My 1993 Jeep Cherokee Survives Another Winter

My 1993 Jeep Cherokee has been on the fritz since roughly Hurricane Sandy at the end of last October. I drove around a bit in the storm, which admittedly was not quite a Hurricane by the time it got up to Massachusetts, to help a friend whose car got whacked by a tree, totaled as we found out later. By the next weekend, my Jeep battery was stone cold dead.

I got the Jeep jumped and charged up, but it died again a week later. So I had the 5-year-old battery replaced, and it was dead again a week after that. All this hassle was getting to be very draining. Since I don't drive a lot in the winter, with only 47,200 total miles in 20 years, I left the Jeep parked on the street for a few months (yes, I am that guy).

The AAA guys ran the diagnostics says more alternator has a flutter, Anyway, the Jeep spent last week in the shop, where for the low, low price of $175, it was determined that the battery drain was being caused by the glove compartment light. I desperately need that light to find the flashlight I keep in there. Now I'm back on the road.

I had cleaned out most of my stuff, as I am operating these days on the principle that any trip the shop is potentially a one-way trip. So, in putting back, I decided to do an inventory:

(1) Spade
(2) Long-handled ice scraper with brush
(3) Small ice scraper
(4) Window washer and squeegee
(5) Quarter gallon of anti-freeze
(6) Water bottle
(7) Funnel
(8) Jumper cables
(9) 9 ft, 24 ft, and 33 ft tie ropes
(10) Work gloves
(11) 2 towels
(12) 4 rolls of toilet paper
(13) Plastic milk crate
(14) Flashlight
(15) Emergency survival blanket
(16) Deck of playing cards
(17) Clip-on sunglasses
(18) AAA bail bond certificate
(19) Registration certificate
(20) Insurance certificate
(21) Office parking permit placard
(22) Mass. Audubon, MFA, and ACE rewards membership cards
(23) Sony Walkman CD player
(24) Cigarette lighter power adapters for cell phone and CD player
(25) Cassette adapter
(26) Lens wipes
(27) Pocket comb
(28) Pen
(29) $10 in quarters
(30) Token for the Somerville car wash

I have the token because I vacuumed the Jeep out, which claimed one of the 2 pens I usually have. Aside from that, I think I'm ready for the Zombie Apocalypse.