The Problem with Cars...

.. is that they break down. :/

Car currently in the shop.  ABS light started blinking on the way home Friday, followed in rapid succession by the check engine light coming on.  Tried to take it in Saturday, but the closest good repair shop (Joyce) was closed.  Tried taking it to Good Year/ J&K Auto parts down the road from Joyce.  They said they couldn't look at it until Monday.  Took a sick day today so I could get it taken care of.   Tried Joyce again: they are currently taking appointments for Wednesday.  Tried Good Year and couldn't even find parking after 20 minutes of waiting.  Ended up going back to the place I normally take it: Merchants.  They're already nickel and dime-ing me, which is why I hate going there.  They're charging me an hours worth of labor for *each* system they're having to run a diagnostic on, since the ABS & Check Engine lights are technically two different systems, even though I'm pretty sure each "diagnostic" involves hooking the car's computer up to a machine and reading the error code it spits out.  And that's before we even get into what the actual repairs are going to be.  :/

Blerg.