder of my time on the road. A straight line home seems appropriate and time is getting away from me.
Related Topics: Camping, Cars, Jeep, Mendocino, Mishaps, road trip, San Francisco
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Jeff Zutant | No Comments »
Toasting The Jeep
(via Facebook, MySpace, Digg, email and more)