Return To The Green Mountain State
As with a lot of trips that don't have ridged scheduling constraints, I started the drive pretty late, actually in the early afternoon when I'd meant to leave mid-morning.
I got onto I-75N and cruised. Florida went by, the stopped for gas just before the Georgia border (I believe). More driving, more driving... it got dark. I made a few phone calls with my Bluetooth headset. Drove more. I think by the time I couldn't stare at the road anymore without my eyes glazing over I was in North Carolina. I found a rest stop, reclined my seat, and napped. Woke up when the sun started to get in my eyes.
All this time, when I got hungry, I ate one of those Archer Farms ready-to-eat Indian meals when I stopped for gas. Had a little picnic. I even cleaned the bowl with a wet paper towel when I was done. I've clearly learned the secrets to eating cheaply on the go. Those things are awesome road food. No cooking needed, heating optional, and nowhere near as bad for you as fast food.
More driving. I drove pretty much non-stop except for gas and the occasional bathroom break (and once bought a 5hr energy drink at a gas station before the last 5 hour leg). Got to the parents' house pretty late. They'd waited up for me, of course. Brought a few things in, got settled in, and basically died. Got up fairly late the next day, made plans with some of my local friends in the Syracuse area. The details aren't coming to me (this was about 9 months ago, after all). I stayed in Syracuse for a few days. Saw Andy, and Carie (renichifreak), Nate, and a few others. Not everyone I wanted to, but I'm not the best scheduler in the world, I admit.
I booked the hotel in Rutland online from my folks' place, and left to go see Foxy (kzorrofuego) in Albany on my way east. I didn't leave as early as I'd wanted to, so I didn't get to spend as much time with him as I'd thought I would. I was disappointed, it had been quite some time since I'd seen him last. Still, caught up with him and got to see his digs. Crashed there, and continued on over the border in the morning.
I arrived earlier than I'd thought to the hotel in Rutland, even before my noon check-in. So I scoped the area out, drove out though Pitsford, seeing what had changed. Did a little shopping. Came back to the hotel, checked in, and brought some of the things into my room that I'd be leaving there (food, cooler, etc).
Between this point and before I left, I looked around (mainly out of professional curiosity) in a few of the liquor outlets. I was too young to know how Vermont did it when I last lived there. I was surprised by the number of locally-produced wines and spirits that I found, along with the uniqueness of the products and the surprisingly low prices on a lot of things. I purchased a few. Of what I've opened so far, I've not been anything but pleased. All very high quality.
After I settled things into the hotel, I did a little research online about what to do next. Did a few more things locally around Rutland, explored a bit to see what had changed, and made plans for the next few days. Then, I did what had been the single most driving thing: went to visit my old house. I don't know what it is that compels people to go back to a previous home once they've moved on, but it's a powerful force.
I struck out for Clarendon. Meandered the back way in. Took plenty of photos of the Mill River covered bridge. Arrived, and walked up to the front door. I knocked, and explained that I'd lived there previously, and that I wanted to look around the property and take a few photos if that was okay. I got happy permission from the woman that answered the door, along with her telling me a few of the things that had changed since they'd purchased the property from it's previous owner.
I took my sweet time, wandering around the property and taking photos. I was amused and cheered simultaneously by the Vermont state flag hanging from the flagpole on the front of the house. Not an American flag... a Vermont flag. There people were real Vermonters.
It was still early enough in the year to be getting dark out early, so I headed back to Rutland after I'd finished snooping around. Stopped in at the Diamond Run mall (I still think that's a stupid name). I was dismayed but not very surprised to see that it was almost as empty as it had been shortly after it had been built, if not even more so. I walked around there for a while, scoping the place out, then returned to the hotel, since it was getting late.
Now, the Rutland Ramada claimed to have wifi, but the entire time I was there, I couldn't get it to fucking work. So I was using my phone as a Bluetooth mode. Sprint must have hated me that month. Speaking of, I was surprised the amount of area that I was in data coverage. And most of the time EvDO, at that. People always pick on Sprint's coverage as being lacking, but clearly in the greater Rutland area they're pretty damned good. The only places I ever lost signal totally were in the mall (malls do that) and way out in Proctor, on the side of a mountain.
