Rus Wednesday

Rus and Bekah fixing the Pontiac, Los Lunas 2005

I have realized in the past few weeks that I can live without chocolate.
I also know from previous experience that I can live without Rus for a few days or a week, (although I always miss him).
But today I realized that I cannot live without both and be happy.
No sir.
The Challenge got me tonight and I had to give in to some frozen cookies and a bite of chocolate praline. It was that or have Rus here instead of in Kansas. (It's only for a week...I'm such a wus!)
I was thinking of another favorite car repair story today. I know I've already told a couple, but you have to figure when you've owned around a dozen cars in eight years you're going to have stories...and when they are all used cars, usually those stories involve something being broken or getting fixed. This story might only be interesting or funny by perspective, but I'm going to share it anyway...
When we were in Flagstaff, before we had kids, we lived in the student married housing. It's apartment style housing with a lot a half a block away where we could park our car. And the cross walk right there makes a really annoying sound when it's time to cross - "Bee Doop. Bee Doop. Bee Doop." Over and over. Totally irrelevant, but still...(Tami, Suzi, do you remember that?)
One day we came home from somewhere, (driving the cadillac), pulled into our parking spot in the near empty lot, and I, the driver, tried to turn off the car. The key wouldn't turn. It was in park, but I couldn't turn the car off. I popped the hood, Rus got out and started checking things out, and the irony of the situation hit me. Out of a million times where the car won't start or the car dies or overheats or fritzes out, what are the chances that it just won't turn off!! BWAHHAHAHA! I'm ashamed to admit that while Rus was cussing and pulling out spark plugs, I was almost rolling on the ground laughing, completely useless. I thought it was unbelievably funny. I still do. Obviously.
Anyways, to make a long story short, Rus got it to turn off, fixed it later, and all was well.
I love that Rus has skills with all things mechanical. Usually diagnosing the problem is the hardest part, and after that Rus works his magic getting things working again.
When we bought the Man Van it needed a new radiator almost right away. (Should have known that when the previous owners said it's nickname was "Trouble.") Rus and I put the kids in bed and got elbow deep in wrenches, nuts, bolts, and grease. It was really fun to work on it with him - he is a patient teacher. I love that Rus is a guy I could dig a ditch with (or fix a car with), and we still have fun together.