T.G.I.F., .......Not Today

Wow, it's not even noon and my day has taken more turns than an Appalachian moonshiner on a midnight run. I had the day all planned out, which was my first mistake. After getting "Daughter" off to school I was going to do my usual web surfing to do "research" for the big shows this weekend. I like to call it "research" because calling it "spending hours updating my Facebook status, looking at fake pictures of Sarah Palin in a leather mini skirt and trying to claim my Nigerian lottery winnings" doesn't sound very productive. Then I was going to take a nap since we have tickets to the Sox game tonight and I'll be heading right to the radio station from the ball yard. Sounds good, huh? Sure, in the bright light of a monitor everything sounds good, well maybe not that "Chocolate Rain" guy, but most things.

I got "Daughter" out of the house and positioned myself at the computer. While listening to the radio, I heard the weather forecast which is calling for heavy rains tonight and throughout the weekend. That puts the game in question, which to be honest is fine with me. We had bought the tickets from a neighbor's kid who was selling them to raise money for his dance academy. Not his own dance academy, which would be quite an undertaking, but the academy where he is studying dance. Any way, it turns out the tickets are in the far upper reaches of the "Cell". Not to sound like an Ivy League elitist here, but I don't want to spend a rainy night sitting in the upper reaches of the stadium. I actually wouldn't want to spend a rainy night siting in any seats, but add thin air, vertigo and thousands of people in various states of moistness to the equation and you've got a scenario I can't avoid fast enough. "Wife" had informed me that she wouldn't be going to the game with us anyway citing a lingering sinus infection that has clogged her head like a toll booth at rush hour. If the game isn't rained out, "Daughter" may just go with the neighbors because as I was struggling with the "do I or don't I want to mingle with the dripping masses" question, I got a call from "Wife".

"I got to work, barely" is how the conversation started. Long story short, something happened to "Wife's" car on the ride into work today. She explained that the battery light went on, then the temperature gauge climbed into the red zone, she smelled what seemed to be burning rubber, and to cap it off, her power steering went out. All of this while she was inching along in rush hour traffic. Thankfully she was able to get the car into her building safely. It's times like these I wish I had gone through mechanic training instead of smart ass training. I listened patiently to her story and then summed up the car's condition as succinctly as I could. "I have no idea." Thanks Mr. Goodwrench. My only advice was to call our mechanic, see what he thought and if necessary, have the car towed to the garage. Look at me. I may have no mechanical ability, but my problem solving skills know no peer. Having no car means "Wife" will need a ride home from work, because she'll have to work late, since her morning has been devoted to caring for her ailing LeSabre and not completing the work that "the Man" needs her to finish before she can shake loose his shackles and enjoy two days of rest.

I realize these problems pale in comparison to what a lot of people have going on today, but if I didn't write about this, I'd have to devote another post to the Presidential race and the Sarah Palin/Charles Gibson interview. There will be plenty of time for that later, and to be honest, I know I'll be talking about it on WGN Overnight Friday night/Saturday morning from 2-5 am and maybe even Saturday night/Sunday morning from 1-5 am. Look how smoothly I slid the plugs in. Effortless I tell ya. The "Insatiable Insomniacs " will be on the show Sunday morning, a world record holding barber will be with me Saturday morning and there's sure to be more surprises. Have a great weekend! Later...Brian