I Miss The Bob

The Bob is my car. Was my car, I should say. When he first came into my life, five years ago, I was not yet past the point when I still found it necessary to name everything I owned. Stuffed animals, computers, rubber bouncy balls... Anyway, my car became the Bob. Totally unoriginal, I know, but the Bob has become an institution. Back home, and up here. Many memorable things happened/were said in the Bob. Road trips across the state (and beyond), dozens of Waffle House runs, a few beer runs (B-double E-double R-U-N-- BEER RUN!), and a couple heart-to-heart chats. Even if I get a new car and name it the Bob, it just won't be the same.

And what hurts the most was the manner of the Bob's betrayal. If he would have broken down on the side of a safe, two lane road, I would be more ok with this. However, the Bob chose to break down as I was driving up a very dangerous stretch of interstate, straight up a mountain. No exit ramps, no medians. All I could do was wait on the granny next to me (going the same speed I was, and at that point I think I was going 20 mph in a 55) to realize that my hazards were on for a REASON, pull over to the slow lane for trucks, hope that I wouldn't get hit in the process, and wait for the cement barrier to end so I could pull into the grass.

We sat on the side of the road for an hour, waiting on tow truck guy to show. I had to deal with my parents freaking out and telling me that they were on the way (thanks mom, but you can't help me now!), friends calling only to say that they were really sorry, but no, they couldn't come pick us up, and my traveling companions trying to cheer me up. All I could do was sit in the drivers' seat, watching all the cars pass by, and think "Wow, G-d must really hate me today."

Finally tow truck guy showed up. And of course the minute that the Bob was on the truck, a cop pulled over and asked if we needed anything. The ride over to the body shop was not fun. There wasn't enough room for all of us in the cab, so S had to sit on my lap. We eventually made it back to school, safe and sound.

Now, all I have to do is figure out how I'm going to get to intro class and services this week. Having a car isn't everything, but it makes things so much easier.