Today we went to the Wolf Trap box office to pick up some tickets for shows that aren’t until April. (This one and this one.) It feels weird planning something so short so far in advance. One plans vacations in advance, but a show? How does Wolf Trap even know they will be having the show? Are shows usually sold so far in advance? Weird. We also stopped at a yarn shop called Uniquities.

We tried going to Costco to get my tire replaced, but it turns out 1998 Saturn sedans were made with a bizarre special tire that is no longer available. Cooper Tires makes one that matches the original, but they didn’t have it at Costco. Fortunately the mechanic who helped us mentioned a shop up the road that would have the Cooper tires. So we headed up to Craven Tire & Auto - it was easy to find - and sure enough they were able to do it. A wasn’t sure about patronizing a Christian auto repair shop; they had a sign up that said “our mission is to serve God by providing quality auto service” and a “spiritual literature center” with pamphlets and free NIV bibles. I didn’t care, though - our only other option was the Saturn dealership, and I knew they’d charge more for it. We went to a Chinese restaurant while they fixed the tire, and only had to wait about 10 minutes after returning before my car was done. The total cost for two tires (we should have replaced all four but couldn’t afford it, so we just did the front ones) and the installation was about $160. The tires were $60 each but installation was $18 each, and then they gave us $10 off the total.

Right now we’re watching Neverwhere, which I’d heard was horrible but I’m actually rather enjoying it. I think you have to treat it like the silly British television it is, and look through the acting to the Neil Gaiman story underneath. It’s a good story - I like it so far.