Car is totaled =( what's next?

Back in September I had what I thought was a minor incident at Palmer Motorsports Park, my 20th race track. After months and months of an entirely too drawn-out process of getting estimate after estimate, the insurance company in the end decided to declare my car a total loss. I did what I could to take on some parts costs out of pocket myself, but it didn't make a difference, simply too many parts of the car were affected and costs rapidly escalated. They offered to let me keep it as a salvage title, but I knew I didn't want to get into that kind of money pit. So after 11 years and 50,000 miles on two continents I parted ways with my beloved Lotus Elise. Between that and getting a ding in my Aston and my Volkswagen needing a surprise maintenance to the tune of $4200 (in addition to the $3500 I did last year, and $3000 more I have to do this year), it's left me a bit sour on cars right now (not to mention life overall with some other stuff I have going on), and haven't been out to any car shows since February (if you were wondering where I've been). On the plus side I got $6000 more than I paid for it 11 years ago.

I loved that car a lot. It was incomparable in the excitement it provided, and so well-suited to the track. I went on some incredible adventures with it and it guided my life and gave me some opportunities in some unexpected ways. Without it I probably wouldn't have ended up getting the paid track photography gigs that keep me busy these days, for example. I was hoping to keep it around another 20 years, or at least make it to "antique" tags. Then again, it probably wouldn't have made it that long anyway with so much track time, weather or not I ran into anything. That's just motorsport for you I suppose, and really I wouldn't have found the car nearly as compelling without doing all that track time.

So now I'm wondering what's next for me. I'll treat myself to a couple things on my Aston (like some new wheels I think), and I'm trying to convince myself to be "financially responsible" or whatever by buying a house. But then the housing market is so ludicrous around here that it's actually not that much more responsible than staying in my small apartment for another five years and buying a Noble M400. Or maybe an Ariel Atom? Another Lotus? Alfa Romeo 4C? I think for now I'll just take it easy for a while. But I hope you'll still let me hang out at Nova Lotus events.