Like an animal

For three days, until yesterday morning, I ignored the Beast. I didn't forget it, of course; i just left it in the garage. It doesn't like that at all.
Rainy weather, wet roads, and study vacation are all to blame for the fact that I haven't driven even 100 km this week. Yesterday, however, the Bonnie was due at the mechanic's for a tire change and a couple small repairs (or so I thought, but more on that farther down) and so in order to get to the last hours of the repetition class for the basics course in real estate management, I got out the Beast.
It always starts just fine, but I was adjusting my helmet strap when the engine burbled lethargically and then died. I started it again, and the same thing would have happened if I hadn't grabbed the gas. I had to keep it between 2500 and 3000 rpm for several minutes to properly wake it up; the exhaust was smoking like the Hagenholz trash burning facility.
On the drive to Baar, the Beast was fussy, as if it had to learn to roll all over again. The ventilator only whirred on in Baar; not five minutes after starting like it usually does. Pete's sakes, it was in the garage for three days, not three months!
Machine indeed. It's an animal that needs daily exercise.

About the Bonnie: I asked Herr Dutli put on the winter tires, replace the stabilizers up front and see if he could figure out what the occasional screeching noise came from up front.
Stabilizers - no problem. Tire change - he said the wheels are in bad shape because of their age and they had to scrub off the rust so the tires would hold properly. Screeching noise - the front brakes are through.
Gulp. I asked what this session would cost and he apologetically guessed between twelve and fourteen hundred franks.
And here I was hoping this stop at the mechanics would cost less than last time's episode with the drive belt.
Oh well, can't be helped. It'd be a pity to let the Bonnie go to wrack and ruin as it is a very faithful car, and I really don't want to buy a pickup now. I would like for my savings account to stay full past the end of the year, see.