i am watching the psychedelic sequence from kubrick's 2001, feeling beat up after a hard week that culminated with my car's experiencing ignition problems when i was ready to leave work for home this afternoon.
as i write this, the car is at the dealer's service center, almost certain to take a huge chomp out of next week's paycheck, but i have no idea what's wrong with the car, so the dealer was the only option.
this morning its electronics behaved erratically, the left turn signal beating arhythmically + the clock + odometer lights remaining on after the ignition was turned off.
i was scared it might break down on the highway, in the early morning darkness, with a cold rainstorm all about.
i hate automobiles.
i specifically hate dependency on automobiles.
i'm not a guy who takes pride in his wheels. i don't think cars are sexy. all i ask is that they operate as intended.
luckily, the breakdown occurred while i was still at work.
it took aaa an hour and a half to reach me--nice guy, an ex-marine, with a tow truck.
i spent over $1500 two years ago at this dealership getting a super-duper maintenance package that was supposed to solve an earlier electronics problem that i still drove home with, three times (the mechanics were never able to detect the problem).
all my friends are out of town, except for one, who may need be my ride back to the dealer's tomorrow.
anyway i'm feeling particularly sympathetic with astronauts bowman + poole, cocooned in a mechanized reality, totally at the mercy of a supposedly 'foolproof' technology.
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