@Geosync & @AggieMike88: Thanks for the thoughts. That sounds like a good way to do it.
@Auser6664: You should put it out there. You've got a ton of airports, planes, and pilots down your way. Worst case, you could probably rent, split the costs with another post-PPL student at your school...
@sarangan: I would love to do an accelerated IR. Unfortunately, once I start my new job, I won't have a block of time to get it done without severely cutting into my "us time" with my wife. I feel pretty fortunate that she gave me the green light to finish up my PPL in that manner. The upside...
I live in Humboldt County and am finishing up my PPL in Southern California in between jobs. Assuming that I pass my checkride next week, I plan to start working toward my instrument rating as soon as I can (the coastal fog pretty much requires an instrument rating for the PPL to have meaning...