Bah humbug! (was "White Christmas")
Well I had originally intended to write about the snow I found on the ground in Mountain View this morning on my way in to work. It was a lovely sight, especially considering how grim one can feel in the mornings. Alas, that post has been set aside in favor of one more in keeping with my generally dim view of the season and the unreasoning cheerfulness it seems to bring in its wake.
Trying my hardest to be more positive I left for an early lunch, and noticed as I got into my car the very strong smell of gasoline. The car had been smelling like that this morning as well but I'd put it out of my head and now here it was again. After lunch as I got into the car, again the same smell. I pulled over and got out and my eye was caught by what appeared to be a trail leading to my trunk. An ominous feeling overtook me as I crouched down and looked under the car.
No doubt about it, the car was leaking gas. The tank (which by the way was unfcomfortably placed directly beneath the driver's seat) was leaking and I don't mean drips and drops, I mean like a small change with no bladder control. As I squated there a small puddle of gas was forming under the car. Not good. Checking the guage showed the supply near zero, so of course I decided to drive the car to the mechanic. Mind you at the time I was thinking more about the low gas getting me there, than I was about the potential for going out in a blaze of glory in the middle of downtown Mountain View.
I managed to make it and of course swallowed the bitter pill of my Indian mechanic's reaction: "Gas tank? No one ever replaces those! What'd you do?" After some phone calls and wrangling, it looks like my Christmas present to me will be around $700 of auto repairs. So if you see me grumbling as I pass a Santa on a street corner, or shoving Tiny Tim off his crutches, I'd recommend you stay a save distance away lest you hear me say "Bah! Humbug!"