A lot like owning a Jeep

I used to write things in this blog once in a great while just to blow off some steam and to make the extremely limited audience laugh by making me the butt of the jokes. I was proud of my post yesterday and got a lot of great feedback. There's something therapeutic about typing my thoughts. I'll admit, and if you know me well you also know, that to a fault, I am constantly thinking and having new ideas, and the thought of not painting the picture of these thoughts as accurately or complete as they come to me or skipping an important one for a less profound one feels a bit paralyzing. Unfortunately for my wife, I carry that same theory into many aspects of my life – for example - home improvement, which results in many unfinished projects. How's that saying go? Paralysis by Analysis?

I use the wrong words a lot, spell things incorrectly, use too many dashes – and instead of ending a thought, create paragraph long run-on sentences. However, I figure, whether people follow this or not, I think it might be a good idea for me to log some of my thoughts as we wait for the arrival of Gracie.

Earlier this week we went to Costco – after checking out with our standard cart full of dog food and bulk candy, Carrie talked me into stopping at the food court up front for dinner (nothing but the best for the Delaney's). As I sat there eating my hotdog and people watching, it's like the pending arrival of Gracie has given me a new sensitivity to notice people with disabilities. I equate it to when I first got a Jeep – I never really noticed how many Jeeps are actually out there on the road until I started driving one myself. Jeeps are everywhere. There are new jeeps – old jeeps – some that barely run - and some that run so smooth, you'd swear it's a luxury vehicle. I like Jeeps – when you have one, you can pretty much do everything you can do in any other car on the road – My buddy Steve has this real old military Jeep at the cabin – Sure, it sticks out a bit and if you took it out on the highway, it won't go as fast as the other cars - but you can drive it around town pretty much just like any other vehicle. Some people stare when they watch him try to start it (flip the battery, turn the key, step on a button on the floor while giving it just enough gas) -- They don't understand how it works because it's so different than how they're used to doing it. Others stare with envy because riding around in it is so much fun. The good thing is unlike the Jeep – the other vehicles can't take the top off and more than likely have to think twice before leaving the paved road and driving through the woods. I'm guessing having Gracie will be a lot like if we let Lylli drive Steve's Jeep at the cabin – We'll do what we can to stay close to the paved roads and probably be on them at times, but we will also probably spend a lot of time in the woods, but that's OK -- It's a Jeep and we'll probably have more fun that way anyway.