What's Wrong With This Picture ?

 What's wrong with this picture?

I mean other than the lighting is flat, the composition is crap, and it's a little difficult to read. (A photo 'reads' when it's easy to see what it is of or trying to convey. I mean can you tell that's Dad's bench with his hiking stick propped up in it looking out over the pond way over there all alone in the far corner? Probably not!)

Well I'll tell you what's wrong - The Van is missing!

I dropped it off 100 miles away for an oil change, a glaring red Safety Restraint System light, and an emissions recall.

Before doing so I moved some of the stuff I use most every day from The Van to the workbench.

The hand-weights I use for my workouts, the fully loaded pack I carry during my laps around the property, the sunscreen and bug-juice I apply every morning (It's been a really wet summer around here so the bugs are baaadd!) the folder of un-worked sumuko puzzles, and my portable DVD player with a full charge and a fresh - well nearly fresh - disk which is part of the lecture-series entitled What Darwin Didn't Know. The Modern Science of Evolution, Oh, and my go-to-town hat as well.

What I didn't remember was my go-to-town rain-jacket. (Did I mention that it's been a really wet summer around here?)

I dropped The Van off day before yesterday and not only is she not coming home today, I'm still waiting to get the service inspection checklist back from the service advisor. (Last night he promised it by this morning. Well it's already nearly 0630 and I still haven't heard!!)

I feel like I'm missing a limb. Like my balance isn't quite right, like my life is in a sort of limbo.

I know. Pretty pathetic isn't it. But The Van is a big part of my life. It's my man-cave, my bug-out bag, my sanctuary, my partner-in-adventure, and I'm really feeling that hole there beside the barn where she belongs.

There are only 6 thirty minute lectures on that DVD and I'd already watched one of them before this vehicular postpartum started. You don't think they'll keep her more than 5 days do you?!!!

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It actually turned out to be 9 days before I was allowed to go bail her out!!! I believe that was due in part to the fact that my service advisor only works 2 out of every three days and I suspect nothing got done on The Van when he wasn't there. But to be fair, the SRS light was a broken wire and I know from lots of experience that those can be a bitch to track down.)