Object Lesson

Yesterday, when I got in my car to leave my parents' house and come home to my apartment at 6:30 in the morning, my car would not start. Or rather, I think I did get it to start, but it was shaking so horribly that I can't be sure if it ever did actually turn over. This was A Bad Thing, as I had a meeting at work with someone on my list at 10:30 that I did not want to reschedule. I called Mom's cell phone and left her a message asking for suggestions, and went and played computer solitaire for an hour until Dad called me back. He said that if I thought I could get it to run, even shaking, I should take it over to the mechanics, and he'd get me from there after he dropped Mom off at work. So I went back out to the car, put the key in the ignition, and turned it, and the car turned over and started. It was still shaking, but not quite as badly as before. So I took a turn around the neighborhood to see if it would drive ok, and since it did, and seemed to be calming down further despite the check engine light being on, I decided to give driving home a shot.

So, I got from Columbus to my little town without too many scary moments, had my meeting at work, and took the car down to the local mechanic shop and said, essentially, "Car broke. Please fix." They called me this afternoon with their verdict: it needs an oil change (which i knew, and had asked them to go on and do while they were at it), new plugs and wires, new accessory belts and a new timing belt, and I think there may have been something to do with the water pump- my heart was going a little fast by then and I may have blanked on a couple of the details. The grand total for all of this is a little over $1000. I closed my eyes a minute, took a deep breath, and told them to go on and fix everything, even though it meant I wouldn't get the car back until Wednesday at the earliest (holiday. And I think they have to order a part, too). Oh, and can I say that I'm really glad this happened in the last week of December as opposed to the first week of January, so I can ascribe it to The Year That Really Just Didn't Work Out Very Well as opposed to The Next Year, Which Had Really Ought To Be Better Than Last Year, Please, God? Yeah.

So, someone gave me a ride home because it was raining, and I called Daddy and told him what was wrong and that I'd said to fix it and he said he thought that was a good call (my car is at the age where you have to start considering how much money you really want to put into it, because the car's financial value is basically zero. Its *personal* value is pretty immense, given that it's my car and it's paid for). And so I got off the phone and started playing with numbers. I don't have $1000. That's more than I even make in a month. I do have $500, and can probably squeeze another hundred or so out of my checking account by trimming the budget for this pay period a bit, but the rest is going to have to go on a credit card, which I'd prefer not to do, but well, life's not fair in the big city and sometimes you've just gotta go on with it. But it occurred to me that this is one of those VISTA experiences where you really kind of get what poverty means. Not destitute poverty, but that minimum wage, don't quite have enough to always go around, but you're hanging in there, poverty. My poverty is voluntary, and I know that if I can just get the car to hang in there for another 18 months, or 2 years, I can get a new car. Believe me, if I didn't know that for pretty much a fact, I would have been a lot more panicked this afternoon (actually, I'm pretty proud that I was as calm as I was). I'm used to living on not that much, but it really only does take one big thing to throw everything into a spiral. The ability to be inconvenienced, but basically all right, if something like a major car repair is unexpectedly necessary is something that I think a lot of people might take for granted. I really kind of didn't even before this (although it meant I needed a bail out more often than not), but now I really won't.

I'm watching the Browns game, which is looking like a typical traditional Cleveland December football game (i.e., it's snowing. A Lot), and the commentators are obviously *not* from somewhere that has weather like this because they're all like "Well, when it started snowing, I didn't think it would keep snowing like this. It just won't stop". Lake effect, guys. Creates much snow. Sheesh.

Although, it was funny a moment ago when no one could find the 40 yard line. Both teams and all the refs walking around near the middle of the field kicking at the snow to see if they can figure out where they are. That was amusing. I actually have almost no idea what is actually happening, because I can't see more than half of what's going on. Somehow the Browns have 5 points. The three points, I know where they came from. Somehow there was a safety in there. I think that's what happened when the Bills kicker missed the snap on a punt and kicked the ball out of the end zone, but I don't think I've ever seen such a thing, so I don't know.

ETA that I think at least one of the commentators must be from California, since he just called I-90 "the 90", and we just don't do that here. They also seem surprised by the number of fans there. Heck, it's gotta be better than the old Municipal Stadium. And of course there's a lot of fans there. it's Cleveland. *rolls eyes*

Oh, here we go

It's been snowing since about 9:30 this morning, so about 3 and a half hours at this point. I'm guessing about three inches (I haven't been out and have no intention of doing so, so I don't know for sure). But the grass is completely covered. And now the freezing rain has started.

Three-four inches of snow, plus about an inch of ice. Yup, it's winter in Ohio, all right. I'm just hoping the car doors don't freeze shut, because they're really a pain to get open, especially by myself.

Reasons and Seasons

And Lo, it was December, and the Annual Great Debate over Appropriate Seasonal Holiday Greetings began anew.

Well, actually, I haven't been drawn into this debate yet. I do my best *not* to get drawn into this debate because quite honestly, I think some of the people involved in said debate may possibly have too much time on their hands and perhaps even a bit too much privilege if they truly feel they can claim they've been discriminated against. For the record, I don't care what sort of seasonal greeting someone wishes me. Heck, I don't even care if someone wishes me well for *any* holiday. I say Merry Christmas most often, but when I was working retail I just told people to have a good holiday. I wasn't going to assume we were celebrating the same one. It has nothing to do with political correctness and everything to do with politeness.

All that being said, I do hold some sympathy with the Jesus is the Reason for the Season contingent. Because, yes, Christmas is a religious holiday. It just *is*. It is the second most important holiday on the Church calendar. It's really kind of unavoidable. I feel like my liberal street cred should be revoked for saying it, but Christmas really shouldn't be celebrated as a solely secular holiday because it's just *not*. Yes, yes, I know Christmas coopted several pagan winter solstice holidays in order to be more acceptable to some factions of early Christians. But really, it doesn't make it any less of a religious holiday.

I don't have a problem with participating in some of the more secular parts of the holiday. I buy gifts for people and do like receiving them myself. I like baking cookies and decorating the tree. I believed in Santa as a kid and have no problem with that whole concept. But, at the center of all of it is the fact that we're celebrating the birth of Christ. The rest of it is nice, but it's not the driving force. And I have to remind myself of that this year more than most, because I'm not so much feeling the holiday thing (sorry, Mom. I'll get it together by the time I come home). Celebrating the birth of Christ is easier for me this year than the rest of it, because it never changes. Everything else does.

So while I don't mind when people don't say Merry Christmas, I do mind when they don't acknowledge the central fact that it is a religious holiday. The atheists and agnostics in the house may commence with the stone throwing. I'm not necessarily proud of my lack of tolerance for purely secular Christmas celebrations, but I'm also not going to apologize for my religious beliefs, either.