better!

My car is done. The bill was HUUUUUUUUUGGGGGEEE but at least the thing isn't leaking oil any more and it doesn't pull to the right when I try to drive.

(some of my friends: "Ricki, I'd think you'd LIKE things that tend to trend right" ba-da-bum)

My department chair took me out to pick it up because it was close to where her son goes to some gifted and talented afterschool program.

My department chair listens to Def Leppard in her car.

I find that far more amusing than I probably should but my department chair is someone I've ALWAYS been a little intimidated by, even when she was just a plain colleague and had not yet risen to the post of department chair. Not because of anything she did to me, it's just she's one of those super-together-seeming people. One of those hypercompetent women who I imagine make me look like a total slob in comparison - she's small and muscular and dresses very neatly. She has a husband and a kid and she also teaches and does volunteer work at the Methodist church. She's also able to manage far more responsibility than I could ever deal with without my head exploding.

And she's the department chair. That in itself is awe-inspiring because here department chairs are expected to belong to like 36 different committees (and I am not exaggerating as much there as you probably think I am).

But she listens to 80s hair-metal in her car. And I find that wonderfully humanizing.

(She did also say to me, as we were driving: "Man, I hope next week is better than this one was." I'm guessing referring to the aftermath of the break-in.)