Skrambled Ramblings

**BREAKING NEWS**ALL PENDING TALES HAVE BEEN PRE-EMPTED**

So, yesterday was one of the worst days I've ever had. I wish I could say it was the worst, but I've been through Hell (Mordor, even) before. I could go on a long rant, but I'll try to tell the short version of the story.

In New Hampshire, you have to pass a vigorous inspection of your car in order to get an inspection sticker that allows you to have the vehicle on the road. I spent over $700 making repairs to my car this week, and then it died. Yesterday. Grrrrr.... If I hadn't spent all that money, I wouldn't be so annoyed, as the car just hit 200,000 miles, and I was ready for sudden death at any moment. I have to think that it's more than coincidence that the day after I pick my car up from the mechanic it dies, due to causes completely unrelated to work they did. I need to figure out if they caused it to die.

I was driving down to CT to visit the parents, and was on schedule to be there at noon. At around 10:00am, I was hungry and decided to get off an exit to go to a Dunkin' Donuts. My car stalled, and I saw that the temperature gauge on the dashboard was beyond the red zone. I stopped for a while at a gas station, let the engine cool off, and then added coolant and water.

Anyone who's ever opened the hood of a car has seen the note on the radiator cap that says: "Caution! Do Not Open When Engine is Hot". My friends, I urge you to heed this advice. After I got back on the highway, the car started to overheat again. I tried to get to the next exit, but I had to pull off to the side of the highway. I let the car cool down again, or so I thought.

I grabbed a tee-shirt (thank God), put it over the cap to the radiator and began to turn it. As I did so, steam began to rush out of the radiator. Sensing what was happening, I dove backwards, avoiding most of the spray from the 30-foot high volcanic eruption of rusty brown, boiling-hot anti-freeze. The image of that shit spraying out of my beloved car will forever be engrained in my brain.

I had it all over my clothes, but was lucky enough to avoid being burned by the toxic sludge. There was a pond of toxic brown coolant surrounding my car. I've heard that cats are attracted to anti-freeze/coolant, and often lap it up and die. See this story. I was thinking that there is probably a pile of dead animals--several deer, coyotes, bears, squirels, etc.--surrounding the area where my car was. I found it disturbingly amusing to think about.

So, I had AAA pick me up and bring me to the nearest, open repair shop. This happened on a Saturday, when most garages are closed, and on a "holiday" weekend when almost every garage is closed on Monday. Did I mention that it was pouring rain throughout this ordeal? They towed me to Acton Toyota, where I learned that my engine is FUBAR'D. They tell me the engine is dead.

I got a good deal on a rental, but I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do about getting a new car. I may not post again until I get this resolved, but who knows. As I told Hansy, I had to change my profile picture, as it reminded me too much of my now deceased automobile. Perhaps I shall return later to vent and cool off a little (pun intended). We'll see.

posted by Skrambled Egghead Reborn @ 10:52 AM