field notes: baby did a bonehead thing
Do cars know when they're almost paid off? I'm quickly coming to that conclusion.

My silver 1997 Nissan 200SX SE-R has been running beautifully. This month, I will pay the last $90 (or so) and completely pay off the machine. I had been planning to treat the faithful vehicle with a new stereo system. Then this:

1) The car will pass 70,000 miles Any Day Now.
2) Friday I blew out a tire by hitting a curb. This is not covered under the tire warranty, of course. Anything that could potentially make a tire flat, I believe, is not covered under the warranty (which, fortunately, cost me nothing over the price of the tires).
3) Because of the way the tire blew out, my alignment is all off. I have to jerk to the left continuously. Fixing it is going to be at least another $50 and the tire place couldn't get to it right away.
4) Somehow (related to the fucked-up alignment, I'm going to claim), I struck a pole in my apartment parking space, almost, but not not quite, shearing off the driver's side mirror. So, now I have a mirror hanging off the side by a power cord (so I can't just cut the thing off or I'll get electrocuted), and being fastened to place with packing tape, white trash-style. Beautiful.
5) Instead of being able to drive, I now have to consider buying a train ticket into the big city for a family get-together because my mom, who I haven't seen in months, is visiting.

Conclusive evidence, no? Maybe I just ought to get a Vespa for every day driving.