My quandry
I had a laugh at the mail box this morning. Rapid Oil Change sent me a reminder to change the oil on my van. I checked the miles, I haven't driven it in 3 months. It is a new debate for me when I get up and look out at my parking space behind the apartment building, there sits this green van, that I haven't driven since mid June, 3 months since it broke down. I thought I could fix it, but the way they make cars today, that's out of the question, so I have to have it fixed, or do I?
It would be nice to get it running and sell the damn thing, but I've also thought of winter, and I've thought of starting a business using it next summer, a bike mechanic station on four wheels. Give me a call I'll meet you and either we'll get it fixed on the spot or haul it to the shop of your choice. Haven't worked all the kinks yet, and the idea of high gas prices, well I've thought of doing the same thing with a couple of my bikes, fill my panniers with tubes and tools, and hit the bike paths. Oh and carry other essentials, like water/gatorade and Powerbars. I could get hooked up on the bike stuff through a friend with a shop, who could also do the repairs. He doesn't need the biz, he's too busy as it is.
I know I'm not crazy, as the recent influx of bikers proves that higher gas prices people hit the trails, and our good senator Oberstar got us some Pork for the bike trails in MN, as a way of proving: "If the good folks of MN can get out and ride in extreme temps and survive, the rest of this good country can too." (Pork, the other white meat). (Hmm, would I give up bike path system throughout the state, so money could be deverted to federal monies as New Orleans prepares to rebuild?)
I guess the quandry is that I've lived with this things sitting for three months just fine. Why do I need it? I went a year car free before I got this monster, it was a great deal at work, an employee auction on a used vehicle that blue books at 3-4 grand, I got for 600.00. Okay, that's not counting the insurance, the gas, the titling and all the other crap that goes with the vehicle. I just sent in a payment for insurance on this vehicle. It's driving me crazy.