A Momentous Moment for The Marine!

Once upon a time The Marine had a truck. He had this truck for nigh on thirteen years. Well only days after Recruit 5 was born in 2003, the dearly loved truck which might as well have been an extension of The Marine , died. Well, possibly killed itself actually.

It was in sad shape and needed to be put out of it's misery, but alas, it grew tired of waiting on us to do it. So one day after parking in his usual spot, putting on the emergency break, and leaving it in first gear, it rolled down a slight incline in the road and took out two other cars. It remains a mystery to this day how that all occurred.

Instead of buying a truck he purchased a Saturn, which I sold for $500.00 during a deployment. I bought a jeep instead of a truck, because he wasn't here and well it was a lovely deal and well, I WANTED IT!

Then we bought the van from my mom. It was a great deal, great car, but still not a truck.

Consequently this little gaggle of men here in our town banded together in their quest to help The Marine get his truck. They all drive giant, loud, noisy trucks and teased him mercilessly that it was obvious who wore the pants in our family.

The Marine gallantly responded that of course he wore the pants in the family, I just picked them out! He was gracious and good natured about the ribbing, which had he JUST bought a truck in 03 instead of the Saturn I wouldn't have had my dear KIA van vandalized with F250 signs all over it after a home football game this past fall.

However, his little heart yearned for a truck and the missing part of him that can only be filled by a v8 engine, a bed liner and bucket seats.

Today The Marine was made whole!

Here the happy new owner sits in his F250 4x4 in the fog laden parking lot of a local car dealer.

He said I couldn't drive the big bad boy for a year because the last truck we owned was involved in a collision with a static garage support pole 6 months into our ownership. I was driving at the time. I got to drive though, and seriously he knew he should give me a check ride because the moment he left to go out of town I'd be all over the road in this baby.

It also goes to show how giddy with joy The Marine is.

The front view of Big Gray. (I'm trying out different names here.) We traded my green beast in. I had a moment of grief. It is always sad to part with our vehicles. We bond with them.

Recruit 1 gets a quick drive. Here she just found out the pedals can move up to adjust to even her height!

Recruit 1 slowly taking off for a quick spin around the block.

Look how nice it is! We are once again truck owners and all is right with The Marine's world. Today was a good day.