(Update: Since this time the farewell is for real, since I finally put the windshield back in place today and put my top and soft doors on, and since summer actually is technically ending, thought I’d share this again. Bye, summer; with a few notable exceptions you were pretty damned sweet.)
I leave for Florida in a rental tomorrow; by the time I’m back, we’ll be in September, and 90º days are rare, so today may be the last time I drive with the windshield down until next year.
Each autumn is an exercise in long-range weather forecasting for me. Putting the top up and taking it back down is time-consuming, and if it’s too cold, the top becomes nearly impossible to put up. (In fact, if it’s really too cold, the windows will break if you manhandle the top, but that kind of temperature usually doesn’t sneak up on you.)
So I want to leave the top off as long as possible, but not too long. The Jeep takes longer to dry out after a storm if it’s cooler, so that plays a role (plus, obviously, a cold rainy day in a naked Jeep is much less fun than a warm rainy day).
I could put the top up and windows in but leave the doors off once it starts getting colder, but honestly by that point it’s not really worth the discomfort. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the freedom of not having doors (parking lots are a lot less stressful), but I really want the whole shebang.
But those factory doors are so thick and I’m getting so wide that I’m going to spend months feeling cramped.
Anyway, first world problems. I really should find a way to chase the warm weather; at my last job I could work from literally anywhere, and getting a travel trailer and roaming was very appealing, but getting rid of my house likely involves a default and sigh, life’s just too complicated.
Anyway, enjoy summer while you can (unless you live near ttyymmnn and desperately want it to go away) because it’ll be a long time until it returns.