It's the Emerald City, not the 'Paris of the Gobi'

Well, thank God: we are back to rainy and 60 degrees, so everyone can stop complaining about the sweltering heat and go back to 'Sixty-three? In August? Where did our summer go?'

And while looking for information on replacing the antique dome-light bulb in the beleaguered hatchback, I came across this poignant story of another vintage Mazda owner's travails. Dave Fox, also of Seattle, and a travel writer for our own Rick Steves, battled his crappy car's possessed horn rather than undiscriminating robbers. It is a sad and touching story, and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

--Or at least the refusal of crappy cars to go gently into that good night.