Woke up this morning to a snuffling dog. Apparently Barb had car problems and was leaving a message on the answering machine for Sadie to wake me up. Barb's car had overheated, and she needed me to come get her. Threw on some clothes, got some antifreeze that I had premixed down in the basement and started the trek.
Looks like the coolant pump is starting the long slow slide to oblivion; there was some coolant leaking onto the exhaust manifold, which was all ugly and smelly. Wasn't actually overheating. Refilled the radiator and coolant reservoir and drove home without incident. Stopped and bought some more coolant so now there are two gallons of premix ready, along with a bottle of Bars Leaks with the hope that it will buy some time until car repairs become more affordable.

Cooking up some beef stew tonight. Trying something, roasting the potatoes first.