The car lives on. in A small but passable life.

The car was finished at the mechanic’s Friday morning. $904 to replace a $30 thermostat. That was why the dash warning light was on. And I learned a few things while talking to the mechanic when I picked it up. One, the engine is an Opal, German made, that is. Two, “that it is time to find the car a new home” as the mechanic said bluntly, remarking also that next time he may not be able to find parts for it.

And of course, Mom refuses to be proactive towards the future carlessness. She says simply, that she does not want to buy a new car or a used car.

It doesn’t matter to me. Not my decision. I’m just the driver. If I don’t have a car to drive that’s just one less thing I have to do.

Anyway, did I mention that I drove the whole road trip barefoot? Or that during the trip I didn’t pick up a book to read? Or how shocked Mom was to see the homeless guy digging through the trash can in downtown San Francisco or the homeless tents set up next to the freeway on ramp in Las Vegas?

Yes mother, outside the lily-white, gated, 55+, RV retirement park there is real life.

I had two books with bookmarks in them waiting beside my chair when I returned. I’m reading the non-fiction now.

Two remarks about “social media” I’ve heard recently:

“Social media is making us insane and we don’t know what to do about it.” -Sam Harris

“I refuse to look at anything someone tries to show me on their phone.” -Jerry Seinfeld

Me? I’ll stick with scribbling the occasional drivel and posting it.

And speaking of posting stuff. Yeah, I’ll send a fiver or a tenner to the guardian/keeper of Prosebox. I still haven’t requested my $100 refund from Bruce.

So yeah, I think I’ll sit here under the A/C for the next five months, thinking about what else I could or should be doing.

Oh, one last thing before I forget. While Mom was fussing and fidgeting upon our return, cleaning out cabinets, she found the old Scrabble game. The box was completely intact. There were 100 tiles and 4 trays and the board itself still looked good. Curious, I looked at the latest copyright date on the lid . . . 1953! That particular game is 65 years old? And it has survived our household? I remember it as a kid, being our favorite game to play.

(I stashed it out here, selfishly appointing myself its guardian!)