I can laugh about this now, right?

Goodness...WHERE to start...well, first of all, we've been having MAJOR issues with our van lately, as some of you know, and it's our only car, making it even more of a priority to get it fixed. So, we take it in a few weeks ago because it's been smelling really strongly of gas. They notice that there is a recall on the fuel something-or-other (from back in '99), and the dealership fixes it for free. We get it back, and no gas smell anymore, but chugging along and backfiring going on...SO, we get a new fuel filter and get the spark plugs and wires replaced, hoping THAT might resolve it's issues...but NO...still chuggin' along...The dealership tells us that they will diagnose it for free (since it may have been caused by them replacing the fuel something-or-other). The diagnosis is brain cancer... (or the computer needs to be replaced). $695...and we've already put around $400 into it. So, we decide that we can drive it around chugging along for another week until we have the money to get it fixed...
Now, THIS is the "exciting" part... :) A few days later, I'm driving back from my parent's house at 11:30 at night. It's dark and raining and I have one headlight working...so I'm already handicapped. I get off the exit and turn onto the road for home (still about 10 miles away), and the power steering goes out! I'm thinkin' "okay...WHAT is going on..." THEN, the battery light comes on and the heater starts making loud whining sounds. I turn the heater off, which no longer provides defogging for the windshield, and then the temperature guage lights up. My first thought was the belt (which Ric just had replaced a month ago). And then I'm thinking, I don't have a phone, so I have to get somewhere that has a phone. So, I'm driving along state street and NO gas stations are open...one headlight is working, it's raining and the window is now fogged up and I'm wiping it with my sleeve. ALL the girls are awake while I'm freaking out...So, about a mile later (which seems like 10 miles) we find a gas station open and I pull over and turn off the car asap. I go in and call for a ride. We all get home okay, and some great men in our ward tow our car the next day and get it fixed. The new belt had ripped in half somehow...and this is all taking place while Ric is away working in California...I am SO independent now...lol...
Side story: because our van wasn't running, and I wasn't sure when it would be fixed, I arranged for Brooklyn to be picked up for her first day of preschool. We suprisingly got our van fixed in time for her first day, but I still just planned on someone picking her up. She has been SO excited to start school (and so have I...lol). I wanted it to be a special day for her. SO, we're sitting at the house looking at the clock, and no ride...we have 3 minutes to get her there (about a 5 minute drive). So, I pack everyone up in the now-running van and run around to get in...my door is a little frozen shut, so I give it a little tug, and it opens. I get in and the door will not shut! lol...Ya, you're KIDDING me! I drive the whole way, holding my door shut...We get to preschool (10 minutes late), and Brooklyn's ride shows up right behind us saying, "we stopped by, but you guys weren't there!" I'm like, "what TIME did you stop by?" (HeLLO)...man, oh man...Then I rush back to go visiting teaching, which I am 1/2 hour late for by now...it just threw off my whole day...
phew! SO glad that day is over with...I'm SLOWLY finding this funny...