Addendum To: I have a goal of really cutting down my expenses. ..."

So the diagnosis for the oil leaks came back: There are cracks everywhere in the engine, and possibly even one in the transmission.  I had a similar issue about five years ago, and I managed to get them all fixed over a couple occasions.  I don't think any of these leaks were the ones from 2007, thus eliminating the possibility that I could go back to the guys who did the '07 fixes and tell them to do it again (even though making them do it for free probably is a tall order, seeing that it was five years ago).

The guy who gave me the bad news did give me a priority: There is a bolt on the transmission housing that is loose.  But to get to it would be very invasive: They would have to pull out the transmission to see for sure if it's just a bolt, because there are clamps that could be loose, and there's no telling what else could be wrong that they couldn't see just from looking up into it.  I had the fucking transmission replaced entirely after it went kaput on me on my way to work at Xcel in 2004 or 2005.  Not saying that the replacement has proved to be shitty, I just don't want to revisit that bad memory.

I'm guessing here, but there might be a bright side.  The guy tells me that, as of now, the levels for both the oil and transmission are good.  (By the way, they found nothing in regards to the power steering and coolant.  Even though I continue to refill it, they both are apparently OK.)  He said in a previous visit that the car runs great for one that age, it's just leaky as shit.  When the levels are low, that's when I've got problems.  OK, I can deal with that.  I just don't know if my folks will put up with seeing the car essentially shit itself every other night.

I should have asked how much it cost, but because I took the news of the numerous leaks so hard, I was too shell-shocked to ask; too much bad information at one time.  I should have; if it's going to be, like, more than a grand, I don't know if I want to fix it.  And with the Benz parked next to the house and my brother having what seems to be a coterie of used cars he doesn't know what to do with ... well ... I hate to say it, but maybe it makes too much sense to, you know ... junk the car?

Well, at least with my parents now on vacation I can use the minivan.  Let my car rest for a couple days.  And hey, at least the diagnosis cost less than $50.