Luckily, I didn't ram into anything... which is nothing short of a miracle. I had just gotten off the freeway and was driving along Grand Avenue, which is full of ill-timed stoplights (which, in hindsight, is a godsend because it means I wasn't going too fast when the brakes went out).

Before it happened, I was giddy about the balmy weather and "Face to Face" by Souxsie and the Banshees playing on the CD player. How ironic.

I immediately drove carefully over to the auto shop across the street from my office (my favorite auto shop in the bay area) and told Rod, "I know I don't have an appointment, but my brakes just gave out two blocks ago." He said they were totally booked for today, but that they could work on it Monday. So I left my car there for the weekend.

Drats!

I called M and told him the story and then said, "It looks like we're taking your car this weekend, doesn't it?" We have reservations at a B&B in Jenner, 12 miles north of Bodega Bay. I'm taking him there to celebrate his birthday, which was last weekend when I was in Florida. We're going to take our mountain bikes and hiking shoes and spend both days this weekend out in the sunshine. I'm really looking forward to it.

I dragged myself home from work last night with the most incredible headache I've had in a long time. It's one of those headaches where you feel like your eyes have glazed over and you're drooling. Hell, maybe I was drooling. I was in such pain I wouldn't have known if I was.

I was practically unconscious on the bus ride home last night. I blocked everything out and focused on making it home in one piece. Once at home, I immediately took Excedrin Migraine and flopped down on my bed. Then I called the Chinese restaurant down the street and placed a "to go" order, complete with Tsingtao (great for self-medicating a headache).

After dinner, I took a hot bath and was in my cozy bed fast asleep by 9:45. Today I feel well-rested, but have that "bruised head" feeling... the residual effect of my headaches.

If I can just get through today, I will be happy.