Dateline: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Apparently no one is having sex anymore, at least according to Viola, who is 49 but looks 36, and was in charge of playing that game you always play when you give blood; you know the one. It's called "How many degrees of separation are you from having done it with a diseased monkey in the last week/month/since 1980?"

Trying to save V some time, I let her in on the fact that it has now been years since I've done it with a man, never mind a monkey. V told me that a lot of the people she'd talked to today said the same thing. So the area is undergoing a dry spell; it's not just me.

In other McPolack news, giving blood meant an entry into a raffle for World Series tickets for tomorrow's game; if I win them, I am hoping to sell them for a grand or so, to cover the cost of the new transmission I was told I'm going to need "soon" by the kindly fellow who inspected my car today. I do not know if it was the drive through the mountains that did it or just wear and tear, but g-d, I do not have money for that at the moment. So it's fingers crossed that my sweet girl Phyllis keeps her tranny working until such time as I can afford to fix her up.

The inspection was an interesting event itself. I went to a place around the corner from me, and the owner, when he saw me sitting with my crossword puzzle, said "What, are you doing your homework?" When I told him no, he sat down across from me and said "Tell me all about yourself!"

So I did. The guy who was inspecting my car came in when the inspection was done and, upon hearing I had given up on dating said "I really like women!" He was clearly offering himself up for a date. Meanwhile the auto body shop owner, who was delightful, was telling me about marriage -- he's been with his wife for 32 years -- and about how you should just be upfront about yourself right off the bat. "You want sex? OK. You don't want sex? That's OK, too. Just be honest." He told me he got married young but it was the right choice for him because look at him now, he gets to sit around all day and talk to pretty girls. After I paid for my inspection and to have a headlight replaced, I sat and chatted with him awhile longer, because he asked me to and because he's a good person. And a reliable mechanic, thank God. I've got a good sniffer for these things.