Good news, my car isn't broken! Mechanic (had to go to a different one than my usual) said it was just water from the AC on a hot day. I could've sworn those puddles had a chemical sheen, but whatever. Aggravating bit was him charging $20 to get it on the platform and find out. That would've been whatever, but the mechanic's mood being barely concealed disgust coupled with a perpetual scowl didn't make me inclined to visit his business again. Being annoyed is one thing. Holding your customers in contempt is another. *Deep Breath*

Fun and annoying news in equal measure: I think my cat is trying emotionally manipulate me. I forgot to feed her a can of wet food before I went to bed (like I usually do). I fed her wet food that morning and she still had some dry food in the bowl, so the cat was not starving. I wake up about 5:30am to unmistakable sound of a hairball being upchucked from her sleeping area. I get up and find her waiting at her food bowl with an inquisitive chirp sent my way. No sign of illness. No hairball, even. Just a "Where's breakfast?" look on her face. This is the third time she done it. I don't know whether to be irritated or slightly impressed. Maybe both?

Finally, not really anything to do with anything in my life, but I thought it was fun. I watched a documentary on the octopus. Always found the creatures fascinating, but this documentary deepened that. Did you know that most of an octopus' brainpower is in its tentacles? And that those tentacles can work independently of the "main brain?" How would that work, cognitively? What would actual consciousness look like to one of these guys? On a related note, octopi are great problem solvers. There's plenty of videos about where they solve puzzles and complete tests and actually plan ahead. My favorite involved an octopus tasked with getting lunch out of a baby bottle with one of those rubber nipples on the top. He was able to get some tentacles in, but couldn't get the fish out, no matter how hard he tried. Eventually, in what I can only describe as an act of frustration, he grabs the top of the bottle, rips the rubber nipple off, grabs his lunch and gets out of there! Fascinating.