Hot Wheels

I signed what I think are the last of the loan documents on the new car today. For someone who doesn't even like buying pants, this has been a very stressful process. Lesson learned: if you are going to be an American, it does not pay to have no credit card balances. So now I have debt again.

I will admit that it is pretty nice to drive around and not worry about asphyxiating the people behind me because the exhaust system in the car is shot, or to worry about expired registration, or to drive only in the far right lane because the car could stall at any moment.

In other news, I knit on the blue-with-a - cable wristwarmers at lunch and am going to play some WoW for the first time in recent memory. Last night I got distracted watching season 4 of "The Guild" and never even logged on. I hope my friends remember me!

Driven to Distraction

My poor car has been falling apart all year and I got another $530 blow this afternoon. This is just one thing to fix before finding out the actual bill for the exhaust system will be. Needless to say I don't have $500 just lying around in ready cash. I found someone who will do the same work for $260 but not until Jan 2nd.

I don't want to buy another car. I love my car! I just want it to freaking WORK. I have poured money into it this year and am still admiring the shine of the paint on my brand new rear end. It is just the right size, has all the right gadgets, and every inch of if has a memory of some kind. The trunk? Full of memories of faires gone by. The back seats? Visions of hauling stock to soap shows for 4 years. The passenger seat? Dozer's perfect perch. The driver's seat? Memories of 110,000 miles traveling in CA, AZ and NV over the last 7 years.

On the other hand, the window doesn't roll up, the sunroof doesn't work right, the front axle needs to be replaced, the entire exhaust system is shot, I have never replaced any of the mysterious belts and now the intanke manifold has two leaky gaskets. I can't fix things before something else goes down.

I just want to burst into tears. I don't want a car payment, don't want to feel crap about my credit score, don't want to feel like I am being taken advantage of at the car dealership OR the mechanic. If only there was a train between home and work, I would switch to commuting! But it takes a bus (or two), a train, another bus and some walking to get from here to there, and takes about 4 hours each way.

Weekends are for Knitting.

There was much knitting progress this weekend. I finished the Watermelon Tourmaline sock on Saturday at our Riverspinners meeting. I also unearthed my swimmy suit and joined the other knitters (and non-knitter) in the pool. It has been far, far too long since I splashed around.

Sunday I started the first "Angelfish" sock. I knit. And knit. And knit. And knit some more. Before I went to sleep, I had a finished sock. Gotta love those size 2 needles. I put the "fish scale lace" pattern up each side of the leg (May 31 from the 365 knitting stitches calendar), and am quite pleased. I started its mate today and was 1/3 of the way through the foot by the time I got to work.

All the morning knitting was done between 6:30 and 7:50, as I took the bus to work after dropping off the car to get evaluated for repairs needed before it will pass its amazingly long overdue smog check.

Mr. Fixit took 3rd in his race and I am quite pleased.

Back to Real Life. I had a wonderful, lazy weekend. There was some knitting, but it was not the all-knitting-all-the-time extravaganza I thought I could pull off. I did finish the first "Wild Honey" sock on Friday night and am well into the foot of sock #2. The gray socks are languishing, poor dears. Perhaps I will show them some love tonight.

Instead of knitting I managed to start the process of making my car extremely spiffy. I got the hood and front sides claybar-ed and waxed, and did half of my first oil change (the easy half, thank goodness). I also managed to spend some very quality time with a friend this weekend and that is never a waste of time that I could spend knitting. Sometimes I can even knit and talk at the same time. Imagine that.

Petsitting continues. I am growing attached to the cat and the dog. And shhhhh, don't tell my dogs that the petsitting dog gets walked. Daily. Sometimes twice. And I enjoy it.

Movies? We watched "Rize", "Definite Article" featuring Eddie Izzard, and did not manage to make it to "Ratatouille", although it is still on the must-watch list.

The Agony and the Exercise

The car - my beloved Batmoblie - died on the way home from RCC last night. Never mind that it had spent the whole day in the shop and received and oil change and new air filter, and I had agreed to $900 in repairs to get the smog system up to snuff.

Turns out the alternator is dead and took the battery with it. $500 just to get it running again, and then they can hook it up to the computer and see what else is going on. It might be fixed today, it might be in hospital until Monday. Or later. I had to leave my spinning wheel behind, but did grab my knitting (Peppermint socks), algebra book, and yoga mat. That should entertain me all weekend. I can walk to yoga, walk to my doctor appt, and take the bus to work (and home tonight).

I had the excitement of being stranded (only 2 blocks from home, blessedly), of needing to push the tank to the curb (and later around the corner), of waiting for the tow truck guy to come rescue me this morning, of arguing with the people who had it yesterday, and of meeting the new people who are going to fix it for me. And on top of it all, wondering where the money will appear from and cancelling my big plans to go to Brawley and the Imperial County Fair with Pat and Naomi.

I am not thrilled, but it could have been worse.

I finished "The Worst Hard Time" last night - it rained. I am excited to Netflix "The Plow that Broke the Plains" as soon as it is available. My reading this morning was "Beethoven's Hair" but it was hard to concentrate while arguing with the repair shop (the bad one) and waiting for the tow truck. I did manage to finish the toe of the 2nd Delft sock and start the foot. We were practicing Determinates and learning Cramer's Rule. Then we left early.

There will be much comfort knitting this weekend, I suspect. And maybe some dish-washing!

Revelations

I broke both my Compact and my Fiber Restriction yesterday when I bought sock yarn. I did buy it from Linda at Knit N Stitch, where I can display the finished socks to help them sell the remainder, so I was able to sleep last night.

I have done no knitting aside from the Delft socks (no picutres again - the socks are in the car which is in the shop) this week. I did finish spinning the last of the sock yarn last night and will ply it up tonight. I still haven't settled on a good big project. I have been using every free minute to read "The Worst Hard Time". It is 1936 and things are still bleak.

Fiber-free news
The car is in the shop today, getting an oil change and being evaluated for a smog check. $1200 to get it to pass. My gods. That is a lot of roving to dye and sell. I have recovered from the shock and am confident I can pay it... eventually.

This weekend I am going to the Imperial County fair with Pat and Naomi. It should be a good time. Pictures if I remember.