Welp, *my* car’s totaled.

My wife’s is fine, so Thanksgiving has not been cancelled. Anyway, that engine light thing translated to “replace the radiator, thermostat, and something else I didn’t hear because it didn’t matter at that point.” The estimated repairs, even from the place I trust, would blow through how much I was prepared to put into the car to keep it running. Now I have to figure out who to unload it on, particularly since it’d involve a tow*.

Personal anecdotes about getting rid of broken cars for money welcome.

Moe Lane

*I’d donate it, but money’s getting tighter right now**.

**I might still donate it anyway. I should eat something before I make bad decisions.

Adventure! in radiator lights.

Turns out that’s one of the bad lights. Extra fun: it showed up in my car as I was idling to pick up my wife as she was dropping off her car at the shop. Fortunately, we got home all right, but tomorrow is going to be scheduling hell as we coordinate picking up cars and dropping off cars and probably falling back on Uber at some point.

I know, I know: First World problems. And it could be worse. But it’s been a day.

You should never do this with a bat to a car.

Assuming that it’s real, of course.  It’s maybe not real.  But if it is real, then you should never do this and there is nothing in this post to indicate otherwise.  Again, you should never, ever interrupt a Manhattan auto dudebro ‘photoshoot’* – one that’s blocking midday traffic – by taking out a bat and smashing a windshield.

NEVER. Continue reading You should never do this with a bat to a car.

Well, that was interesting.

Car battery died – or the starter, or the fan belt, or look I was an English major, OK, so it is a case of the car it does not go vroom when I turn the key, see? – and it turned out we had to tow it.  If you can ever get the opportunity to see a car get towed, do so: it’s very interesting. It’d probably take me about an hour to get the dang thing up on the back*; it took this guy two, three minutes.

So that’s what I was doing tonight.  Getting my car to the shop.  Nothing earthshaking and/or calamitous. Bit of a pain, because the commuting car is a bit cramped for two and two car seats, but that’s so totally a First World Problem. Continue reading Well, that was interesting.

Car snowboarding in DC. #rsrh

(Via @seanhackbarth) I am conflicted about this:

On the one hand, it does seem tailor-made for a future edition of The Darwin Awards. Nobody got hurt there, but, well, it’s snowboarding from the back of a car at speed in DC at night. One step away from death or trauma at all times.

On the other hand… well, it’s snowboarding from the back of a car at speed in DC at night. I haven’t do anything that stupid-cool lately.