I am in the middle of doing something I absolutely hate. No, not holiday shopping. I am talking about car shopping.

I bought my last car in 1995, a 1996 Chevy Blazer. It has been the perfect vehicle for me, but Chevy no longer makes a Blazer.

I bought my Blazer before everyone decided they needed an SUV for the rugged terrain of the Chicago area. Now, it seems that I see SUVs everywhere I look. Unfortunately, I don’t like the looks of any SUV I see.

I think the concept of the SUV has changed. My Blazer is a two-door vehicle which has a fold-down back seat. It fits four comfortably. Now, I cannot even find a two-door SUV and most seem to seat seven.

I don’t want to fit my entire extended family in my vehicle. I just want a small SUV that doesn’t resemble a station wagon from the 70s. Is that too much to ask?

Fortunately, my luck is changing. The salesman at the car dealership today offered me the car at a loss to the dealership – WOW! They are willing to lose money on the car. Even more fortunate for me is that today is the last chance to make the deal, since the auditors come in tomorrow. The auditors will never allow this deal to happen.

So, here I sit, knowing I need to figure out something soon. My Blazer has a life expectancy of about two to three weeks. Yet, I simply do not like anything I see. Driving my Honda scooter around in Chicago’s frigid weather isn’t an option, either.

Well, I have to make a decision. Once I decide exactly what vehicle I “want” (a relative term for me right now), I am sure the process will go much better (or at least much faster). Don’t worry, though, because soon I will be riding around Chicago in my new “Whatever,” but I’ll still be wishing I could have gotten just one more year out of my Blazer.

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist