So Much Material, But Not Materialistic

...so I was playing around on the Dell website the other day, and I wound up configuring a laptop that was pretty beefy (for my needs, anyway) at a pretty good price, although I wasn't seriously planning on buying it - my employer offers interest-free loans for employees to purchase computers, so that's the route I usually take. Unfortunately, this program is currently being revamped, and anyways, Dell isn't one of the preferred vendors. I saw the "apply for Dell Preferred Credit" and decided to give it a shot just for laughs - my credit kinda went through the wringer following an extended layoff after the events of 9/11, and I thought "There's no way these clowns will approve me". Well, the guy working the credit desk in Bangalore must've been asleep on the job, because they approved me for a $3K credit line (more than they approved my girlfriend for last year, which pissed her off). So, I guess I have a new laptop on the way (although I'm dreading returning to Windows on my primary machine after the shiny happy experience that is OS X).

The only combustion-related news is that I might be getting a new truck - my stepdad has a friend who is recently divorced, and the ex-wife & kid relocated a few hours away. Since he is driving 300+ miles a couple of times a month, he wants to unload his truck for a Prius since the cost of gas is killing him. He gave my stepdad a stupid cheap price for his truck, and in return my stepdad said he would sell me his truck for below wholesale if I want it, since it's been so reliable and he'd like to see someone he knows end up with it. Now, he's the kind of guy who is major-league obsessive about his vehicles - he used to be a partner in one of the premiere hot rod/custom shops in the state back in the day. He's done every bit of maintenance on the truck himself, and has been running Mobil 1 synthetic since the day he brought it home. The truck has a lot of miles, but I'm completely confident it will last another ten years without a hiccup if treated right. It's not 4-wheel drive, which I would really like (since I am considered an "essential employee", I have to report to work even during Level 1 snow emergencies). I'm still on the fence - by the time I get a loan, full-coverage insurance (liability only right now - ~$175/yr. for two cars), and factor in the extra cost for gas, it might not be worth my while - but it sure would be nice to have a vehicle less than 10 years old with some bells & whistles for once (I haven't had a car that had working A/C for fifteen years). Ah well, it'll be up to the folks at the credit union anyway, I'll let you know...

I'm taking a couple days off before the weekend - me & the girlfriend are making a mini-vacation out of it (which will probably consist of locking ourselves in the house, turning off all phones & pagers, & watching DVD's and hanging out for a few days). Seeya next week...