Conservative with the agression

The other day I took a picture of the SSR odometer, it had just hit 39,000 miles. That’s a very low number considering the truck is now 8 years old. (really almost 9 since it was built  January 25th of 2005) When I bought the truck around two years ago it had somewhere just under 29,000 miles on the odometer.

When I bought the truck I obviously was not going to make it my daily driver.  I implemented a plan where I would take it to work on Fridays.  It’s the best day of the work week typically so why not amplify that with a weekly SSR commute?

I kept up this routine for awhile, maybe the first 9-10 months of ownership.  It was fun in some ways although it seemed like the SSR was a bad weather magnet. It felt like it rained more days than not when I brought it. Also when I brought it to work the only place I felt safe parking it was in the garage which is a considerable walk from the office, making things like my lunch time gym trips tougher to swallow.

Slowly the Fridays I would commute in the truck became fewer and farther between. Present day I never take the truck to work unless a social event or other need dictates it.  Instead I will take it out on the weekend if Cindy and I go somewhere but there are times where the silver beast can sit dormant in the garage for two weeks or more.

A part of me actually likes this, I want to preserve the truck, keep the mileage low so it remains pristine and valuable.  Part of me is in conflict with this strategy, as I paid a lot of money for the SSR and it doesn’t repay much in fun dollars if the ignition is turned off.  When I am on the road with the truck I try to make sure I do indeed make up for lost time.  6000 rpm shifts with the Corvette motor sound and feel amazing as does the back pressure gurgle as I downshift the 4800 pound beast.

There are even fleeting moments when I wonder if I should even own a vehicle like this. Fiscally it makes no sense, I could save a ton of money from the net proceeds of selling the truck compounded by the subtraction of a car payment, insurance and registration costs.   Fortunately I don’t make all my decisions in life purely in terms of dollars and sense.