Unrelated Post...

This post doesn't really have anything to do with my goals or punishments, I just wanted to vent quickly about my car, which is again in the shop after having been out for just over a month. I finally got my car back in January after battling with Acura and my warranty company for the last third of 2007. After months of no updates, getting the runaround, explaining to at least half a dozen different people what was wrong with my car, and an expensive final bill, I had my RSX-S back. I liked the loaner cars Acura gave me (for free thank God), but I was ready to get my sporty little standard back in a big way. It drove fine for a while, save for an annoying vibrating noise which I was a little concerned with, but I wanted to wait a month or so to let the new parts settle in before taking it back for a checkup.

Then this morning came along. Driving to work, I noticed a few gentle wisps of white smoke coming from my engine. I thought perhaps it was just the exhaust from the car in front of me, so I changed lanes and got behind a different car at the next light. Again, faint curls of white smoke wafted up from my engine. The engine heat looked ok, no weird noises, and no check engine lights, so I figured maybe I was making a mountain out of a molehill. Just to be safe, however, I slowed down and decided to cruise the rest of the 2 miles to work. At the next light however, I noticed a grumbling sound coming from the engine. Crap! This can't be happening again. I look at the engine heat gauge and it is quickly climbing, reaching max heat in seconds. The needle tries valiantly to break free from its constraints, desperately wanting to show me just how overheated my engine really is, but the poor thing gives out just past the end of the "H" (which apparently stands for hellfire).

I am just a block away from work, so I cruise in with as little acceleration as possible, park, pop the hood, and jump out to check the engine. The once gentle wisps of smoke have by now united into a noxious cloud that sucker punches me as I lift the hood. The oil is running less than half and I come to the slow realization that my car, along with so many things in this life, hates me. So after a long wait, a tow, and some polite banter with the good people at Acura, my car is now back in their hands. I have a brand spankin' new MDX on loan from them. It's nice. It has satellite radio, GPS navigation, and runs without the constant threat of inadvertently starting a wildfire. I just hope this repair goes more smoothly than the last one...

Oh, and don't buy Acura...