extrordinarily crappy day

So yesterday basically sucked a whole lot. First, I was sick. I had a fever and a cold and felt like crap. second, I had a lot of work and was kinda stressed out from that. third, my car sucks ass. The only good part of the day was that I got to spend a few hours with Elizabeth, even if we were both feeling sick and in crappy moods.

Now, back to my car suckign ass, which really is the point of this post, and why yesterday counts as one of the worst days ever. So, my car has been acting funky for a while, first the check engine light that was on inexplicably for about a month or so and then went out, then the battery light coming on sporatically and the battery dying (guess I whould have prepared for teat one, what with the battery light coming on). So last week I got a new battery, and the mechanic said that the alternator was fine and that the old battery had 2 bad cells. So I figured that the problem was fixed. The battery light still came on, but I wasnt too concerned, maybe I should have been. Anyway, Last night, I'm driving home from Elizabeths, and as I am drivign down 95, my radio suddenly cuts out, comes back, and then cuts out permanately. Then the airbag light starts flashing, its done that before, but usually only for a few seconds. This time it kept flashing, which made me a little concerned that the airbag would deploy while I was driving at 70 MPH. Anyway, at this oint I thought that maybe I should pull over, because something was amiss, but I wasnt too far from home, and really didnt want to be stranded (especially since i didnt have my cell phone with me, a fact that will be very important in a few minutes). So I kept driving. Then, suddently, my engine starts to lose power. and for some bizare reason, giving the engine gas in 5th gear causes the car to slow down. I guess that this was because the engine was losing power and slowing down. but the car would actually seem to speed up when in neutral (probabaly not really, since I wasnt on a noticable hill). This obviosly was a real problem. At this point I am entering the ramp from 95 to 495 and my car completely stalls out. I managed to get to that little traingle where the two roads merge and stop the car there. I try to start it and all I get is a few clicks. This is when I beat the steering wheel with my fists and yell FUCK really loud a few times. This is the extent of me getting really mad and frustrated with something. Anyway, as I said before, I had no cell phone with me, a fact that becomes painfully clear as I realize that I am stranded on a little sliver of asphalt between two super highways with 18 wheelers buzzing by on either side. This is when the "I'm Fucked" instinct kicks in. luckily, my parents gave me a little electronic flare deally for christmas, and I have a car emergency kit that has a flashlight with a orange cone on it (both of which are real nice since my emergency flashers arent really workign at this point) so I get out of the car and wave both devices wildly trying top flag down anotehr vehical. I dont know how long I was flaggign for, but it felt like a very long time. Also, it was cold, and I was sick and coughing up a lung. Anyway, no one stopped, although a few people flashed their high beams at me. I dont know what teh high beam flashign was about. Perhaps they were signalling that they were calling for a cop or a tow truck, or telling me to get my ass off teh road or something. Anyway thsi seemed futile, so I tried startign the car again, and I'll be damned, it worked. This was good because it ruled out teh possibility that I had run out of gas, a posibility reinforced by the fact that my gas was indeed low, and that as part of the cars death throes, the gas light had come on. But lo, the gas was not that low, and was not the problem. anyway, I peeled out onto 495 hoping against hope that I would not end up in a place even less convenient than I was leaving.I figured that the faster I drove, the further I would get before it crapped out again, and besides, if I got pulled over, at least the cop could help me call a ride. so I sped my way to the exit for kennilworth (i considered gettign off at rt 1, but decided it had to many lights and probabaly more potential of stalling out) and as I exited, my car puttered to a halt. So once again I was stranded, only this time a lot closer to home, and in a much better place. Also, I was a little less concerned since I knew I could proabably start the car again in 10-15 minutes. Also, if worst came to worst, I could walk home. anyway, some guy eventually stopped, even though I wasnt signalling and I used his phone to call ducore, since that was likely the only chance I would get to make a call. So ducore drove to meet me and when he arived, I was able to start the car and he followed me home. As I parked the car outside my house, it stalled again. So thatw as convenient.

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, it was an extremely crappy night. If I hadnt have been able to start the car the first time it stalled, I dont know what I would have done. It would have been a long way to walk anywhere, and I dont know if anyone would have stopped, it was a little dangerous to stop there. I imaging a cop would have eventually stopped, but evidently in the easily 20 or more minutes I was there, eitehr no cops passed, or none cared. I guess I could have comitted some sort of crime, and gotten a cop to come, maybe I could have pissed on the road or something. cops see every crime you commit, right? anyway, I guess thats the last time I drive without a cell phone.

thinking up clever titles is hard...

It seems like it would be appropriate to outline here how I spent my winter vacation, as seems to be the style on other peoples blogs. However, I honestly dont remember what I did on most of the days. Therefore some of what follows may be slightly incorect, highly exagerated, or flat out made up:

Christmas Eve I went home to my parents for a while and then went to Elizabeths to exchange gifts with her Moms side of the family and then go to midnight mass. Midnight mass was interesting. Apparently Christmas is a holiday based on the birth of some dude named "Jesus". What the hell kind of name is that? And why are my birthdays never this sweet? Then I went back to my parents to sleep.

Xmas morning I woke up and to my surprize, someone had left wrapped gifts under the tree that we had erected in our living room. so that was sweet. Then I went to Elizabeths Grand parents house and got drunk with her Dad's side of the family. They might be a bunch of republicans, but they are fun to hang out with.

The bulk of the next week was spent sleeping, playing Myst IV which I got for xmas, and watching movies, both at home and at my parents. I saw : the newest harry potter, clerks(uncut version + animated funeral scene, spectacular), supersize me (a must see), Farenhype 911 (a counter to farentHEIGHT 911, and surprizingly well done, even if it does have Ann Coulter and Zell Miller in it... at least makes you have to defend your opinions against some valids counter arguments), napoleon dynamite (not as good as expected, but still entertaining), and a bunch of seinfeld episodes on DVD.

friday we had our new years eve party. we had more peopel over than expected since no one RSVPed, but still probly less that 2 years ago when we were in commons for new years. Elizabeth had to be at work at 7am so had to go to bed right after midnight. then we had a few mninor medical emergencies all at the same time, which was fun. Some guy we didnt know vomitted in our bathtub.... Anyway, I stayed up till Elizabeth got up so I could make her breakfast. in the meantime, Germy Ducore and Meghan got all cuddly/makeouty, a state they would stay in for about 24 consecutive hours, which was interesting. by the end of the night, it was myself, Karen, Karen's freind Kathleen, and Colin still awake. Karen and Kathleen gave us money and got myslef and Colin to go to 711 for them. I went because I was bored and liked the prospect of free food. I think colin went cause he wanted to hook up with Kathleen, but I really dont know. All I know was that that wasnt why I went, Kathleen was a bit skanky, and annoying, and vulgar. oh yeah, and my beautiful girlfreind was sleeping upstairs. I went to bed at like 6:30 and got up at like 12:30, at which point an afternoon of sitting around watching the news, and then chapelles show season 1 began, and for hours no one left the couches. I got bored and eventually took the dog for a walk and did some programming, but the rest of my friends are lazy fucks.

Ok, well that actually turned out being pretty accurate sounding, and despite my best intentions, I didnt make anything up. damnit.oh well.

Oh, in other news, my computer died again... I think the power supply and motehrboard are shot. the disks seem fine though, which is a big relief. i put a new power supply in and it starts to boot but hangs at "reading VRAM" or something to that effect. fucking computer. This is the third time in like a year that the poser supply died, and the MoBo and CPU are only like 2 years old. damn my luck.