Never mind, the car still sucks

   

Yes, I drove it around yesterday.  I drove it around today and then, the check engine light came back on and the heat started going up.  You know the little thermometer symbol on the heat gauge? It never went above that because I was fast and observant (paranoid and hysterical, more like.)  Still, it was climbing.  I had 2 houses left when this happened.  I turned the car off and the girls and I sat for ~10min.  Then we went to house #1, a few blocks away.  No problem.  Left house #1 and after a few blocks, the heat started creeping up.  Pulled over and waited again.  Lady and her children arrived home during our wait and were slightly confused as to why there was a family sitting in front of her house.  Didn't feel like getting out and explaining and she didn't asks so she'll never know what was up with the weirdo and her pink & green haired children. 

After waiting, started off again, had about 4.5 miles to get home.  Last house was on the way (honestly, it was 3.5 blocks off the direct route home) and the car was behaving so I stopped and snagged it.  Car was off for ~5min while I did the house.  Started driving, all was well.  Then about 1 mile from home, the heat started creeping up again.  I coasted and it went back down.  Started accelerating again, all was fine and I drove the rest of the way home with no problems.

So, WTF is wrong with my car? And why in the name of all the gods can't someone figure out what is wrong? I have only had my car for 3 days out of the last 10, and 2 of those days it has misbehaved! I really don't think it's a head gasket because the darn problem is so intermittent.  But what else is there left that could be wrong? I just don't know what is wrong but I DO know that it is seriously stressing me out.