The power to define the situation is the ultimate power. -Jerry Rubin, activist and author (1938-1994)
Hi Patrizio--See nice comment from Anne at the end of her message.
Hope you had a good trip home. It was so good to play host to you and Corinne--a chance to repay some of your past hospitality. I'm looking forward to some lazy "me" time after Ted goes back tomorrow. Cheers for now, Lynnie XOXO
Go check out Urban Thrift Friends on Facebook!!! and shop till you drop! Checkout our new window design at our Urban Thrift store (177 East
Broadway, Vancouver). Better yet, checkout all of our new merchandise
and sales. Kudos to volunteer Yasmin, a student in Vancouver Community
College's visual merchandising program, and store manager Ali.
Hi Dirty Laundry Lynne and Kartoffel Man Extraordinaire!
Once again, thank you both so much for such a fabulous stay, phenomenal training week, glorious event weekend and lovely post-event send-off! Thank you for including message from Anne. Please send along thanks for good wishes and regards when next you chat. Hope you are well into "lazy" time now, after all your Power Hosting!
Turned out it was a historical building, (1920's?), hotel and a few other businesses, liquor store and restaurant, I believe, something we learned at fruit stand we stopped at, a few blocks down, for cherries and some large yellow zucchini and a few bulbs of garlic. (Speaking of which, did Jugos find any garlic on large rocks near steps to front door? Sarge left the two or three bulbs, with tops, there to dry out. No big deal but Flamin' asked if we'd brought them!).
Saw another customer with Granfondo T-shirt and then I recognized him. He was someone I knew form pool at UBC. He did MedioFondo so we had a good chat. Might see Dave and his wife, Elizabeth, at Folk Fest this coming weekend. Anyway, Cora Lee ate a few apricots for her lunch and I enjoyed my GF burger before setting off for Princeton. About 10 km out, I was just thinking how lucky we were to have enjoyed such a wonderful time with such wonderful friends in such a magical setting when a warning light, (red triangle), came on. Had never seen this icon before so I stopped as soon as I could and looked it up in manual. Indicates that something is wrong with major electrical system! Not really the sort of thing I wanted to learn under any circumstances but certainly not on the highway, obviously not really close to garages/dealers, etc.
Anyway, since I have had a "wrench" icon coming on and off, (Indicates time for service but I had had vehicle serviced a week or so ago. Sometimes mechanic, I presume, does not reset switch after maintenance so it continues to come on in spite of servicing.), I crossed my fingers and started up again, hoping this was a similar mis-alert. All fine for another 10 km or so and then same light. Fortunately there was not much traffic so I was able to pull over safely and stop on shoulder for a few minutes. Didn't really know what to do and since we had no cell reception couldn't call for help or even find out where closest Ford dealer might be. Theorized that Princeton was a better bet than Keremeos so decided to see of we could limp there, on a wing and a prayer. Guess the GF Gods were smiling on us and after stopping three or more times we managed to pull up to first gas station in Princeton.
No Ford dealership in town but lady there directed us further along, up hill out of town, to Pro Automotive. Made it, without any warning light so was happy that we had made it as far as we did. Chap there, Clint, said he couldn't promise anything as he had not really worked on hybrids before. At any rate, quite sophisticated set-up as he had a wireless unit he plugged into an outlet under dash and was able to look at diagnostics on his large, flat screen. After about half an hour of backing and forthing he was unable to locate of fix problem. I called Coastal Ford in Vancovuer adn he talked to one of service managers but still no solution. We were then faced with having car towed back to Penticton, Skaha Ford but when Clint phoned them for me, they said they couldn't even look at it until Wednesday or Thursday! Had already paid ABBA Towing, right next door, $375.98 for trip to Penticton but with this information we decided we'd just bite the bullet and have car taken to Vancouver, given the fact that who knew how long we'd have to stay in Penticton and with what result, aside from fact that the coming week was full, full, socially, with Millionaires' dinner visit next day, (infamous cheese/lamb debacle), and Folk Fest on weekend, not to mention Volunteer Woman's commitments. Another $428.40 on top of first charge and we were set to hit the road.
At least we thought so. Not quite the case as the flat-bed truck, needed for hauling a hybrid, was on a call at Manning Park. Tyler, tow-truck manager, thought it would be about an hour. By this time it was close to 2:00 pm and fairly warm. We sait in a reasonbaly comfortable waiting area and read or chatted with other "refugees" from the highyway. (SOme of their stories even made me feel pretty good so you can imagine the veritable soap-opera/slap-stcck comedy we endured for almost next two and a half hours. (I do hope I can laugh about it all at some point as it really was rather surreal and becoming more so as clock ticked.) Tow truck finally arrived, driven by a Willie Nelson lookalike, so that was first alert. I walked over to truck to ask if we would be leaving soon but right signal indicator wasn't working, apparently so had to be fixed. Tyler was urging Willie to fix it quickly and once he did, Roll Me up and Smoke Me When I Die took off in another tow-truck. Turned out that taillight problem hadn't been fixed so another chap, (retired mechanic who hangs around and does odd jobs), had to rewire botched affair.
