Radio head

So I got in my car this afternoon to drive to pick up Phoebe ...

And my radio wasn't working.

Hmm. Interesting.

I thought maybe the volume was turned down. But when I turned the volume dial up, there was still no sound coming from the radio.

I started driving anyway, hoping at some point the radio would just produce some music. Some sound. Anything.

But it never did.

Did I miss something? Did all of the radio stations go off the air in protest of something? Is it a Labor Day weekend thing? Was there a federal mandate issued? Is there some sort of national emergency happening that I don't know about?

The more I drove, the more uncomfortable the silence in my car made me.

I cannot drive -- no, I cannot live without a radio in my car. It's not just the music I'd miss, but the Cubs and Brewers games, the zany morning shows.

Did my radio just die of old age? Couldn't be, my car isn't that old. But maybe that's what happened. How does that happen anyway? Great, what if I have to get a completely new radio? How much does that cost? Am I going to have to replace the speakers, too? The whole stereo system?

Maybe I just blew a fuse.

That happened to me once when I was making the 10-hour drive from Missouri to Wisconsin. I drove almost the entire route with my windows half down and no radio -- and through a rainstorm in the final stretch -- after I blew a fuse that controlled the power windows, power locks and stereo.

So I tried putting down the windows.

Yep, they still work. It's not a blown fuse.

Sigh.

I kept driving and finally arrived at Phoebe's daycare ... Within a couple minutes of getting out of the car and seeing her playing, I forgot about the radio. I chatted with her caretaker, then gathered Phoebe's things and started strapping her into the car seat.

Then I took my place in the driver's seat and pulled out of the driveway. Once I had the car turned forward, I tried the radio again ...

Counting Crows blared through the car, startling both Phoebe and I.

I reset the volume, sighed in relief and started driving home. Happily.