"Perhaps he knew, as I did not, that the Earth was made round so that we would not see too far down the road."

Today was a big day for some people.  Me for instance.  I got to put together a "Rock 'em Sock 'em Robot" ring before I'd even finished my first cup of coffee.  There were also arrows (with suction cups) flying through my kitchen/hallway/foyer.  Okay, I don't really have a foyer, but if my house was newer or bigger, there'd be one.  And an arrow would have flown through it.

 

What could possibly lead to this sort of pandemonium in my usual very peaceful routine?  I'll give you a clue.  It's a boy who for some unfair reason absolutely loves mornings.  Birthday mornings even more than the rest.  #4 has hit the last of the single digits.  I love his exuberance.  I hope he never loses it.

Which leads to today’s “tool” – triggers.  Specifically, things that make you say, “Hmmm” and spark creative ponderings.  To wit:

There's a very interesting vehicle in the parking lot of the train station.  I've seen it nearly every day for months, in different spots, but never the owner.  To be fair, I see many of the same vehicles every day but only know a handful of the people who drive them (today, of course is the exception - I'm parked between the black F-150 of roundish goatee dude and the yellow Solstice of  sandy haired cigarette smoking man).

The vehicle in question is a Toyota FJ Cruiser.  Silver - with a white top and black accessories.  Sharp looking cars, and very popular but this one is special.  It has a lot of accessories.  There's a huge metal bumper with a winch on it up front as well as custom rims and off-road tires.  The roof rack has a jack, two shovels, a pick axe, full size off-road tire, and a cargo box.  Off the rear are gas cans, a big old whip antenna, and a Thule bike rack riding in the hitch - support arm folded down.  There's even periscope exhaust.  This is a serious outfit for playing in the sand.

Thing is, it's got a blue and white tag hanging from the review mirror.  You know the one I mean - the white is in the shape of a wheel chair.  It's always parked in a space reserved for the handicapped.

At first I was drawn to the truck - it's really, really cool and I'd love to have a setup like that even if I’ll never race Dakar.  Then, when I noticed the parking permit…  The irony was striking.  In the months that have passed since I first saw the machine, I've talked to some friends about it and we have a few different ideas about how it came to be owned/driven by someone who is mobility impaired - but they're just guesses.  I think I'd like to meet the person who owns it – a person who hasn’t given up, on anything.

My wife would look and see a silver car.  Most people would see a tricked out FJ.  But if you’re a writer, or an adventurous soul, it's the physical incarnation of a dream.  Just looking at it takes you to another place, and the possibilities are endless.