What a bummer for your birthday Rita! Car problems huh? Then again, being stuck with Bill is a kind of bummer on a daily basis. You know what I can't take about Bill? On most issues of life, politically, philosophically, and several other "-allys" as well, he seems to be pounding sand down the same rat holes as I am. Then, also like myself, he is verbosity to the umpteenth power. I've also noticed that both of us can write 10,000 words on some silly ass thing or another, pouring forth logic and spewing verbage in sentences and paragraphs which others tire of reading/listening to after the words, "In my opinion." Pathetic as it is, both of us often throw in some two-cent line at the end which sums the whole works up perfectly but after rambling on for so long we are loathe to erase the crappola that preceded it.
How do you stand him? I think women such as yourself and Karen are born with inner ear problems which were left untreated in your childhood and now give you the ability to filter out 99% of what we say while providing us with the illusion that we are intelligent and respected. Karen has developed this into an art form where she is nodding and agreeing and responding with all the right stuff while she actually is making "to do" lists in her head. Behind our backs you give other listeners knowing little smiles and bribe them with cookies to listen to our ramblings without rolling their eyes or dropping off into a sonorous sleep.
I was told that you and Bill got together because you liked his car. Is that true? If so maybe you should have him see about getting a newer version of the same thing since yours has crapped out. That's a really dumb expression isn't it? Crapped out. I mean, what would crapped in entail? If it refers to "in" as "in your pants" then I would think crapped out would be a lot better than crapped in. But you never hear anyone say, "I'm really crapped in," for obvious reasons. Back to the car......
If what I heard was true, he had a bluish green Volvo sedan. I haven't checked Autotrader for your area, but I bet you could find another. It might even rekindle, although I doubt it necessary, your romance. Wasn't it you I heard say, "There's something about an Aqua Volvo man?"