The first thing I'd had planned to do was to head on up north and see the Ben & Jerry's factory again. I hadn't been there in a very long time, and I looked forward to seeing if they'd changed anything. I was on a major route (I forget which one) when I pulled off to gas up and use the restroom. I go to get back on the road, when the "check engine" light suddenly springs to life. I let loose with a long string of profanity, and find the nearest place I can to pull off the road and park. I do a little basic troubleshooting, and call my father for suggestions. Starting to panic a little bit, I decide to find the nearest mechanic and have them have a look.
I forget what the name of the place was, but I still feel fleeced. They probably weren't trying to screw me, but it did hurt. $80 to read the engine diagnostic code, which led the mechanic to believe that the EGR solenoid was blocked up. He couldn't replace it the same day since he wasn't able to get the part, but offered to try to clean it out with a wire brush so that it would be drivable until it could be replaced. He did his thing, I was there for a few hours waiting. Did a little research using my phone's browser about the EGR setup in Escorts. Oddly, I had EvDO coverage in this tiny little town in the middle of nowhereseville. The bill hurt. It was something like $270, if I recall properly. Thus thinking I was safe, I decided to continue on to Ben & Jerry's.
Car was fine. I got to B&J's, parked, and took the tour. Wandered around, bought a couple of trinkets in the gift shop, and finally was ready to leave. Get back on the road... "check engine". Another storm of profanity, Since I had no choice, I drove it back to Rutland. I told myself that I'd get to the hotel, and I'd take it to the Midas 1.6 miles up the road first thing the next day. This of course, shot to hell any plans I'd had for that day. But recall, I hadn't even had this car a month by this point, so I was more than a little paranoid about it randomly self-destructing from a well-hidden flaw I'd overlooked.
I was at Midas most of the day, waiting on them to get the EGR solenoid in order to replace it. They got it, replaced it, and by then it was too late to do anything. So I went back to the hotel.
The next day, I was going somewhere (I forgot what it was) and the "check engine" light came back on again. At this point, I was just about tearing my hair out in rage and frustration. So, back to Midas. This time, they tell me that since it wasn't the solenoid, it had to be the sensor. If I wanted it installed same-day, I had to drive 40 miles (each way, mind you) to a Ford dealership and pick it up, since they couldn't deliver it for whatever reason. That was the only way it could be done same-day. Still paranoid as fuck, I did it. Got back to Midas not long before they closed, and they installed it. No more light. The owner of the place stunned me by not charging me for this final piece of installation (saying "it was dead simple, it only took a couple of minutes"). Oh, I forgot to mention... the part cost for the EGR sensor/valve assembly and the solenoid came out to over $200. So, total cost between the shops was almost $500 at this point. So I was pleased to hear him say that, if also relieved.
I had done some more detailed research the previous night, so now I know exactly what was wrong, in retrospect. The car was having it's first long-distance highway run in many years, possibly ever. I'd just switched it to synthetic blend and put new plugs in. It was still de-gunking itself from years of half-assed maintenance, and displaced crud had collected inside the EGR subsystem (that's Exhaust Gas Recovery, if you care to know). I also vowed to buy myself a code reader, so that I'd never get dinged $80 for them to pull a fucking code from my engine computer again. I found one online with a manual and extension cable for $70.
The whole plan for my vacation kind of got flushed down the shitter because of the car trouble and my paranoia surrounding it. But if you're 1400 miles from home, and in a vehicle you're not yet familiar with, you'd be cautious to the point of paranoia too.
Even though I didn't get to do anywhere near as much as I'd hoped while I was there, I was happy to have the opportunity. It wasn't about seeing people or going places while I was there, it was about being there, and seeing my old home again. And in that respect, it was a great success.
The trip back home was uneventful. I headed south, and detoured to pay Lorie a visit in Pennsylvania on my way back down. PA is a big state, bigger then you'd think, until you have to drive through it. Oh, and it's roads are absolute shit. Unlike Vermont, they actually have money to spend fixing them, and they don't.
I got there fairly late. Crashed there, hung out for a bit the next day. Lorie brought me food from her job, showed me around. Then, onward and southward!
The last part is a bit blurry. I was going to drop in on Mikey in Georgia, but the timing didn't work out. So I was a few hundred miles in the wrong direction. I think I stopped at a rest stop in one of the Carolinas after it got foggy around 4AM on some backroads. Then, home. I did miss the sunshine.
I got onto I-75N and cruised. Florida went by, the stopped for gas just before the Georgia border (I believe). More driving, more driving... it got dark. I made a few phone calls with my Bluetooth headset. Drove more. I think by the time I couldn't stare at the road anymore without my eyes glazing over I was in North Carolina. I found a rest stop, reclined my seat, and napped. Woke up when the sun started to get in my eyes.
