Part 2/7:
The first order of business when I got behind the wheel was cleaning up the mess inside the car. With dust covering everything—thanks to my windows being accidentally left down during a storm—I knew I had to start with a vacuum. But there were deeper issues at hand. The dust got into my window button mechanisms which prevented them from working, and I couldn't shift my car out of park without manipulating a special button.
Adding to the drama, my car was also experiencing overheating issues. I suspected the problem stemmed from a coolant leak, and as such, I made a beeline for Walmart to grab some coolant. Unfortunately, with every red light I encountered, I could almost hear my engine complaining under the heat. To my relief, the engine didn't end up blowing while I was stuck in traffic.