Oh, I was pissed off beyond words.
I am leaving, though it looked like I might not for a bit.
We got a big trip planned to the north shore of Lake Superior where we have rented a geodesic dome cabin, and I was getting the Aposta-Truck checked and serviced for the long long drive. I got the platform on the back, built my steel folding ramp, sweet setup so I can take my scoot and have a modicum of freedom and self respect.
All is good until they start the oil change.
I had extensive diagnostic work done at a garage I had trusted and they had said my cooling system was not losing pressure, they took like two days to do these tests. I figures it must be the radiator cap or the overflow that was doing it.
The oil change guys, who were not the one's who did my diagnostics, found my oil to be like a milkshake! I was horrified and knew right then that that truck wasn't going on any vacation (that's a 'holiday' for you brits).
I had high hopes I could just make it HOME, but that was not to be.
Three blocks out from the oil change place, I lost oil pressure and shut 'er down with a quickness. I was at a red light and just turned it off and put on my my four-way hazard lights. I call the oil change place and they say they'll send a dude or two right over.
So, I'm watching the idiots come up behind me in a giant truck with blinding flashing lights and wait for me to go.
Uh, genius?
Flashing lights on both sides does NOT mean I am signaling a turn BOTH WAYS at the same time!
Then I see the guys running up behind me with a case of oil and some tools and stuff.
They did some stuff and then had me bring it back to their shop, even though they were closed by that time. They swarmed all over it trying to bet it good enough to take me home but to no avail, it simply needs a lot of expensive work done to it.
So it was two and a half hours waiting for a tow, and a rescue by Beck, after she picked up Ang from her piano tech school.
Oh, I was done in. I wanted to post but words would not flow for me, I could only stammer, and those who know me must realize that this is a very bad sign. Serious mental distress, Pictures of my poor dead truck, of poor Beck having to push me around in a damn manual 'chair, being stuck. Not nice.
So we decided not to do it.
We will still do the trip, just not the bummer scenario above. Where there is a will, there is a way, and I'm not one to let life make me it's bitch. Some people let life happen to them, they wake up whenever and wait for it, NOT ME.
I HAPPEN to LIFE! And some days it doesn't know quite what to make of it, but that's too bad because life is MY bitch and I make her dance for me, lol.
This morning I was up at 8 and after we took delivery on two pianos for Angie, I went out and had a hitch installed in the van, got it's oil changed, fuel system service, and went to the shop my truck was at to retrieve the platform.
If something is worth doing, it's worth doing exceedingly well. Now I can load and unload my own scooter from the van, drive myself around, be an equal participant in exploring all the fun stuff we will be seeing cuz I'll be damned if anybody is going to have to do something for me I can do my self.
It is my delight to say we are leaving. I will miss checking in to JWD every couple hours, but there is no Internet access where we are staying.
I can get by until Thursday before the twitching sets in, and the JWD DT's should not be too bad by the time I get back Saturday night and check in.
It will be nice sitting by the fire-pit on the shore of the largest freshwater lake in the world, obsessing about every detail of the Dome's construction and photographing it for reference. Where else would Rollerdave go to relax than a Polyhedral? So me.
I'll take pics.
I hope the truck will be somewhat done by the time we get back, or at least they will know what they are doing to it, I don't really care what it costs as long as it's done right. It's only money, and business has been good, I just want to be able to rely on my truck.
As long as my trip will be OK, I guess I'm not too mad, except at those other guys who diagnosed it as being just fine.
Lucky for them I'll be hundreds of miles away for a week.
Seeya then!
Roller