As you probably all know by now, because I talk about it ad nauseum, I bought myself a Jeep Wrangler last August. I’m pretty sure it was a manifestation of a midlife crisis but whatever.
Here’s how it came to be. Dale and I have a niece who lives on Martha’s Vineyard with her husband and kids and every summer Hannah goes to visit. Last summer, Dale and I brought Hannah over and planned to stay for a couple of days to tour the island. We don’t bring our car on the ferry because it’s terribly expensive so we rely on Beth and Stuart for transporation. (Can you see yet where this is going?)
So, on this one beautiful sunny summer afternoon, we decide we want to drive around and visit Oak Bluffs. Stuart says, take my Jeep. And we did. And I fell in love. The top was down and the doors were off and the sky was blue. I was with the man I love and AC/DC was on the radio and all was right with the world.
We came home and I announced that I wanted to go buy a Jeep. Dale quietly pointed out that having a Jeep in real life wouldn’t be like being on vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. I said I didn’t care. I just knew I was meant to have a Jeep.
We shopped and I fell in love with this one.
Never mind that it had no doors and no top, it was love at first sight and I had to have it. So I bought it. With my own money – a first for me. I ordered a top and some doors and figured it would be great for the fall and then I’d put it away for the winter. But then winter came and I couldn’t bear to drive any other vehicle. So, I drove this Jeep with canvas doors through cold and wind and snow all winter long.
And now. Now. Summer is almost here. I’ve had the back window rolled up several times and the side windows out once or twice. I haven’t taken the top down yet but someday soon it’s coming down. And the doors are coming off. And the AC/DC will be blaring. Or maybe Led Zeppelin for Margene. Because there’s nothing like a door-less, top-less Jeep with loud rock ‘n roll. It makes a girl feel young and in love, ya know.
Oooh, lucky you! I’d love to have one of those myself! Maybe when the kids are older. 🙂
woo-hoo topless!
You definitely know how to do a midlife crisis up right. Enjoy!
Yay for you! Who wants to take a mid-life crisis sitting in a Buick? A Jeep is perfect.
Oh, there’s nothing better than going topless in the summer. Yeah, I know how that sounds, but summer driving with the top down is what my Miata was made for, too. (Too bad I won’t get my little target back for another three weeks.)
You have a Jeep? I didn’t know…
Feeling young and in love and like she could drive to the ends of the earth (as long as the rock ‘n roll keeps blarin’) — at least that’s how I feel when the sun is on my face and the wind is blowing through my hair — and that’s just with the windows open since I don’t have a ragtop!!
Ah, spring… I’m smellin’ a road trip!
Yeah, baby! Loud rock-n-roll! Let ‘er rip!
Was “You Shook Me All Night Long” on the radio, by chance 🙂 I’m with you — I’m totally into blasting the music and singing along. In my case, a mix of Earth, Wind and Fire and Martina McBride are doing it these days.
What a great jeep – and just perfect for hot New England summers ! I’d be blastin’ Aretha Franklin’s R.E.S.P.E.C.T.-
Rock on girlfriend!
I’ve long thought there is nothing cooler than a chick driving a Jeep Wrangler. Seriously.
One more thing — you are much too young to have a mid-life crisis. Just sayin’.
You are young and in love!
We are ‘storing’ my husband’s father’s Jeep CJ7. We drive it around all the time with the top off in the summer! Love it! I’ll be sad when he finally moves home (he lives in China) and claims it back for his own.
OOO, I love that story Carole! Enjoy your Jeep cruisin’!
A Jeep is a great choice for a mid-life crisis! Mine came in the form of a VUE and a bicycle rack for the back of it.
What a great J – I love thinking of your Wild Librarian Self jamming out in the Jeep. 🙂
Hmmm…People rolling forward to see who is driving, the sour looks on some faces, others bobbing their heads along, thumbs up and appreciative looks, more than you’da thunk. I got those looks with my loud rock in my teal green Samurai hard top, and still get them in the boring grey caravan. When i have fewer car seats to drive around, I want another jeep!
I want one, I want one! (flinging myself on the floor and legs kicking arms flailing, with tears running down my face).
You got the Sirius installed in the Jeep? You gotta have it in the Jeep, right?
Ah, but if I drove a Jeep, I’d try to go to work and just keep driving to Wyoming and beyond. I think it would be even more likely to encourage my wanderlust than my litle Honda…and the Honda’s bad.
We finally got some sunshine, too, enjoy!
Good for you! I can relate to this post. I have wanted a Jeep for years. Maybe my next car… I LOVE Jeeps!
When I was ten or so, my dad bought a Jeep just like yours–and probably for the same midlife chrisis reason, but he also bought a Mazda Miata a few years before. Go figure. Anyway, he used to take me on awesome drives through the “country” and let me shift the gears around. The Jeep was promised to be my first car when I was sixteen, but then my sister appeared and we traded it in for a Ford Explorer. Lame. I don’t think I ever got over it.
That’s cooool. I completely get it!
I love my Jeep too, and it is the second one we have had… DH totaled the first one, and Youngest Son rolled this one two years ago, requiring extensive repairs, and of course a never-as-good-as-before status, but it is STILL the best. I preferred the hard top that can be removed, because this Mediterranean climate in California really warrants air conditioning for simple survival, even (or especially, depending on how you look at it) in the backcountry where the dust gets really thick with no rain from May to October. Too bad we live on opposite sides of the country… we could go 4 wheelin’ together!
OMG not fair! Not fair! I’ve been wanting one of these for about 6 years now! ugh… Yours looks divine! Play some Collective Soul or something divine for me one day on the radio and go for a cruise!
Carole – how cool are you? Totally. Could you please play some Queen for me? I love to sing with Freddie Mercury at the top of my lungs…….
Great “J” post. That’s how I feel with a sunroof.
Where are the dyed yarn pictures??? (not sure if you actually dyed any yarn yet or not)
I’ve always wanted a Jeep. Hopefully we have lots of nice weather so you can take the top off and blare your rock music.
Yep. It’s a Vineyard thing! (grin)
That’s some sexy transportation there, Carole!
I’m like that with our truck. It’s a big ol’ truck and I just LOVE IT!
Aw, my cousin had a red jeep wrangler and I used to borrow it sometimes and in the summer she’d take the top off and the windows out. I loved that car.
My husband has a ’93 Jeep that’s his baby. It has a manual transmission and is fun to drive, very macho. I can totally see why you love your jeep. 🙂
Rock on, Carole.
Seriously – this is a great story, and I hope you get lots of topless driving in this summer. 😉
I hear ya – there is nothing, NOTHING better than driving along the open road, top off, no doors, music blaring in a Jeep. I’m just jealous that you get to do it whenever you want 😉
Oh, *hubba*. I can hardly wait to see it. 🙂
(My own recommendation for traveling music: “I’m an Adult Now,” by the Pursuit of Happiness, which is not only great rawkin’-out driving music, but is also appropriate for your post — which, incidentally, is NOT about midlife crisis from these eyes, not at all. 🙂
My neighbor across the street has a very similar model and I catch my son looking longingly at it every once and a while.