Post Mundanies. Part of this nutritious weblog.
Went on a blind date tonight. Dinner at Memphis. Nice time. But that isn't the point of the post. It dawned on me on the way to the restaurant that I had never been on a normal blind date. I don't mean to say that I have ended up hospitalized or naked or both or anything like that after a blind date, it's just that until today I had never gone anywhere normal like out for dinner or drinks or a movie or something. I haven't been on many, but with my prior blind dates I have gone on:
A two day climbing trip to Idyllwild.
A two day trip to Vegas.
A month long trip to
Africa
. And if you can top that I will be really, really impressed.
This whole "dinner" thing is gonna take some getting used to. Or I have to come up with some better ideas for blind dates.
In other mildly entertaining news, I bought a new car today. The days of sun on my face and wind through my hai...uh...on my face are over. The days of the hearty 4.6 liter gurgle are over. The days of taking corners at 60 MPH and never having to worry about things like "merging" or "stopping" or "passing" are over.
I own an SUV.
Now before you all pounce on Jimbo for being a petrol hound and contributing to global warming and supporting terrorism and all that, look, I agree with you. However, I am in the profound minority of people who will actually use an SUV for more than trips to the outlet for discounted Prada and Mikasa. Believe it or not, I go climbing or biking or something nearly every weekend. Climbing alone usually claims 40-50 days a year. Besides, I didn't buy a giant Ford Extinction or anything. I bought a Pathfinder. Now I have a vehicle that can actually take me to Holcomb and the Sierra and Black Velvet Canyon and New Jack City and all those places with fire roads and jeep trails that would have left my Mustang sounding like a linebacker's knees. And I even have room for little things like "groceries" or "luggage." I pick it up tomorrow.
PS: If you want a triple white Mustang GT convertible, low miles and definitely hot, better ask me quick. $17,500 and it's all yours. It's a car sure to turn heads if you are a 19 year old stripper and/or a flamboyantly gay male.
PPS: Props to Kat for the "Ford Extinction" bit. I'm totally not sharp enough to come up with that on my own.
Comments
That's an incredible story. Damn. (The Africa thing.) You're now responsible for me quitting my job and becoming a cross-continental vagabond.
I hear you on the SUV thing. I never felt too bad about owning my tough-as-hell '89 Cherokee when I lived in Colorado. I didn't even feel bad when I moved to D.C., because I drive so little here I figured I was protecting the air. But when it got stolen and I realized I wasn't moving back to the Rockies anytime super soon, I went gas economy and got a Jetta ... because I almost never go biking or boarding or camping around here. You're now responsible for me quitting my job and moving back West.
Posted by: sid | January 21, 2004 05:11 AM
don't forget the Ford Exploder.
congrats on the new ride!
Posted by: brent | January 21, 2004 06:59 AM
I hate blind dates. Once a guy didn't even want my to get my own soda at a movie, he thought we should share. I can't imagin going away with a stranger. Brave man you are!
Posted by: Lisa | January 21, 2004 07:00 AM
*...because we were on the other side of the world, away from everyone and everything we knew, away from the people we were, I think we were able to more accurately be the people we are.*
i love that.
Posted by: jody | January 21, 2004 07:45 AM
I suppose it's okay to have an SUV if you will actually use it. Plus, on the bright side, it's not an H2. About six months ago, I, too, switched from a Mustang to an SUV (Ford Escape). I miss my Mustang. A lot. However, not so much when I was going over an ice- and snow-packed mountain pass earlier this winter.
Posted by: Nicole | January 21, 2004 07:47 AM
that africa meredith story is one of my favorite things i have ever written. i finished it and went, "wow. i wrote that?"
sid stay tuned. i have bigger travel plans coming soon.
ps: all my old stories are archived in my "stories" section. lots of good stuff in there.
Posted by: the mighty jimbo | January 21, 2004 08:43 AM
Meredith huh? Hmm what did she do for a living? Did you know each other before the trip? Hey did you get lucky? More importantly, was she hot? Jimbo are you sure you're not gay?
Hardy Har :)
Posted by: Kim | January 21, 2004 10:10 AM
How's my credit with TheMightyJimbo? - Is lunch out of the question too?
Posted by: Noggie | January 21, 2004 10:41 AM
I was going to bring up the Ford Exploder, but Brent beat me to it.
Posted by: Keith | January 21, 2004 11:01 AM
And I was JUST about to say how clever Ford Extinction was. Curses.
I agree. Get an SUV if you're gonna use it as an SUV.. otherwise what's the point?
Posted by: Jon | January 21, 2004 12:43 PM
Yay for Jimbo! A new car? And a hot date?!
...and who are you kidding? You don't need an SUV for those things... you just like the extra back seat space for...uh... blind dates! Woo! Yeah! *high five* Woo! ;)
Posted by: mia | January 21, 2004 05:09 PM
you are totally forgiven for the suv, if you post some pics of those lovely places you are planning on going.
Posted by: liz | January 22, 2004 05:36 AM
Because you are one of the few that use a SUV for what it was designed for, you have my permission to hunt down, flip off, drive over and/or kill everyone else who owns one. Hurry!
Posted by: Blogeois | January 22, 2004 06:37 PM
Right on dude! Clearance! Why can't people understand that? It's supposed to be so bad to own an SUV but then if you hike and have a car the car gets destroyed on the dirt roads and then what do you do?
But I think you might not need one to go to the mall.
I'm from the West. Lefty but ecologically irresponsible in my need for nature kicks.
Posted by: Miel | January 24, 2004 01:00 AM
Congrats! I have a feeling you'll be using it for a tent sometime soon.
Posted by: Malisa | January 24, 2004 02:54 PM
A blind date. What an interesting concept. Hm. Never been on one and don't think I would want to unless it were perhaps for a cross continental trip :)
Posted by: Joy | January 25, 2004 12:16 PM