Oh, Drat.

I sold a dress from my shop!

Oh, but I’m out of town and the buyer needs it by Thursday.

But I can actually be home in time to meet the Express shipping deadline!

But that will cost $15 more.

But the customer is willing to pay it!

And my flight isn’t delayed!

And my car isn’t buried under snow in the long-term parking lot!

And while it’s -9, it’s sunny!

And my car starts right up!

And it doesn’t take too long to clean it off and scrape off the ice!

And I’ll be home in time to ship that dress!

Until my engine cuts out at mile marker 8 on Peña Blvd.

And I spend 29 minutes (TWENTY-NINE MINUTES) on the phone with Roadside Assistance (Did I mention that it was 9 below? And do you realize that THERE IS NO HEAT in a car with no running engine? Because the operator seemed clueless to this phenomenon). And then wait for a tow to the nearest garage. And then wait for a gloriously kind friend to drive out TO THE AIRPORT to fetch me. And finally get home, cold and hungry, 3 hours late and 30 minutes AFTER the Express dropoff deadline.

So I had to cancel the sale.

The sale which would have taken a bite out of the $460 repair bill I’m currently faced with to get my car running again.

And I’m car-less until the repairs are done.

But, on the positive side: I managed to get my car off to the the side of the road. The problem is a distributor, not something even more expensive. I have WONDERFUL friends who came to fetch me at the airport–during rush hour–(Alison) and who used their wily in-the-business skills to find me a new distributor for less $$$ than the mechanic could locally (Rob). And the many people who kept me company via Twitter and text messages while I waited, and waited, and waited at various times during the escapade.

For now, it’s warmed “up” to -6° and I’m stuck at home with no car. But I have food and heat and kittehs and a call in to my insurance agent to find out if I can get a rental car for a few days. There’s a kitteh a couple of miles away who needs looking after while her folks are in Italy, and I’m not walking it unless the weather improves dramatically.