Blergh. Stayed up too late, woke up late, and I'm feeling super avoidy because I have to deal with my car this morning. I'm trying to decide between two mechanics (both recommended by friends, both in the neighborhood) and am stuck in my classic decision paralysis. What if I pick the wrong one?

Okay. Call supvr to say I'm dealing with car first thing (esp since the weather is iffy), pick a mechanic (flip a coin if necessary) and make the call, go from there. Ready, set, go.

If you don't want to go with first instinct on the mechanics (my first choice), then pick a objective measure like exact distance from home, or google reviews.

smonster, I don't know if Park Place Tire & Auto is one of the places you are considering, but I love them. Also, GR (formerly ER) Automotive, which we found on RS's recommendation. (The reason we switched from GR to Park Place is that we needed work done over the week of the 4th of July and GR was closed that entire week.) Honestly, if your choice is between those two I don't think you can lose.

Sorry I didn't think to give you recs before.

Nora, yes! I just talked to Park Place. Now I have to see if I can get my car to limp a block and a half to them, so I don't have to get another tow (which would be covered by insurance, I think). I wish I'd thought to ask for recs Friday night before I got the original tow, but oh well.

Laura, I'm curious about your onion allergy. Like, how did you know it's an allergy? I ask because I am super sensitive to onions, as are my mom and brother. My brother actually vomits if he eats them accidentally. I get really really sick but it's been getting worse as I get older. Anyway, I've never figured out if its an allergy or a sensitivity or what the difference is.

Regardless, not being able to eat onions sucks because they are in everything.

Regardless, not being able to eat onions sucks because they are in everything.

So true! JZ has developed an intolerance to them as they "give her the wind something fierce." But it's tough especially because she's a veg/pescetarian and I was using onions a lot to flavor soups and sautees and chili for her.

As with Laura, I compensate by using more garlic, but obviously that's a different flavor and I can't add them in sufficient bulk to really build up a stock the way I used to.

JZ is really pretty open to anything I make, but it does get tricky because she's actively allergic to avocado, can't eat onions, and doesn't like peas and carrots.

I've pretty much given up cooking with onions. It started with eliminating them for the intersitial cystitis and I added them back but wan't really keen on the flavor and I felt better when I was eating them.

Instead I use lots of garlic or depending on the dish I'll use fennel. It's not oniony tasting but it adds a nice flavor and cooked down has a similar texture to onions.

I have read a couple of nutrition websites that suggested that people with reactions to onions that are bad but not clearly allergic may be okay with Walla Walla and Maui Sweet -- unfortunately, most of the markets I've been to just separate them into red, yellow and white. I'm kind of thinking of just buying seeds at the hardware store and seeing if we can grow them ourselves.

Onions upset my stomach, especially raw onions. Red are the worst. Vidalias seem to be the best, but I'm also biased on that.

Had to run errands for work, finally going to try to move my car.

Good luck today!!