Every morning, when I don't want to get out of bed (I never want to get out of bed) I tell myself: Well, you never know, something good might happen.

Today, however, was not that day.

I spent almost the entire morning working on financial statements requested by creditors with whom I'm trying to work out payments. They're not asking for anything unreasonable, but it's a frustrating and discouraging way to spend time.

So I decided to take my mind off of my troubles by seeing if I could find a faster, and perhaps deer-free, way to work...

As I pulled out, I noticed that car kind of hesitating a little. It seemed like it wanted to cut out, or stall. Hmm. Wonder what this is about? I think it's about my transmission. It hesitates mostly at speeds when the automatic transmission would switch from one speed to another. This is not a good thing.

I called The Hub to give him a heads up. "Do you have time to look at my car tomorrow, or should I just arrange to take it to a garage?" I yelled over the noise of passing semi's on Rt. 70. I don't know what's worse: the idea that it might quit working on a busy road like 70 or a dark, deserted road like 97. They're equally bad ideas for different reasons. On Rt 70 I might get run over by a crazy motorist On Rt 97 I might get run over by a crazy deer....or encounter that porcupine again!

The Hub is going to look at it first tomorrow. He's good at cars. They like him.

I find them difficult to understand. Much harder than dogs or parakeets. For instance, when I had almost gotten to work the "check engine" light came on. I have no idea what to do in this situation. I was fairly sure that, if I pulled over and lifted the hood I would find that, yes, in fact there was an engine in there. Engine. Check.

Beyond that I'd have very little idea what it might need. Oil? Okay, I could figure that out. Transmission fluid? Hmm, I might be able to get that. Otherwise, nada. No ideas. Water? Seed? A chewy? A bath? What do engines WANT?!?

My brother, who used to work at the car dealership where I bought it, says he thinks the power train is still under warranty. So I'm pinning my hopes on that.

The truth is that owning an automobile drives me insane. They're nothing but a hassle and a huge expense. If I lived someplace where I could take public transportation I'd give up my car in a heartbeat. Notwithstanding the deer episode, I'm a good driver, but that's mostly because I've done so much of it - not because I enjoy it.

My car is not in any way connected to my identity. I get no more "thrill" out of having a shiny new one than I do having an unattractive beater. If it has steering, brakes, and heat that's good enough for me. If it has a radio that's great. If not, oh well. When my asthma was bad I did need AC in the summer, but now I think I could do without it. It's just transportation. I know other people feel differently, but they're not writing my blog.

Oh well. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. It'll at least be another day.