Les Bonnes Choses

Pardon my absence. I was back in the Forest City this past week knocking a bunch of things off my to-do list -- most notably have my 10-year-old car emissions tested as a requirement of renewing my license plate sticker. The perceptive reader will infer from this that my birthday is approaching, and by remarking on the perceptive reader's savvy, I can clue the less perceptive reader into my impending birthday without anyone losing face. All this, of course, is to afford all readers, perceptive and clueless alike, the opportunity to send me a gift (preferably monetary).

Naturally, the Ontario emissions test required that I drive the car back from Chicago. It was with some trepidation that I made the trip, for the car had been seldom-used while in Chicago (I tend to bike, walk or take public transportation where possible), and the first time it went on the road in the spring after a long winter hibernation ended with steam billowing out from under the hood and a trip to the mechanic. With that in mind, I was momentarily nervous just outside of Chicago when it smelled like my car was on fire. My first reassurance that all was well was that I had just purchased a AAA membership the day before. The second, and arguably greater comfort, was the signage that reminded me I was passing through Gary, Indiana, which unfortunately (for the residents of Gary) always smells like a tire fire being used to boil eggs.

I made the trip without further incident, and the car passed the emissions test. I also had the mechanic check out the rest of the car, in case there was anything that was missed by the unfamiliar mechanic who repaired the car back in the spring. He did catch a few problems, some left by the previous mechanic, one left by me when I replaced the battery. This would be a good place to mention that the mechanic that I feel is worth driving 8 hours to visit is Teeple Tire on Wonderland Rd. in London, Ontario. Ask for Emil. Tell him that I sent you. He'll fix you up real nice. If you live in London, you are doing yourself a great disservice if you bring your car anywhere else.