Still haven't started tabulating my tax data. I don't know why I always put it off--once I get going, it goes fairly smoothly, if not quickly. Looks like it will be a push throughout the weekend to get it done, because tonight I'd rather work on GIDEON.

Awful storms last night, with my area of Illinois getting about 3" of rain. Flooding. One main road shut down for most of the day thanks to 9' of water in an area under a viaduct. The resulting traffic jams and reroutes resulted in my arriving at the garage a half-hour late, but everyone ran late so no harm done.

The upshot? Bad knock sensor. Not as simple as a gas cap, or as cheap. Now I have a new one. The patient is home in his slot in the garage, resting comfortably.

I also made the very, very last payment on the loan today. The amount of that payment is about the same as the cost of the repair. There's something cosmic about that.

Started up Kuro this morning. Light was still on. Drove to the next town and filled him up with gas. Gave the cap a few extra cranks. Light was still on.

On to the post office. Came out. Started up Kuro. Light clicked off, and stayed off.

::fingers crossed::

This month I will be making the very last payment on Kuro's loan.

On the way home today, the Check Engine light came on for the very first time.

And the house hands off the ball to the vehicles...

Off to run errands. Decide to take Harrison the Ford because I really don't drive him as often as I should, and he needs to get out once in a while. Get in. Insert the key. Turn the key.

::clickclickwhirrwhirr:: The dash lights flash briefly. Then all is silence.

Try again. Again. Same result.

::clickclickwhirrwhirr:: Then the only sound I hear is the distant phfft of the gods of furnaces and batteries.

I bought Harrison in the fall of '97. We're still on the original battery. I knew I was living on borrowed time, and that when it went, it would likely go suddenly. One of the reasons I hadn't been driving Harrison all that much is because I didn't want to wind up in a Big Box parking lot 25 miles distant with a truck that went ::clickclickwhirrwhirr:: when I turned the key. I'm lucky it happened in my garage.

So Thursday morning I take him in for a new battery. Not going to bother nursing the old one. In the meantime, I'll put the patient on trickle-charge in prep for the one-minute drive to the garage of choice.

I want to take Kuro in Friday for PM, but I'm a little concerned now...