My bags are packed, I'm ready to go

Car is working. I'm all packed. I've said my goodbyes, and most people think I'm already in Marfa, but really I'm driving down I-35 heading out of town. I'm drinking my coffee and enjoying John Aeilli and not really feeling too emotional, or out of sorts, considering this is what I would be doing on any old weekday anyway. Then I hear a strange noise. Then no power steering... hmmm, that's kind of shady while driving down I-35 at 75 mph. I make my way to the right hand lane...oh jeeze overheating... I hit the access road, turn off on a country road, pull in to the grass and shut that shit down. I pop the hood and there is smoke and a little poof of flame. Once the smoke cleared, I saw this:

In the process of investigating the fire under the hood, I hopped in to mound of fire ants on the ground. My car is smoking, and ants are biting me in the ass, and I am wondering what deed has brought this karmic tax upon me.

The power steering pulley has completely pulled away from the pump. And the scene of the crime is exactly above where the fuel pump was replaced the day before. I saved a shredded ball bearing and waited for a tow. I repeat over and over,"I have a hard time believing that this is a coincidence."

I took this picture of the car on the tow truck to go in a set with the picture of the car getting a new fuel pump in Corpus after a 30 mile off road beach trek, and another pic of the car in the shop in Junction, Texas on the way to Marfa for Memorial Day weekend last year. For all the unpleasantness, and the (still suspicious to me) diagnosis that the less than 2 yr old power steering pump just failed, because "its an old car and things like this happen." I sat in a garage in New Braunfels for 3 hours in a greasy camp chair waiting for my car.

By the time I get on I-10 it's about 2 pm. It's hot and my AC doesn't work (yes, I need a new evaporator which costs $1100 in addition to the $1500 I've put in this old girl in the last week) my highly anticipated chocolate- covered-espresso-bean trail mix has melted, I'm filthy from spending the morning in a greasy camp chair in an auto repair shop, and it's clear to me that I am not making it to my destination in the desert (Hueco Tanks) tonight. I'm hell bent on making good time, so I just press on. Sweaty, dirty, hungry and tired and I'm not even to Kerrville yet.