Okay, so when you wreck your old vehicle and get to contemplate a new one, you start looking. Blessedly, I started the drool^H^H^H^H^Hlooking process back in March or April, back when I thought that buying a new car and letting Darlene go was a Good Idea™. I had done a lot of looking and had narrowed myself down to a few choices:

– Yet Another Nissan Truck

– A Mini [because I'm silly]

– A Subaru Impreza WRX

Some folks have said, “Look at a used car.” Well, I’ve thought about that, and I figure that this is the only time in my life when I can afford a new car [good-paying job, low rent, no wife or kids], so screw it … I’m not going to buy a house, so buying a new car is the next best thing. [You may think I'm silly. I think you're right.]

When I got to thinking about it, I didn’t want another truck. Yes, I love the utility of a truck. If I’d never wrecked Darlene, I was gleefully looking to the day when her odometer read over 300,000 miles–a decade or so down the road. While a Mini would be fun, it’s not very feasible–and I’d have to go to Nashville to even test-drive one.

So, I set out on Monday with Sean to go look at a WRX. We drove a used one, which means that the engine was broken in and had full use of the turbo. I let rip with it once, and that pretty much sold me on the car. They’ve got good crash ratings, they’re fun to drive, it’s a well-built car, and it’ll zoom.

I just got back from the local Subaru dealer. I wanted an ‘02 wagon, but they’re out of them and are having a very hard time finding them. They’ll do some looking–another customer was in there today looking for one–but the ’03’s are due out in two more months, so the supply lines are drying up. I found a very nice sedan, and a sedan will do just fine.

Say it with me now: “She will be mine; oh yes, she will be mine.”