Here's one for the local papers fer ya! AND I totally love Enterprise Rentals now!! (I used my NWA Visa to pay for the car rental and they swipe it for a $300 deposit. I declined the insurance thinking this Visa will cover anything the $21/day would waive. I sure hope I'm right, but when you read below, I think nothing could be as bad as what I just went thru:


This AM, my brakes TOTALLY DIED on the commute into Boston on Rte 1. (I sometimes drive in and park near work)

We were all only going about 40mph at the time, but as I uncontrolably sped closer toward the rear of the new BMW sedan in front of me, barreling forward in my 210,000+ mile old, waning Subaru outback tank of a wagon, I suddenly downshifted with vigor and thrust, that caused a ruckus and made a god aweful smell of strained clutch lines and the like. Some quick thinking and maybe a wink from on high above is probably what saved us all from a peril sure to totally stink.

BUt as it all unfolded, I had to YANK back on my parking break, whilst pumping the useless brake pedal with both feet, and I sharply pointed the vehicle toward the center median, ready to be the 5 O'clock new's latest Rte 1rush hour statistic and reason #109089078 for yet another Friday night traffic jam. (A holiday weekend, nonetheless!)

Luckily, though, the Bmer moved a bit forward (he must know what my horn was for) and I was able to get the car to stop before even looking like anything out of the ordinary other than the tooting that people could have thought was just me being some rude MASS driver . The next 25 mins of driving were probably the most technical and hair raising of my entire life, and I thought of the idea of bringing my car to an Enterprise dealer in Boston--which happens to be kinda on the way. In doing this remaining driving, I gave a TON of room to the car in front of me! I had been already halfway into the city when this took place to my surprise, and I had many important things to make it into the new job for, and also knew there were no real options for the car at this point other than to continue forward on the slow moving crowded road. In a way, I probably ended up being like the most careful driver out there today, but wow, what a cost to nearly pay!

I did luck out though, because ENTERPRISE rocks, and I will now be heading up to go skiing in the 4 feet of fresh, unprecidented POWDER that northern Vermont just got in a "PT Cruiser" (a pretty cool mobster car, btw!) with great snowtires, and it only costs me $25 a nite unlimited miles!!

Now, as I type this, I am still at work in the city, ready to go north, as my car sits in the rental car lot in Chelsey, MA where AAA can come get it from there to my mechanic over the weekend. Enterprise said they have no problem with this at all and hey, the blonde girl who checked me in was kinda cute even!

Feewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

This is all because I REALLY REALLY REALLY NEED ALL THAT FRESH SNOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

Enterprise saved me.
MM