Between a meeting in Columbia that went on longer than I bargained (and went better than we hoped), various computer woes here at the Lockardugan Command Center, and a surprise obituary posting for a pseudo-client this evening, I didn’t get to do anything frivolous today. So tonight I posted the P entry for the Alphabet Project to make myself feel like I got something accomplished.

In more exciting news, my good friend Rob talked a little sense into my head this weekend. He asked why I was waiting around to put all my money into the body of the Scout and not just fixing those parts that are broken and enjoying my truck? (Rob is the man who talked sense into my head about finally taking out a home equity loan and having the kitchen done professionally. So when he talks, I listen.)

I had to stop and think about this for a minute. I’ve been assuming, because the “B” pillars are all so shot, that I can’t drive my truck anymore because the doors won’t open, and that I need to focus all my energy on raising the money for a new fiberglas tub. Rob’s point was simple: Why open the doors at all? He suggested fixing the engine problems, having a new exhaust put on, pulling the top off, and driving it as an antique, which avoids any of the inspection/emission issues I’d face otherwise. This suddenly made a ton of sense to me, and I wondered why I wasn’t thinking like this before.

So, to clean up the cobwebs in my head and organize the plan, here’s the task list for the Scout:

• Drop the steel fuel tank and replace it with a new poly tank. ($175)
• Replace the dead battery ($50)
• Clean out the fuel lines/filters
• Replace the plugs, wires, filter and oil
• Install a brand new exhaust (major ducats)
• Resolve the current registration issues (it’s suspended because of emissions)

Maybe, with a lot of scrimping and saving, I can get the Scout back on the road this year.