While all this was going on, Ernie, (literally, a whale of an individual), introduced himself and said he was going to be taking us to Vancouver shortly. In fact, he was quite a pleasant chap but with his considerable bulk and girth I wondered just how much room we'd have in the cab. At any rate, Titanuim Green was finally loaded and we waved goodbye to Princeton close to 5:00 pm. Seating wasn't as bad as I had feared but of course we had to follow a logging truck for sometime before we came to a passing lane. At least we were heading in the right direction. About 5:50 pm we made Manning Park and turned off to Lightning Lake Campground and the next part of the saga began!
All Ernie knew was that Wild Willie had neglected to obtain the Visa number from the customer he had pulled out of the ditch earlier that day and so Ernestos was now charged with bill collection. We trolled most of the campground, (Quite a lovely setting and completely booked according to sign at entrance.), unti we spotted a red Golf. Owner knew that something was up and approached us, from his campsite. Turned out that he had been forced off the roadway by another camper so this driver was to pay for tow charges. Red Golf owner knew whcih campsite other driver was in so he took off, through the bush to meet us at #55, as we had to follow the narrow, winding road. When we arrived, Golf Man was standing outside the tent. We watched, from the cab, as a woman came outside, put on her shoes and took off on a bike. Learned from Ernie that she had gone to fetch her husband, not quite sure where. Golf Man left and we waited and waited and waited, (Ernie puffing greedily on cigs all the while), until Sterling Moss arrived. He didn't want to give out his Visa number without a bill and since Ernie didn't have one, Bicycle Man took off again to see it Golf Man knew amount. More interminable waiting and then the return of Bicycle Man.
By this time the soap had lost some of its holding power and I had already suggested that Ernie simply tell the reluctant dope to call Tyler, (no cell reception here in the wilds of Manning), from a pay phone in village and leave it at that so that we could continue on our merry way. Ernie, under the circumstances, was very cool, I must say, and he had already decided that this was the course he was preparing to take. Once Deadbeat Dope returned, none the wiser, in terms of charges, he gave phone number, in question, to chap who seemed to take the attitude that none of this was anything he was remotely responsible for. We pulled away and everyone agreed that he was stalling, hoping he wouldn't have to pay for anything.
Just as we were almost out of campsite, a chap walking along the roadway asked Ernie if he might have a a very large socket wrench for something he needed to tighten on a his trailer hitch. Ernie didn't think he had anything of bolt size in question but he stopped to take a look in the toolbox anyway. More rummaging, more raised eyebrows and then back in the cab but not before a confab about earlier accident and tow. Just what we needed, a recap of event which was quickly becoming a personal nightmare. Close to 6:45 pm we were finally back on the highway. Must say that the rest of drive went very well and without further mishap, much to our collective relief, (Ernie knew he wasn't going to be back in Princeton much before midnight, if not later!), we pulled up beside Coastal, of Terminal, near Thornton, around 9ish. Sarge pulled up alongside as Ernie was still unloading TG. Thanked him for everything, (He was actually caught right in the middle, mistakes by both Tyler, (He never usually sends out a truck with getting a credit card number.) and Willie Boy, so I felt pretty sympathetic towards him.), and he took off, not much more than five minutes or so after we arrived.
Didn't take us all that long to transfer the six cases of wine and all our other baggage to Sarge's car and then he loaded their bikes onto his rack and he and Cora Lee took off for Harbour Terrace. I pulled TG a bit closer to curb, pleased, at least, that it started again. Dropped the set of keys into a night box and then hopped on my bike, making for Science World. Had my orange Clogs on so put the straps around my heels and used the non-clip side of pedals. Quite a marked change from Sunday's ride, obviously, but very enjoyable, nonetheless, even if only to get a bit of a leg stretch after protracted drive! Hope before car was fully unloaded so helped with remaining bits. Flamin' was in kitchen, preparing dinner, (salmon, corn-on-the-cob, green salad with feta), as it was so hot in the their temporary quarters on 7th floor that they were freeloading, once again! Had a lovely dinner on deck although farce continued. Cora Lee sat down on one of chairs and it collapsed beneath her! Fortunately, she was sitting on a cushion so that helped ease fall. Other than being rather surprised she was otherwise unhurt. We enjoyed delicious meal with a couple of bottles of recent haul, recounting crazy saga.
Unfortunately, Flamin' had to leave shortly after we had finishe dmeal as she said she had noticed a scratchy throat developing over course of evening. We thanked her for all her dinner fixings and she left just as Chloë arrived. She had been to a Canadians ball game at Riley Park and had came to say hello and see how her parents were faring. Sarge left a few minutes later and we visited with Chloë for half an hour or so. She left about 11:00 pm as she had had a busy day herself. I finished loading dishwasher while Cora Lee was showering and then I had one myself, before unpacking a few things. We both read for a bit before turning out the light, glad to back home instead of stranded somewhere, sleeping in a ditch along the Similkameen, waiting for bear attack!
At any rate, I guess we really didn't have a good trip home! Nevertheless, just money and frustration. Will let you know how saga finally ends when that script is written! Must away as we've scads of things to do to set place in order and then get ready for The Millionaires! (Now eight for dinner so am wondering if Millionaires will balk at bringing a larger roast!) Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you! Without my Base Camp and ever attentive "domestiques", (In case you think I'm being sexist, term refers to riders who support rider chosen by team as one with best chance to win.), I certainly would not have had the ride of my life. Onward! Fight! Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pics: Fond farewells; counter at Orofino, taken for Flamin'; Ernesto taking a smoking break in Lightning Lakes Campground; Cab-bound Cora Lee: She is not amused!
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