The repair bill for my car has ballooned upwards exponentially. The news has me scrambling around trying to devise money saving schemes. It's always this way. After the initial shock of any large bill, or unexpected catastrophe, I always feel energized with the desire to reform my spending habits and/or start a bunch of new projects that may or may not be related to the problem at hand. For instance, I'm thinking about making gifts this year for the holidays. I'm thinking about going out and finishing cleaning the garage. We're talking about ordering less pizza. I finally got off my butt and canceled some useless credit insurance that's been adding to one of my monthly credit card bills for who knows how long. I think that, when I finally get my car back (it's now looking like monday or tuesday) I'm going to get it washed, balance the tires, and get an oil change. It wouldn't be funny if something else went wrong with it the following week. It really wouldn't.

On a lighter note, I looked out my window while I was sitting here in front of the computer last night and saw one of the neighbors, quite naked, standing in front of the sink brushing his teeth. I thought idly of wolf whistling, just to see him jump, but decided against it. How often can you look out your window and see naked people? Not often. I saw a streaker once while I was delivering newspapers. I think I surprised him, because he disappeared pretty quickly. Another time, while I was in England with M. and G., there was a guy in one of the flats opposite where we were staying who showered in full view of the road below. He could easily be seen through his rather large bathroom window by the streams of shoppers passing by on the sidewalks outside. But really, what's the big deal? People should be allowed to walk around nude if they want to. This country in particular seems to foster hang-ups about the human body. When's the last time you saw full frontal nudity on tv? Compare how many times that happens to how many times you've seen murders on tv. Which is more damaging to impressionable minds? I rest my case.

cds I listened to while still unaware that my car repair bill was expanding: Gillian Welch "Revival" and "Hell Among the Yearlings", Dar Williams "What do you Hear in these Sounds" and "The Honesty Room", Roy Harper "The BBC Tapes, Volume II", Stille Volk "Maudat", and Tom Waits "Closing Time"