A dream, a Volvo, and Midlife.

I have a dream, of driving a sporty Volvo 240 sedan or wagon on exciting road trips to marvelous locales. But not just any sporty 240. A Frankenstein Volvo…ah…ahh..oooh. A custom job. Better than from the factory even. Why Volvo 240? At my age it seems appropriate. A little simplicity, a little fun, some reliability and safety, a touch of toughness, a bit of classic style and a dash of different. That’s me. That’s a 240.

Something like these:

With these additions, changes and mods.

Sport Exhaust System
Sport Springs 240 Wagon
Sachs Boge Turbo strut inserts and shock absorbers
Front Anti-Swaybar 25mm
Adjustable Panhard Rod
Strut brace Craving Boost
Volvo’s B cam advanced 2 degrees $50
Adjustable Cam Gear
Thinner Headgasket
Euro Side Marker Lights
Euro Side Marker Light Harness Kit
HR5035652 25mm wheel adaptors
Engine Accessory Bushings
Timing Belt With Tensioner
EUROPEAN E-CODE FRONT LAMP AND LENS
PACKAGE
Door pockets, Adjustable windshield wiper relay, stereo head unit and speakers
Soundproofing padding in doors, firewall, floor and roof.
Keyless remote locking, windows, and start.
Maybe heated washer fluid for windshield. Woo Hoo!

The New Gender Divide – Facing Middle Age With No Degree, and No Wife

Once, virtually all Americans had married by their mid-40’s. Now, many American men without college degrees find themselves still single as they approach middle age.

About 18 percent of men ages 40 to 44 with less than four years of college have never married, according to census estimates. That is up from about 6 percent a quarter-century ago. Among similar men ages 35 to 39, the portion jumped to 22 percent from 8 percent in that time.

At virtually every level of education, fewer Americans are marrying. But the decline is most pronounced among men with less education. Even marriage rates among female professionals over 40 have stabilized in recent years.

The decline in marriage can be traced to many factors, experts say, including the greater economic independence of women and the greater acceptance of couples living together outside of marriage.

For men without higher education, though, dwindling prospects in the labor market have made a growing percentage either unwilling to marry or unable to find someone to marry them.