Vehicular Update

Short version: I have my car and she goes (up hill as well as down). I've put off the big money work but she will need it :( poor poorly car.

Long Version:
I set off for the garage Monday morning (after a phone call on a terrible line to a man I couldnt really hear talking. He said something that sounded vaguely positive so i set off). Rosie was making some rather strange noises, not unlike someone rattling a bag of nails :( so I drove slowly and careful and didn't make any sudden movements. Which meant I missed the turning for the garage and as I was turing round realised that it felt like I was trying to steer a tank, that was full of cement.

I revised my prediction of what is wrong to definately the power steering, and handed her over to be inspected. The burly knight in greasy overalls rang back a couple of hours later. I still couldnt really hear him but there appeared to be options. Either patch or possibly top it up (very bad phone line) or pay him £235 and not have my car for two days. Top her up I said (though I didn't know with what, or why yet).

The leak is from the power steering rack, which after some google searching I can confirm has something to do with the power steering (again I have a tiny bit of car knowledge). The encylopedia of google also informed me that it can be much much more expensive to fix (though that also makes me nervous...why so cheap? will it actually be fixed or will he simply wrap duct tape round it and take my money yelling "sucker!". Then I feel bad for thinking badly of him, of society, of the universe etc etc etc)

So thank you all for your kind thoughts, prayers and postive vibes. I have been able to get back to work, and drive to my parents' so I won't have to miss a friend's funeral tomorrow (a bigger worry than work to be honest). My plan is to get the car properly fixed next week because I have an office day then. Until then my boot contains a handy bottle of power steering fluid (which is the same stuff they put in your car's gears...you learn something new!)