You know it's time for your car to break down when...
* Your warranty has expired.
* You've just received a tax refund that you planned to use for something fun.
* You've just gotten your other family car running good.
* Summer heat in Fresno has arrived.
It never fails. Cars have an uncanny sense of timing - last Friday, just ahead of what was expected to be the hottest weekend of the year so far, my AC went out.
I noticed it on my way in to work. And right after that, I noticed that my odometer and my speedometer had also ceased to function.
My husband tried replacing the fuse that controls all three of those things, and they came back to life briefly. Then the new fuse blew too, and they died again.
I think I can live without the odometer - it just stresses me out to know how much mileage is on my 7-year-old Ford minivan. The speedometer is occasionally necessary, like when I'm flying down the freeway on my way to work.
But I cannot live without my air conditioning. Not in Fresno. So after a weekend of greatly curtailed errands so I wouldn't have to drive in the heat, my van is in the shop. Let's hope the news isn't too bad.