After 3 months of planning, dreaming, window shopping, etc. I finally have a bike - and I didn't even have to buy it. A good friend of mine in the Marine reserves is deploying next month - and he offered me a long-term loan on his MTB, which will now become my primary means of transport.
Here it is - with red Michelin Hot S tires...
It's a Trek 8000 -

Future Plans:
Fenders, Rear Rack w/ Waterproof Panniers, Front and Real Lights, Slick Tires, Platform Pedals, Rigid Fork...