2% vs. The Van

Yesterday started out pleasantly warm, but by noon a definite chill had crept into the air. By 5 o'clock, when the work bell rang and announced we could begin our trek home, it was FREEZING!!! (literally) It was then that my battle with the van began.

As usual on cold/hot days, I went out and started the van early so that Hila would have comfortable ride home. I unlocked the door, started the engine, then attempted to open the rear driver's side door. I pushed the "open" button (it's a fancy van), and I could hear the motor whirring as it tried to open, but the door stayed shut. I'd had some problems with the doors before, so I didn't fret too much and just tried to open it manually. No luck.

I figured maybe it just needed some time to wake up, so I shut the driver's door and walked away for a minute or two before trying again. This time I shut the engine off and restarted the engine first (Josh is always telling me to restart the computer when I have problems so I thought maybe this would work). As soon as the engine restarted an annoying beeping noise filled the van and a message "rear driver's door open" flashed on the dash. I pushed the button again, nothing. I tugged on the handle, nothing.

Great. It was then that a thought hit me, does the rear passenger door open? If not I couldn't put Hila in her car-seat and we would be trapped at the office! I held my breath for a second and pushed the button for the passenger door. I heard the same whirring of the motor, and then the same beeping and warning only this time for the other door. Really???

At this point there was nothing left to do but call Chuck. He had just left the shop and was headed towards the farm to drop off a trailer and feed the mules and horse when he answered the phone. One of the things I love most about my husband is how he NEVER panics. He always responds to everything in his slow, southern drawl: "It'll be awlright." and I always believe him. He took the situation in in his usual calm manner and told me he'd be up in just "a bit".

I killed the engine and returned inside the warm office to wait for my prince to come rescue us. I was telling one of the techs about the van and as he laughed at my predicament he asked, "Are you sure all the doors were unlocked?" "Yess!"

Then it hit me. I only hit the unlock button on my remote once, not twice. I tried my best to look as if I hadn't just made an idiot of myself panicking over my broken van as I went back out to give it "one more try". I aimed the remote, hit the unlock button TWICE, then opened the driver's door and pressed the button to open the rear doors. As both doors opened wide, without any problem, I called Chuck back to tell him that the van had miraculously fixed itself!

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