So Much For What I Believe - Frappin' Car

I have been mulling over a piece that I have been wanting to write for a couple months now, something that gives a synopsis of who I am, where I've been and what I believe. My son is about to turn 1, and my plan was to get all of these thoughts down as a written time capsule of sorts. This whole plan has been figuratively flushed down the commode by an overwhelming never-ceasing conundrum that is seeking to destroy what little shreds of sanity I have left - my f$#&*%! car.

Kim and I live in a development that is as visitor friendly as Calcutta. Parking is at a premium, so much so that each household is designated assigned parking spaces - two spaces per house. My designated space happens to be the only one that sits directly under a tree. There is only one tree on our street, and I am forced to park under it. Normally my biggest concerns are hygiene related, as my Blazer is constantly covered by bird poop and pollen. Some people name their cars. I haven't found an appropriate female name-equivalent to Charlie Brown's friend Pig Pen.

A few weeks ago, my favorite tree in the whole world was struck by lightning in most spectacular fashion. Since my car was parked directly underneath it (as typical Vince luck would have it), the electrical system in my car was...affected. Upon removing the tree limb from the hood and starting the car to move it out of harm's way, I noticed many of my dashboard warning lights were on. My hopes that these were just "dummy" lights or a simple short-circuit in the fuses was quashed upon taking the car to the mechanic. The car has been back to the mechanic FIVE times since the lightning strike, including this morning's drop-off. A quick list of everything that was fried in the car as of yesterday: alternator, battery, brake module, computer and all sorts of other things related to these components. So far the damage is hovering around $2000.00. Things looked to be fixed after yesterday's 900-plus dollar round of repairs - until this morning when my car lurched and my "Service Engine Soon" light came on... I am waiting to see what the damage is today before calling the insurance company, and I must say that my confidence in the mechanic that has been working on the car has been shaken somewhat. How many times do you need to fix something before you get it right? Needless to say this has been a very frustrating handful of weeks, and still no end to it in sight.

[Currently Listening: The Cars - "Just What I Needed"]