so i’ve been reading a lot lately, which is something i dont normally do. but my boyfriend suggested i read this series of books and now i’m hooked. the first book was monster island then it goes to monster nation and the last monster planet…and these books are like zombies take over…end of the world…watch out for the zombies stuff. not my typical choice for reading but the books are extremely entertaining. and they are a little scary. i’ve been having crazy and bad dreams for like the past week!

mostly dreams about zombies taking over the world and me trying to get away.

last night i had a dream that me along with my whole family was on a hiking trip. something went wrong in the middle of the trip…i dont know what, but for some reason we couldnt go back to the car and we had to keep walking. and we got lost. we were lost for days….i remember in the dream i would text don and let him know were still lost and were still alive but we dont know for how much longer. it was scary!! then in the last part of the dream we go into like this underground tunnel…kinda reminded me of the subway because there were grates in the ceiling like in the sidewalks. for some reason we thought this would lead us home? luckily some people walking above us heard us through the grates and came to rescue us.

so we were rescued and i remember my family and i just sitting in this room and i get this idea that i should write a book about this experience. so i asked my sister if she texted a lot during this experience because maybe we could use some of our texts in the book. and that’s basically all i remember. it was sooo weird!!!

i would have to say out of the books i’ve read these books have been having some kind of weird effect on me. i’m having dreams…and i’m thinking what if this really happened?! but seriously i dont think it could. i guess it didnt help that the first book took place in manhattan and it was so descriptive about the locations that i felt totally creeped out…even though i’ve only lived here for a little over a year, i knew the places the author was describing.

it’s probably not helping that a lot of my reading is being done before bed.

So NYS vehicles have to pass an emissions and safety inspection every year. You go to a licensed inspector and they check it out, if your car passes you get a sticker that you have to put on your windshield, Lower Left Corner (inside)

Yesterday morning I went to Pep-Boys to get my inspection sticker and oil change (PLAN A). Unfortunately my Check Engine Light was on. The reason it was on is because of a bad oxygen sensor in my car that I’ve been driving with for 3 years. The light goes on and off. They said they would need to do a diagnostic check ($9.99) and if they have to fix anything ($99/hour labor + parts) then the car may be able to pass inspection. I pleaded a little saying it is just a sensor that does nothing but all I got was a dumb look of confusion.

Eventually I said, don’t do the inspection, just change my oil.

After work I drove my car to flushing, thinking I can probably get a shady Asian Mechanic to pass my car ignoring the Check Engine Light (PLAN B). Unfortunately I got there too late and the guy was closing. So then I thought… “Gotta go to PLAN C”.

PLAN C.1: In flushing I looked up the nearest AUTOZONE. Autozone does free diagnostics checks. Mechanics charge anywhere from $9.99 to $49.99 for this diagnostics check. So I get to Autozone and the guy comes out to test the Check Engine Light (CEL). He reports that it is of course the Oxygen Sensor. So I say “Hey that’s great, can you reset the Check Engine light too?” To which he replies “We’re not suppose to do that…” So I say “Soooo can you do it anyway?” Eventually he gives up and says “Well we’re not suppose to but I guess its just an oxygen sensor”. He resets it and I’m on my way.

PLAN C.2: With the Check Engine Light now off, I rush over to R&S Strauss and ask them to inspect my car. It Passes! I get sticker and all is good in the world.

Thank You Autozone!