August 2010

Loser

I know tales are meant to be encouraging and inspiring, but I thought my sad tale would be an interesting one for others to read. I bought a Leatherman for the first time in 2007. It was a Charge TTi. I bought is as a gift for my father, as he always wanted one. After I saw him having so much fun fixing everything with it, I decided to buy myself a gift and so I also got myself a Charge TTi around early 2008. I was so happy with my new tool.

Earlier this year I was traveling a lot and I ended up making a mistake and I forgot my Charge TTi in my carry luggage when going through security at the airport. They confiscated my precious. I was distraught. I still am to this day because of that stupid mistake. It had a wonderful leather sheath. I was so happy with it. So later this year, in the month of May, I bought another one as I couldn't live without my Charge TTi. This one seemed much more rugged and sturdier than my first one. I was so happy to have my tool back again. This time I got a nylon sheath with it and at first I was disappointed but then I discovered that I could now fit my two bit sets into the sheath more comfortably. I even purchased a bit extender and even that fitted perfectly into the side of the sheath.

This all sounds like a nice happy ending, but it is not the end yet. Yesterday late afternoon I was in the parking lot at work, fiddling in my car trying to replace my headlight bulb. I used my Charge TTi as leverage to unclip the enclosure to gain access to the headlight bulb. I then replaced the bulb and I closed everything up. I drove out of the parking lot and headed home. About two miles later I heard an odd clunking sound for a moment, as if I was driving over a piece of metal in the road. I was surprised because I hadn't noticed anything in the road ahead. It took me about ten seconds and then it dawned on me that I had left my Charge TTi on the air filter when I was changing out the bulb. About a minute later I reached the traffic lights. I turned back into the oncoming lane and traveled back to where I heard the sound. I then pull over. I walked up and down for over an hour. It was gone.