It would appear that my blog comment system just went out of business. And two weeks ago I paid for a year's worth of service. Rats.

Speaking of going belly up, our trusty van is headed for the scrap pile. I've always joked about driving a vehicle until it just wouldn't go anymore, then pushing it off a cliff. Well, I was at the bottom of a hill when this one's transmission (confirmed by a mechanic this afternoon) died, so the opportunity didn't present itself. Now what to do?

[UPDATE] My comments service (backblog) was just tired and needed to rest for 12 hours or so. They seem to be back.