I'm writing to you from my dad's computer in sunny Steveston, BC. It seems that I'll be stuck here for a little bit, because my car encountered a small mechanical problem on the way here. Specifically, the brakes stopped working.

I've had nightmares like this -- the brake pedal went right to the floor without slowing the car at all. Fortunately, when I tried again, they worked, so I didn't have to plough through assorted cars, fences, pedestrians, and small children. That's always so embarrassing when that happens, and it's an extremely inefficient way to stop a car.

Edit (12/09/04): The garage just phoned me with the news. The brakes, plus the vital repairs that I've been putting off for months will cost me over a thousand smackers. (*swoon*)