I have to say that today is not off to the best start. When I got up this morning the first thing on my to-do list was already inauspicious � �Call the plumber.� There is a small dark stain on the ceiling in the downstairs bathroom. It is not large, but it wasn�t there before my husband attempted (successfully, we thought) to repair the upstairs toilet. As always, I assume the worst and think it probably means the house is going to fall down in a backwash of stored sewage.

But apparently ALL the inanimate objects are fighting back today. As AJ and I drove the mommobile down the hill along the pasture on our way to his school this morning, something began clanking heavily. I pulled over into the parking space next to the mailbox at the bottom of the hill and got out to look. Some mysterious metal object was hanging down off the bottom of the car and dragging on the left rear tire. I am largely clueless when it comes to car parts, but if I had to hazard a guess, I�d say it looks like it might have something to do with shock absorption � it looked like a spring inside a tube. Now I�d like to think that this is a quick fix � the car can still drive, although I abandoned it there, not wanting to poke holes in the tire. But past experience suggests this will be expensive. And since the car is 15 years old (although relatively low on mileage for its age), each repair is also a decision whether or not to buy a new one.

I made poor AJ run up the hill and down the other side to get home to the other car. We made it to school before the other parents had left, amazingly enough. My husband is off to inspect the damage. And I am left to worry about everything falling apart at once.

I was planning on doing some laundry this morning, but I�m thinking of postponing it. I don�t think I could take another battle with an appliance. And if the new refrigerator starts spitting ice cubes out of its door, I�m pulling the plug and getting the hell out of Dodge.

[There was a relatively late entry yesterday. Click back if you missed my pontificating about writing fiction vs. history]

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