Buying a car is always a gamble. I don't feel ripped off, exactly, but I really wanted this to go smoothly and perfectly. It didn't.

I went on Wednesday (my first "Personal Necessity" day) to have my car smog checked. The seller is supposed to do it, but since I was getting a good deal on the price, I didn't ask her to and she said it would pass. It did. Done and easy - off to the DMV to change ownership and get the title. But then the mechanic smelled something. He backed the car up and noticed coolant on the floor of the garage. I was sure this was a scam. He was going to upsell me. He started talking about gaskets and overheating and whatnot. I don't know shit about cars.

He offers to put the car up and look at it. I tell him to call me. I leave, angry and wondering how much of a scammer he is. I'm thinking bad thoughts about Armenians, I admit it. Swindlers. Crooks. Other things.

And then I get home. And there, in my parking spot, is a large spot of green viscous fluid that had never been there before when I drove the Toyota. Damn, he was being honest. Now I was the bad guy. Racist. Damn. Anyway, I took a bus over to the DMV to change the title, paid the sales tax and filing fees, and then he called. I went back over and got an estimate: a few hundred dollars to replace gaskets and check pressure on the cooling system. For an additional $25 he'll pull out a dent on the passenger side and check my brakes and tires. Sure. Long story short, I have my car, he says it's a good car, reliable and solid, and shouldn't have any other problems for a long time. Good to know. But oh how I hate dealing with things I do not understand. Why can't we fly in jet packs yet (yeah, like I'd understand how that works)?