If you have your eye on an Escapade then go for it. It's excellent for someone in your position. I still contemplate buying one just to have another simple, inexpensive fun airplane.

If you want to build a kit over the winter, take a look at this: http://www.advantagehobby.com/produc...cat=165&page=1

It is a good quality kit that could be tackled as your first build and would be a good step up from the Escapade. It's more of a fun-fly type airplane, not a scale Extra.