The Perfect Tow Vehicle comes home

Let this be the happy ending . . .

Yesterday I visited my van at the auto electric shop and had a conversation with Larry, the guy who runs the place.  I outlined the sequence of events that resulted in my van being on his lot, and pointed out that it didn’t quite make sense that disconnecting the inverter was all it would take to keep my van from having start problems.  (I again thank Reader Bill for alerting me to this.)  How could it be totally dead and then without any charging of the battery start up with no problem at the garage? 

Larry explained it this way.

In addition to the inverter exerting a pretty powerful draw on the battery, there probably was a loose connection somewhere that prevented the van from starting.  All the jostling to get the van up on the tow truck and off again improved the connection so it started up like a dream.  It could have just been a loose ground wire.

“How many grounds does an engine have?” was my next question.

I think he said only three or four.   I asked that they not only check to see if the van had held its charge, but also to put it up on the rack to check for any loose grounds.  I also asked that they make sure the battery was okay.

I went back to the auto electric place after work today and Larry reported that the Perfect Tow Vehicle (well, not those exact words) passed all checks. After being at the shop from last Saturday until today (Friday), the Perfect Tow Vehicle started like a dream. It sure is good to see the Perfect Tow Vehicle parked here at home again.  I suppose it’s time, I thought, to gave my van a name.

That’s what rv people do…

Give pet names to their vehicle, camper, rv, and such.  To be honest I have never given a name to an inanimate object in my entire life.  I call my Honda Odyssey The Car, as in “Go wait in The Car” or “The Car needs to be washed.”  I might say it with affection, but that’s as far as it goes.  I don’t know if I can do any better than the Perfect Tow Vehicle.

Here’s a mystery I have never been able to figure out.

After a hard day at work and a long commute home, I end up sitting propped up on my bed with this laptop, trying to unwind.  Strewn around me like driftwood on a beach are Spike, Bridget, and Janie fast asleep.  Not just resting . . . deep sleep, snoring, dreaming, kind of sleep.  What I can’t figure out is what the heck have they been doing all day that zonks them out at 6 p.m.?  I’ve been on my feet all day under all kinds of stress and they’ve been lounging around here …. Oh, let’s see.  I think I’ll get up and get a drink and then I’ll . . . oh my, my, it’s time for another nappy-poo.  It’s enough to make me want to give them a shove with my foot.

Hey, who woke me up? Did you kick me? No, I didn't kick you! Go back to sleep.

No.  I wouldn’t do that. 

Hey, it’s a slow news day.

rvsue