Chapter 14: Don’t Forget About Raymond                                           29.12.2022

Over the past few weeks there has not been much to write about. Raymond has carried on working like a trooper throughout a month of very low temperatures. For the most part, Raymond has been a solid companion on the drive to and from work. So, I thought I would treat Raymond to a nice clean-up. A good hour with some warm soapy water and a sponge got him looking all lovely. I then thought I would give him a rest for a bit as he has been working really hard over the past few months. This, however, would be a mistake, because when I came back to Raymond, he was not well.

Firstly, he was as dead as a Dodo, nothing was working, so we needed to get him on the life support instantly and get that battery charging. Whilst waiting for Raymond to burst into life, I opened the tailgate to get something from the back and suddenly I felt the weight of the top half crash into the top of my skull. The gas struts that usually hold up the tailgate had given up and the price for this was a lump on my head. Maybe Raymond shouldn’t be left alone for any more extended periods.

I took him to work once he was charged up and got the gas struts replaced so that he was back to a healthy L322 again… well apart from the ongoing battery issue… but other than that, smooth sailing.