38 For 38

So here's the update on the lingering problem of TigerBlog's car air conditioner:

To review, TB's air conditioner stopped working for one day in early June or so before working fine after that for a few more weeks. Then it started going in and out, and it didn't work for much longer than it did.

TB took it over to Ron, where most of the OAC people take their cars, who tried a stop-gap fix, which lasted about three days before the AC broke again. This led to a weekend of simply unbearable conditions as TB drove back and forth to Long Island.

He took the car to Connecticut Monday, and the AC worked fine on the way up and not at all on the way back, which included going through New York City at rush hour.

So back it was to Ron Tuesday morning. This time it was clear that a new compressor was necessary. Total bill: around $1,000.

Plus, the car needs, as part of regular wear and tear, new tires and new rear brakes. Bill for that: around $700 or $800.

The car has 145,000 miles on it, and TB has one payment left.

And so this was the dilemma: invest nearly $2,000 into a car that has 145,000 miles on it or trade it in and start over while the car still has some value.

Complicating matters is the fact that TigerBlog Jr. is less than six months away from getting his license, and a beat-up car that's still in fairly good shape seems like a good car for him.

Plus, even with a $2,000 investment, the money saved by not having a car payment could cover it in less than six months.

On the other hand, that $2,000 would be a good start for a down payment on a new car.

In the end, TB decided to stay with his car, put the money into it and hope for the best.

And while he's on the subject, why did the AC have to go in the beginning of the summer? Why couldn't it have gone at the end of the summer, when it wouldn't have been as big a deal?

Instead, the troubles began just when the weather started getting hot and have continued into the hottest days of the summer. Right now is around the midpoint between the end of last athletic year and the start of the new one, though the exact date is hard to calculate.

Are you counting the last actual game a Princeton team played? Or are you talking about the end of the track and field championships, when a handful of Princeton athletes were competing? And are you talking about a cross country meet Aug. 31 as the first event of this year, or are you talking about the first games, which are a week later?

Either way, yesterday was Day 1 of Princeton's "38 Days, 38 Sports" series, which will be a preview of each team for its coming season.

The series began with baseball. It includes a look at the head coach, the program history, the top current players and some basic program information for the new year.

It's a good idea, the brainchild of the OAC's Andrew Borders (who also takes his car to Ron). It's the perfect series for the summer, when the news is a little slower and there are no events.

TB has always been surprised by how much news actually cycles through the webpage during the summer, considering that most of the information on the site during the year is specific to games, whether they be previews, recaps or rankings/player of the week stuff - none of which happens during the summer.

Still, it's always good to come up with something new, and the 38/38 idea does that. And it should peak interest for each program for the coming year.

It started with baseball. Today is field hockey. Tomorrow is football. Next week features women's tennis, men's heavyweight rowing, women's basketball, men's outdoor track and field and women's open rowing.

It continues with one each business day, up until the opening day of the 2013-14 year.

By which time the weather will have started to cool, TB's car will be paid off - and he'll be left to hope that it lasts for awhile longer now that he's written a $2,000 check.