How many of you have had to stay away from your wheels for any length of time?
If you have, does it feel like your world has been shot to bits? Because my world sure does.
Its bad enough to have to stay away from my set of wheels back home for extended periods of time. Every time a regular non-resident gets back home he heads straight for his family, catches up with friends, gorges on home-food, meets his banker, property broker, investment advisor (I dont have one - I'm just inventing this for the guys who have enough money to throw around), et al before heading off for a vacation.
Not me - I prefer to be met at the airport by the brooding hulk of my Safari rather than relatives. Luckily, I have a friend whose ancestral house is very close to the airport and he makes sure my Dicor is there when I land. Nobody understands the joy of seeing your pride and joy as soon as you clear customs.
I then have to get reacquainted with my four wheeled friend, getting myself reaccustomed to driving on the LHS (takes about 2 minutes), getting used to the slightly vague steering, the grunt of the diesel engine. Then I head straight for ALL the potholes on the road
. I really enjoy this.
Before I meet family, before I inspect my unused flat(s), I first have to inspect my car. The first stop after the airport (after the mandatory roadside chai and cigarette, of course) is the nearest service station where the car gets a complete wash and I search for scratches, dents, tyre wear and of course the underbody.
Thus satisfied, I head for my flat and park my car next to my RD. Next inspection begins as my mechanic is called from his shop. We wash the bike, charge the battery and start her up. Thank you, Ron Chinoy - she fires up with the first kick EVERY time ever since I installed your kit. Pricey, maybe, but worth every penny. Then we inspect for any new rust spots before my mechanic starts to WD40 them.
THEN I head to my flat.
This in a nutshell is the love of my life. Unfortunately, I have had to stay away from them for months on end. It feels terrible.
And lately, I've had to stay away from my set of wheel in DXB too. Doctor's advice. No I'm not perpetually drunk (though I am at the time I write this), but I've got this problem with my back as a result of which I am now driven to work and back. Meanwhile I've had to can my plans for power mods to my Lumina and therefore the car is in the garage for a minimal suspension job.
Can anything be more cruel for the auto-nut? 12 wheels and unable to drive/ride any of them. Have any of you had a similar experience?
If so, please share. I cant stand this anymore and I cant cheer myself up with the customary evening peg either. In fact, its making me feel worse.
PS: Those of you that have my Indian
DONT call that number because its with my family and they are not aware of my temporary driving ban. I hope to be back to 'normal' by the time I join them in India so dont scare them.