Update

So, I take my car in to a new place that R recommended, and they give me a quote for $500 to fix the starter. What the fuck? I am always amazed at how much auto repairs cost. Why on Earth would any part, other than the engine and the car itself, cost $500 to fix or replace? I don't get it. But this one has to be fixed. So, R is giving me a loan until he can pay me, and I still don't know when that will be.

I did my "homework," and found a car that I can afford and that I would love driving. Now the question I have to ask myself is if I really want to invest in a new car right now. I know, I've done the pros and cons to the whole deal, but after this $500 shocker this morning, it's beginning to look more practical to spend $900 a month for a new car and its expenses than it is to keep dropping a bundle every so often to keep the old one running. I know, I know, I can talk this subject until I'm blue in the face, but for some reason, writing it all down like this gives me a chance to purge it and really think about it...in addition to the fact that it's pretty much preserved for posterity, and one day in the future, when I have a fleet of vehicles at my disposal, I can look back at this minor setback and unfortunate period in my life, throw my head back, and cackle like Gypsy Rose Lee. Oh, darling, what fun we used to have!

I was silly enough to write this at 4:24 PM