Dizzy Spells

I'm feeling kind of dizzy right about now, the same way you feel when you've been playing Ring-around-the-Roses with a toddler. I looked outside in our driveway and found this strange truck parked next to my van. I'll ease your fears right away; I haven't taken up with the mailman, the FedEx guy or the pool boy. A lady brings our mail, Max is the one who tries to ride home with the FedEx guy and I pretty much play the role of pool boy around here. The strange truck apparently belongs at our house now. The kicker is that the truck John traded in for this one was officially mine - on paper anyway (something or other about lower insurance).

On Saturday morning, we had a discussion about replacing the truck that I generously allow John to drive sometime this summer. We alternate vehicle purchases between the two of us, and John is next in line to acquire a new vehicle. Since John is quite the planner when it comes to large purchases, he eagerly began to scan the newspaper "just to get an idea of what kind of truck he wanted and how much he would need to spend." The question I keep asking myself is after almost 17 years of marriage, why did I not see this coming? Truth be told, if I fall for the same ploy every time, I suppose I should cheer him on for pulling it yet once again. The story pretty much goes like:

1) Scan Saturday paper for truck deals. Sneak out when supposed to be filling up the propane tank for the grill to scope out the possibilities. Pretend that traffic was really bad getting back home, which accounts for the inordinate amount of time it took to fill the propane. Reassure wife that this is just appropriate planning for summertime so that we can budget and save until we find the perfect truck. Van is paid off in 2 months, so we have plenty of time to look around.
2) Find the only 2 trucks that will be available at awesome prices between now and when we plan to buy the truck.
3) Dash the entire family to the car dealership on Monday afternoon and spend several hours drooling over truck #1. Sneak back over to second dealership alone to remember what truck #2 looks like. Still planning.
4) Go to bank and get loan set up for possible purchase of mystery truck. Just in case. Nothing written in stone. But the loan rate is just so tempting.
5) Dash the entire family to second car dealership on Tuesday afternoon, explaining how absolutely perfect both trucks are, both will be snatched up at any possible minute and no others will be coming along by the time we're ready to purchase.
6) Get kids all excited about driving around in a nicer, newer, roomier truck and convince them that the one we presently own just is no longer suitable because it's just too dirty and smells too much like fire department smoke. While driving, kids declare that truck #2 is much better than truck #1. Wife hesitantly agrees.
7) Sneak the bank check out of pocket that was brought along "just in case", give puppy-dog eyes to wife who can never resist, assure wife that truck payment will be absolutely no problem since van is almost paid for and the loan rate is out of this world.
8) Suddenly, we are no longer planning. Enter dealership with big grin, for wife and family have said okay. Don't tell wife that new truck will be put in own name so she can't threaten to sell it.
9) Get home and suggest that new truck was put in own name because wife has a traffic ticket issue and a run-in with a deer on record. Reveal that new truck has been driven home even though modfications are not yet complete. Old truck has been left in dealership parking lot even though it has to come back home tomorrow to have the fire bells and whistles taken off it.
10) Run back out Tuesday night at 9pm to nonchalantly stop by the fire department while training is in session to "check on training progress." Hoping that somebody will notice new wheels. Wildest dreams fulfilled with all the ooohing and aaaahing that goes on.
11) Get up Wednesday morning and admonish wife on how she really needs to watch her spending for the next 2 months until van is paid off.

Let's take a guess about who owes who for the next couple of months or so!!? I'm just planning on how to cash in....Let's see, my birthday in April, Mother's Day in May, anniversary in June. I'm thinking this deal is going to work out okay after all.