Probably the number one thing I hate about being single and living away from family is having to deal with the car. I would rather cook 1,000 dinners than have to deal with all the potentially fatal problems with this car. If I did not have to own a car, then I probably wouldn’t. (I actually seriously considered it until I realized two things: 1) the nearest bus stop is about 5-10 min. walking, on a street with no sidewalks and no streetlights, in the not-so-greatest section of Atlanta, and 2) there is no bus route from my apartment to my work.)

So I’ve been doing okay handling the oil changes. I even got my emissions tested okay last May. Recently my headlight burned out and I drove around illegally for at least a week (I have no clue when it actually burned out) until my dad came up. I did try to fix it on two occasions: I took it to a mechanic once and they told me that it required too much labor, a myth that a call to Frankie disproved, and another time I bought a new headlight bulb only to discover I didn’t have the proper tool to unscrew the headlight. But my dad came to the rescue and fixed it for me.

However, now I have a gas leak. I really hate this, because I know the minute I walk into a mechanic they are going to up the price and probably want to rebuild my engine. I’m considering having my dad call for an estimate so I can know what price to expect before I bring it in.

I also don’t know where to go. Most of my coworkers take their cars to the dealers, or somewhere that is too far for me to get to on my lunch break. One person sent me to a mechanic today and when I drove by, I decided it was too sketchy of a place for me to go by myself. (She didn’t understand when I tried to explain to her. She said, “Well you’re in Atlanta by yourself, you better get used to it.” I was frustrated because I feel as a woman you need to be careful about the places you go because there are bad people out there. Perhaps it’s because of growing up in Peru. I stand by my desire to have at least *someone* with me, male or female.)

So… that being said… My car is still leaking gas (though not puddles on the ground – it’s just a strong smell). I guess I will deal with it Friday (no lunch break tomorrow) and pray that it’s something that can be fixed before Tuesday, when I leave to Orlando for Christmas. I hate dealing with this. I really hate it.

Oh and yes – my license expires on my birthday and I still haven’t received my new one in the mail. Pray that it gets here before Tuesday or I will be driving back from Florida on an expired license.