I was driving cross-country -- to what end, I'm not sure.  I arrived in the city where I went to college and got to the Lingermans' house just as they were leaving to go to the ranch.  It seems I had about a week before continuing my trip, or returning, or whatever my plans were, and I told them I thought maybe I should drive up to my hometown and visit Grandpa and Grandma.  The Lingermans were already backing their VW out of the driveway, and they very sarcastically, for some reason, quoted what I had earlier written or told them, that I would spend that week in my hometown "visiting relatives."  Maybe they were sarcastic because what I had just told them sounded like a feeble excuse to get away, while I had already told them before that it was legitimate.   Anyway, I thought it was quite out of keeping with their character, and I was annoyed.  Still in my old college town, I believe, I left my car somewhere to have some work done on it.  When the end of the day approached, I was downtown looking on newsstands for Consumer Reports-more to tell me how to get to the place where my car was than to find out what was wrong with it.  I was afraid of not finding the place before it closed.  Without the car, I would have to walk enormous distances or take the bus, and the bus service was lousy, I knew.