That was a good little truck. It was a 1993, was navy blue, had cloth seats, and a Tonneau (sp?) cover over the bed. Four years ago I gave him a new stereo to put in his truck, so the stereo was okay. Nothing too fancy. Just a good little truck.
Except when it snowed, but that's another story!
Then, about a year ago, the truck started showing serious signs of its age. J does NOT deal with change well, and he doesn't like to spend a lot of money. The thought of having to buy a new truck was exciting to him, but terrifying as well.
(I know when he reads this he's going to say, "Pshaw...that's the dumbest thing I ever heard! Terrifying, whatever!" But what I have to say to him is, "You don't like to have to make a big choice...what if you make the wrong one?? So, terrifying it was, and that's that." Sorry, I know it's rude to have a conversation with someone else at the same time I'm talking to you...but so far J hasn't complained about anything I've written on here...and I KNOW he's going to be annoyed by that comment. I stand behind it, though!)
When J is faced with making a big purchase, he tends to weigh his options VERY carefully. Over and over and over again. When he was thinking about purchasing a PlayStation 2 seven years ago when they first came out, it took MONTHS for him to decide if he wanted the PlayStation 2 or a Microsoft X-Box. EVERY time we went to the store, we visited the video game displays and weighed the merits of one gaming system over the other. By the time Christmas rolled around, I was so annoyed that he wouldn't make a decision, that I went ahead and bought it for him. On the one hand, I was really annoyed. On the other, I was SO excited that I was able to buy him a great present! We met in college, and I was a very poor college student. He, on the other hand, had a great job with the forest service during the summers, and while I would say he was still a poor college kid, he had more expendable cash during the year. He had bought me very nice gifts, and I felt bad that I couldn't do that. So when that Christmas came about and I had a real job for the first time, I was finally able to reciprocate and that pleased me. I consulted with the experts (the teenage boys in my classes!) about which gaming system was better, and they steered me in the direction of the PlayStation 2. Man, did they give me advice! It was so much fun to see J's face on Christmas when he opened it up! I had been telling him that I was giving him an electric razor for his face. I'm terrible at keeping secrets and had to tell him something or I would burst and spill the beans for real. I had told my sisters what I was giving him, so they gave him a few video games. He was so excited when he opened it up! And a more than a little surprised! I still don't know why he believed me about the razor, but I'm glad he did.
A few weeks ago, his PlayStation 2 was also beginning to show signs of wear. We spent a not entirely pleasant morning cussing at the video game. By we, I mean J. J cussed, I listened. It was at that point I could see the writing on the wall: We were going to be visiting video game displays again. Weighing the merits of the X-Box 360 over the PlayStation 3 (I knew the Nintendo Wii didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of tempting him...). Without even talking to him, I checked the balance in our checking account (it was the end of the month). As soon as he left to watch a WSU football game (Go Cougs!) at a friend's house, I jumped in the car and headed to Wal-Mart. I walked straight to the game displays, found a sales clerk and pointed at what I wanted. In a matter of minutes, I had a great gift for J, and eliminated months of aggravating trips to the store for myself.
I was again really excited to surprise him! This time it was going to be a REAL surprise. I hadn't discussed it with him, and it was just a random Saturday in September. I did still owe him a gift from our anniversary in August (because he couldn't decide what he wanted...go figure!), and while the PlayStation was way more than I would have normally spent on an anniversary gift, I couldn't help myself. I put it under his pillow, but the box was so big, it didn't really fit. I had to mound a few pillows over it. Then I went to bed (it was close to midnight when he finally left his friend's house) and waited for him to come home. He was trying to be quiet, so he wouldn't wake me, but I was really awake. I was dying...it took him FOREVER to go about his nightly routine, turn off all the lights, and finally come to bed. He laid down, then sat up again. I thought he had figured it out! But he just pushed the pillows around, and then laid down again. I was dying (and wondering exactly how much beer he had had to drink that night...). But then he put his hand up underneath the pillows and realized there was a huge box there. He was shocked! He was excited, and it was a great moment.
But I digress. Suffice it to say, J does not like to have to make big decisions, and buying a new truck is a huge financial commitment. We started test driving small trucks (like the Ranger), and were very displeased to find out that much like he can only wear Carhartt jeans, he apparently can only drive big trucks. We went to the Toyota dealership, and he didn't even fit in the Tacoma. He tried to get in, but had to duck down so far, he had a hard time. Then, when he tried to bring his legs up, they didn't even go under the steering wheel!! No test drive there...he would have had to become a contortionist to even get in the truck. We didn't even look at a Tundra. While they are really nice trucks, they start in the mid-30's, and we didn't want to spend that kind of money.
He has driven many different types of truck at work (they use rental trucks...I guess it's cheaper for a company in the long run rather than buying a truck and maintaining it...but it gives him the opportunity to "test drive" lots of different vehicles because they get switched out pretty regularly). We didn't bother with Chevy, as he's driven my parents' truck. He likes it, but not enough to want to drive one every day. We didn't bother with Nissan or Dodge as he had driven the Frontier and the Ram at work, and wasn't interested in either of those.
So it was off to the Ford dealership. We were thinking that he would just get a new Ranger. His dad got one a few years ago, and J still fit in it, so we thought that would be the way to go. Unfortunately, they have changed the design of the Ranger in the last three years. Now there is a hidden roll-bar right where J's head goes. He either has to drive hunched over, or laying back really far in the seat.
We had no choice but to look at full sized trucks.
It took a long time, a lot of heartache, a TON of arguing and fighting between us, and some serious internet searching, but J finally made a decision and we bought a new truck in June. June 23, to be exact. I was in Indianapolis with my mom, and he went with his dad...that was another huge fight...but let's not get into that now.
He finally has a great truck that he fits in comfortably. The gas mileage leaves a lot to be desired, but that's okay. We're happy.
I'm ecstatic that one of the options he got on the truck is electronic foot pedals!! He obviously puts them all the way down when he drives. When I drive, I can bring them up so I don't have to sit right against the steering wheel in order to reach the pedals!!
This is a picture of J and his new truck, at the dealership the day he bought it. They took his picture, then sent him a cheesy calendar. Whatever. I don't use the calendar, but since I wasn't there, it was nice to see a picture of him that day.
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