Friday, August 31, 2012

Another loaner

Anyone who reads this blog knows I had to juggle an incredible surfeit of appointments over a week ago, one of which was getting a loaner-car so my Honda CR-V could be serviced.
I’m alone now, and I can’t wait more than about 45 minutes.
It takes 25 minutes just to get to the service-dealer, and then 25 minutes to get back home.
A long wait translates into abandoning my dog in the house longer than I’d like.
The required service might have taken two hours or more, then there was a “check-engine” problem that might need correction.
The service might take all day.
Enter loaner.

I did this often even while my wife was alive. I’d wait if I could, but if the wait might be too long, I’d get a loaner.
Now it was my 2005 Toyota Sienna All-Wheel-Drive van that needed a major service, and I couldn’t wait for it.
I still have the two cars we previously had. I’d like to trade down to only one, but I have no gumption at all. It’s like my wife’s death vaporized it. I barely exist.
I’d need a loaner.
But this time the loaner wouldn’t be pressed into service working out at the YMCA, or doing errands.
In fact, all I did was drive home and rescue my dog in the house.
The service took only that morning, not all day.
So I was able to drive back that afternoon.
But the service took place on a Wednesday, day of my grief-share.
That meant abandoning the dog in the house three times in one day, first delivering the van for service, second driving back the loaner to pick up the van, and lastly the grief-share.
Three times in one day is extreme.
I considered taking my dog along in the loaner to pick up my van, but they don’t allow pets.

• The “CR-V” is my 2003 Honda CR-V SUV.
• My beloved wife of 44 years died of cancer April 17, 2012. She was 68. I miss her dearly.
• I work out in the Canandaigua YMCA Exercise-Gym, appropriately named their “Wellness-Center,” usually two-three days per week, about two-three hours per visit. (“Canandaigua” [“cannan-DAY-gwuh”] is a small city to the east nearby where I live in western NY. The city is also within a rural town called “Canandaigua.” The name is Indian, and means “Chosen Spot.” It’s about 14 miles away. —I live in the small rural town of West Bloomfield in Western NY, southeast of Rochester.)
• My current dog is “Scarlett” (as in “Scarlett O’Hara”) a rescue Irish-Setter. She’s seven, and is our sixth Irish-Setter, a high-energy dog. (A “rescue Irish Setter” is an Irish Setter rescued from a bad home; e.g. abusive or a puppy-mill [Scarlett was from a failed backyard breeder]. By getting a rescue-dog, I avoid puppydom, but the dog is often messed up. —Scarlett isn't bad.)

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