Excellent news: T and I solved our refrigerator problem on our own. After I discovered that the air-flow ducts between the compartments were plugged with frost, T unloaded the food into coolers and we defrosted overnight. Now everything works perfectly. Also all of the frozen food stayed frozen, so I didn't lose any of my hard work.

Other good news: A stalwart friend has offered me her car for Monday and Tuesday so I can get to Monson without a rental.

Moderately okay news: I found a repair guy who promises to fix the car's steering next Wednesday, a week earlier than the dealer could even look at it.

Unhappy news: A rack-and-pinion job costs $2,000. Tom, who for some reason is playing Mr. Look-on-the-Bright-Side in this farce, points out that the dealer would likely charge twice as much. So we are pretending to be delighted.

I have been having fantasies of giving up the car altogether, but that isn't feasible, with my parents in Vermont and my job in the hinterlands. But I am not altogether unhappy to be carless for a few days. The library is today's only errand, and I can walk there. If I decide I need a few groceries, they are around the corner, but house and garden are already well stocked.

Last night for dinner I braised chicken thighs with Vidalia onions, sweet peppers, garlic, and oregano. I made a salad of two kinds of tomatoes: greeny-red cherries and bright-red Brandywines. I baked a chard tian. I steamed a pot of arborio rice. I made a quick apple pie, using leftover pie dough I'd stowed in the freezer. No need for driving anywhere. The food was all here.

I spent much of yesterday (when I wasn't housecleaning or blowing my nose or consorting on the telephone with various repair people) focused on my current editing project. And I did manage to finish the chapter, which means that I can devote the bulk of today's work hours to class prep and my Baron essay. The dream of working on a poem is still a dream.