Out of dough

Right now it's snowing outside. Let it snow.

I've been having power steering problems with my van -- lots of grinding -- so I took it into the shop last week to be looked at. A mechanic came into the waiting room and told me I have a bad rack. I looked down at my chest and said "Really?" Haha. Just kidding. It was a joke. A bad one. I'm a dork. But really, I do have a bad rack and, to replace it properly, it will cost me $1800. Scandalous!

You see, I have zero-effort power steering. Not that I need it...regular power steering would be fine. But when I first had a driving evaluation, the instructor thought it would be easiest for me. So that's what they went with. Now, to replace the customized rack, it has to be ordered, shipped up to Vermont, altered, and shipped back down. A turn-around time of over a week and $1800! I could kick that stupid instructor. So I wrote a $900 check for a deposit and will have to pay the rest when the work is finished.

The funny part, if there really is a funny part, is that the mechanic asked me, "Do you want to think about it for a few days? I know it's a big expense." Please. It's not like I can shop around for a second opinion. What other outfit works on modified vehicles? It's too expensive to be disabled these days. I don't want to do it anymore.

So until the new rack is shipped, I've been buying power-steering fluid like a junkie buying heroine. It drains right through. I fill it up before I go anywhere and I leave trails of sticky yellow fluid behind me. That part can't get here soon enough! I'm tired of spending money on my poor van. Just two weeks ago, I had to pay $525 to get the shlep replaced. That's right -- I said shlep. Shlep. That's the wire that pulls the door open and closed. Either that's the dumbest name for a car part or I have a crooked mechanic.