My search for employment has ended happily, and it looks like I’ll be starting a new job on Monday. This round of retirement wasn’t sitting as well with me as the last (which lasted five months and included a trip to Paris), and the work appears pretty interesting, so overall I’m quite excited about things.

The one thing that gives me pause about the job is its location – Peabody, MA. I’ve been spoiled for almost five years with commutes that involved public transportation, so to have to buckle down and drive to work every day seems barbaric. For the time being, my brother’s generously offered the use of his to commute, but I’ll eventually have to buy a car – any recommendations? Any ones to avoid? What about hybrids? Fill me in.