You just haven't earned it yet, baby.

Let's start with the high points, so we can fall from higher up:

Spontaneous Four-Tier Rental Upgrade Avis had no subcompacts, or compacts, or mid-sizeds, or somethingelses, so we got a Toyota Land Yacht at no additional cost. That there's my Cosby-sweatered dad.

First Sighting Here's my new Olds, as I saw it for the first time, waiting in the seller's driveway.

It all went downhill from there. As expected, the car needs more work than, um, expected. About all I can say is that the engine runs very well.

The really important thing is that I'm home now, but the car is somewhere in Pennsylvania, a mile or two from where the transmission blew. After some deep breaths, I called the seller, and slowly persuaded him to pay for a new one, though he was under no legal obligation. The money has already been transferred. This softens the blow some, but not much. Labor won't be cheap.

Airfare, hotel charges, vacation time, anticipation, incidental expenses... gone. I rented another car, drove it to an Amtrak station, and came home. The Olds is dead in eastern PA, and it needs a new transmission. Maybe I'll get to drive it next year.

This all feels so normal now. I went out and took a risk, knowing it wasn't a particularly practical idea, and here's the result. I thought I was due for something good.