The Jeep

As promised this post is about The Jeep. A year ago today we drove the last 500 miles out of the 2500 miles to get The Jeep from Missoula, Montana to Maryland.

"The Jeep" was one of those orders through the internet where they don't charge for shipping and handling because you have to come pick it up yourself. So we did. We flew in on June 30th, picked it up and drove it cross country in the hopes to get to Pittsburgh on time to watch the 4th of July fireworks.

That trip in itself deserves one long post, but I'll save you from that one. We arrived at our hotel in Pittsburgh at 9:15pm just as the fireworks began. We could have been there sooner, had my husband remembered to download the Indiana and Ohio maps to our GPS. This minor issue caused us to be "off roading" quite a bit.

I know some of you are asking what could possibly be so special about a Jeep to order it online from another state, or better yet, from a different time zone! But I'm the wrong person to ask. I can only tell you it was worth the 5 minute drive from home to get my new Hybrid. I will also admit here in public that I absolutely hate The Jeep. But because I love my husband we've reached a compromise. It's "One weekend - Jeep; One weekend - Hybrid." Unless it falls on his birthday and then it's Jeep for three weekends in a row (rolling eyes). So what don't I like about it? I think it's that feeling of wind in my hair and the constant throbbing in my temples that remains there for an hour after I get off the Jeep. Or maybe it's the noise and inability to hear myself think, let alone speak on a cellphone. Maybe I'm just in love with my engine-shut-downed Hybrid that I can no longer tolerate anything louder than an electrical engine at a stop light.

For those of you wondering - it's a Jeep Rubicon, Khaki colour. I need a ladder to get on it, and I have not been diagnosed as a dwarf. Everywhere we go, people come over to check it out and make comments on it. I have absolutely no idea what they find so special about it. My husband says and wears "It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand." This photo was taken July 4th, 2004 in Rockford, Illinois.


Not only do people come by to talk to him about his Jeep, but when we drive anywhere I notice people waving at us. Which is fine, maybe they like his Jeep, but he waves back! So after a few of those times, I asked him if he knows everyone in town who drives a Jeep, and he said, "No, why do you ask?" So I pointed out to him that he's been waving Hi to every Jeep owner in town! He laughed and explained like I was a 4-year-old that people who drive Jeeps have a special wave. If your hand is really high it means "Wow, way cool Jeep!" if it's lower it means "nice Jeep." So now my husband belongs to the Jeep sorority. And I'm supposed to respect the man when their motto is "When in doubt, WHIP IT OUT!"

About once a year my husband goes out to Camp Jeep. This is where big boys get to play with their toys. That's when my husband comes back with a muddy car and parks it proudly next to my pristine looking Hybrid. I suppose I should be thankful he's not wasting money on a can of mud.

So I've been thinking about that Jeep wave and I think Hybrids should have their own wave! We need to balance those Jeep fanatics with a tree-hugging gesture. I'm still in development phases. One of the options I had involved a three finger wave for "E" in Electrical, but after getting flipped back by a couple of drivers I decided to rethink the strategy. So I'm open for suggestions.


Happy 4th of July!