more horrors
Remember a couple weeks ago when I described my trip to Wichita in a car without a working heater? That was awful. So awful that I wish to forget it. That said, that trip pales in comparison to what I went through last week. Frankly, just thinking about it makes not want to leave the house.
It was Sunday evening at our dirty motel in Ponca City. We had finished the fifth day of a ten-day session. I still hadn't gotten the car fixed, because I was concerned that we might have had to move to another town at short notice and I didn't want to have my car sitting around at the garage if that happened But, that night we were informed that the evil, evil oil company overlords were (more than likely) shutting down us archaeologists. This meant that we were all screwed, but especially me and Becca, a nice girl from western New York who had flown out on short notice to work on this project. I offered to drive Becca home, though I warned her that the trip would totally suck and she accepted my offer.
So the next day we were informed that we were definitely shut down, but that me and Becca could stay another day if that would help us. I was excited, because I was hoping I could get the heater fixed that day so that we could have a pleasant trip on the morrow. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that every mechanic in town had too much of a backlog to fix the car that day, or the next day either. So then I cursed a lot.
Anyway, the next three days were really awful. Going without heat was uncomfortable in Oklahoma, but as we made our way farther north it became steadily more miserable. Despite the hardships, Becca proved to be an excellent traveling companion and it was really a good thing for me that she came along. Trouble was, that after I dropped her off at her folks' house I still had another day's journey just to travel the width of New York.
Still, the trip did allow me to visit Joplin, Missouri, where I got to hang out with the Sluggette known as "Weatherwax" for a while. That was fun, even if it was a little awkward, like it usually is when you meet someone offline that you've gotten to know online. So that was one highlight of the trip. Other highlights largely revolved around being indoors and drinking hot chocolate.
Anyway, I am now at home. I am bringing my car to the garage tomorrow, where it will remain until it has a working heater again. Eventually this all will seem like a really bad dream.
It was Sunday evening at our dirty motel in Ponca City. We had finished the fifth day of a ten-day session. I still hadn't gotten the car fixed, because I was concerned that we might have had to move to another town at short notice and I didn't want to have my car sitting around at the garage if that happened But, that night we were informed that the evil, evil oil company overlords were (more than likely) shutting down us archaeologists. This meant that we were all screwed, but especially me and Becca, a nice girl from western New York who had flown out on short notice to work on this project. I offered to drive Becca home, though I warned her that the trip would totally suck and she accepted my offer.
So the next day we were informed that we were definitely shut down, but that me and Becca could stay another day if that would help us. I was excited, because I was hoping I could get the heater fixed that day so that we could have a pleasant trip on the morrow. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that every mechanic in town had too much of a backlog to fix the car that day, or the next day either. So then I cursed a lot.
Anyway, the next three days were really awful. Going without heat was uncomfortable in Oklahoma, but as we made our way farther north it became steadily more miserable. Despite the hardships, Becca proved to be an excellent traveling companion and it was really a good thing for me that she came along. Trouble was, that after I dropped her off at her folks' house I still had another day's journey just to travel the width of New York.
Still, the trip did allow me to visit Joplin, Missouri, where I got to hang out with the Sluggette known as "Weatherwax" for a while. That was fun, even if it was a little awkward, like it usually is when you meet someone offline that you've gotten to know online. So that was one highlight of the trip. Other highlights largely revolved around being indoors and drinking hot chocolate.
Anyway, I am now at home. I am bringing my car to the garage tomorrow, where it will remain until it has a working heater again. Eventually this all will seem like a really bad dream.