Well, I still reserve the right to complain about how insane human beings are on an as-needed basis, or else I'll blow up over here--and we *really* wouldn't want that... Here's a prime example: I was shopping at TJ's in Bellevue (big mistake--I should stick to my usual Shoreline location, really), where I was once again forced into an unpleasant altercation w/an excessively petty woman (this one had a British accent) whose car I'd accidentally brushed w/an empty shopping cart--though this was more about giving me a lecture than seeking any kind of restitution: "You need to be careful--I saw you hit my car with a cart--and now there's a scratch--look!--it's a brand-new car and now there's a scratch!"... Now, mind you, there are only two human beings in the entire world who could see this particular "scratch"--her, because she was actively looking for it & knew exactly where it would be; and me, because my eyes are trained to distinguish degrees of *absence* as well as presence... Otherwise, there's not going to be another human being on this earth who'll ever see this scratch--because it is only half-there... I apologized as well as asked her *twice* if she'd like me to *do* something about the "damage"--but, of course, she gave me no practical answer because the damage is non-existent, & her complaint is purely irrational/emotional in nature (mostly, it was about the fact that this is a brand-new car--but more on that in a minute)... In the midst of her ongoing outburst that was simultaneously whiny and aggressive, I tried to use a psychological distraction by saying, "You should be a lot more concerned about the gas mileage on this car"--but, alas, she had an answer for that one: "It's an electric car!"... (Yeah bitch, if you can afford a brand-new electric car, you're doing so much better than I am that I would like to maybe kick it somewhat harder--if I didn't have inner peace...) I also told her, "You will survive" (though, come to think of it, that's probably not true--she'll sabotage herself into oblivion in this chaos); & that this was but one scratch among many others this car will no doubt receive--plus, living amongst human beings, including shopping among them, will inevitably lead to constant bump-ins... If you want your car to remain a virgin, you should really just never take it out of your garage--which leads me to the important point: who the fuck in their right mind buys a brand-new car?--especially when so many electrical components are involved: there are so many things that could go wrong or be faulty in any particular vehicle, & they all show up w/in the first 100,000 miles... When I bought my Celestine, she had 158,000 on her--so I *knew* she is a good girl w/no personality disorders, or else she wouldn't still be in circulation in such good condition... (Don't worry, this principle doesn't apply to people: I don't know any people w/o personality disorders...) But speaking of Celestine--who was not involved in this accident but who all-the-same got a disdainful look from the owner of this superior pristine electric baby--she has an intriguing new problem since our last oil change (when, incidentally, the [regular] battery had been briefly disconnected to reset the check-engine light) for about a month: exactly once a week, & only on Wednesdays & Thursdays (two Weds in a row, then two Thurs in a row so far), she totally shuts down in the middle of the road right after I get going from somewhere, the dashboard goes dark (except the check-engine & IMA light *and* the amber brake-system light), & I have to restart her... After I restart her, she's fine for another week--but: we have that other problem w/the power-steering being off right after I've started her (which has been happening more often lately)--so I can actually still drive her, but the wheel is extremely hard to turn; but it's enough to get me off the road if I have to hurry... So far it hasn't really happened in places where it's such a big deal--but we have an appt at Honda on March 8 (that's just what they had)--who say

it's definitely an *electrical* issue, plus they're the only ones who have the equipment to deal w/that stuff... (Elvis thought she might need a power-steering flush--but that's actually not a service that Honda recommends--they only do it in cases where that fluid has become contaminated...) So this should be interesting--I've never dealt w/an electrical issue before that needed to be addressed at the dealer itself--but ignoring this isn't an option... (I mean, if you're insane, it is an option, but I don't grant such options to myself...)