All this time, when I got hungry, I ate one of those Archer Farms ready-to-eat Indian meals when I stopped for gas. Had a little picnic. I even cleaned the bowl with a wet paper towel when I was done. I've clearly learned the secrets to eating cheaply on the go. Those things are awesome road food. No cooking needed, heating optional, and nowhere near as bad for you as fast food.
More driving. I drove pretty much non-stop except for gas and the occasional bathroom break (and once bought a 5hr energy drink at a gas station before the last 5 hour leg). Got to the parents' house pretty late. They'd waited up for me, of course. Brought a few things in, got settled in, and basically died. Got up fairly late the next day, made plans with some of my local friends in the Syracuse area. The details aren't coming to me (this was about 9 months ago, after all). I stayed in Syracuse for a few days. Saw Andy, and Carie (renichifreak), Nate, and a few others. Not everyone I wanted to, but I'm not the best scheduler in the world, I admit.
I booked the hotel in Rutland online from my folks' place, and left to go see Foxy (kzorrofuego) in Albany on my way east. I didn't leave as early as I'd wanted to, so I didn't get to spend as much time with him as I'd thought I would. I was disappointed, it had been quite some time since I'd seen him last. Still, caught up with him and got to see his digs. Crashed there, and continued on over the border in the morning.
I arrived earlier than I'd thought to the hotel in Rutland, even before my noon check-in. So I scoped the area out, drove out though Pitsford, seeing what had changed. Did a little shopping. Came back to the hotel, checked in, and brought some of the things into my room that I'd be leaving there (food, cooler, etc).
Between this point and before I left, I looked around (mainly out of professional curiosity) in a few of the liquor outlets. I was too young to know how Vermont did it when I last lived there. I was surprised by the number of locally-produced wines and spirits that I found, along with the uniqueness of the products and the surprisingly low prices on a lot of things. I purchased a few. Of what I've opened so far, I've not been anything but pleased. All very high quality.
After I settled things into the hotel, I did a little research online about what to do next. Did a few more things locally around Rutland, explored a bit to see what had changed, and made plans for the next few days. Then, I did what had been the single most driving thing: went to visit my old house. I don't know what it is that compels people to go back to a previous home once they've moved on, but it's a powerful force.
I struck out for Clarendon. Meandered the back way in. Took plenty of photos of the Mill River covered bridge. Arrived, and walked up to the front door. I knocked, and explained that I'd lived there previously, and that I wanted to look around the property and take a few photos if that was okay. I got happy permission from the woman that answered the door, along with her telling me a few of the things that had changed since they'd purchased the property from it's previous owner.
I took my sweet time, wandering around the property and taking photos. I was amused and cheered simultaneously by the Vermont state flag hanging from the flagpole on the front of the house. Not an American flag... a Vermont flag. There people were real Vermonters.
It was still early enough in the year to be getting dark out early, so I headed back to Rutland after I'd finished snooping around. Stopped in at the Diamond Run mall (I still think that's a stupid name). I was dismayed but not very surprised to see that it was almost as empty as it had been shortly after it had been built, if not even more so. I walked around there for a while, scoping the place out, then returned to the hotel, since it was getting late.
Now, the Rutland Ramada claimed to have wifi, but the entire time I was there, I couldn't get it to fucking work. So I was using my phone as a Bluetooth mode. Sprint must have hated me that month. Speaking of, I was surprised the amount of area that I was in data coverage. And most of the time EvDO, at that. People always pick on Sprint's coverage as being lacking, but clearly in the greater Rutland area they're pretty damned good. The only places I ever lost signal totally were in the mall (malls do that) and way out in Proctor, on the side of a mountain.
The first thing I'd had planned to do was to head on up north and see the Ben & Jerry's factory again. I hadn't been there in a very long time, and I looked forward to seeing if they'd changed anything. I was on a major route (I forget which one) when I pulled off to gas up and use the restroom. I go to get back on the road, when the "check engine" light suddenly springs to life. I let loose with a long string of profanity, and find the nearest place I can to pull off the road and park. I do a little basic troubleshooting, and call my father for suggestions. Starting to panic a little bit, I decide to find the nearest mechanic and have them have a look.
I forget what the name of the place was, but I still feel fleeced. They probably weren't trying to screw me, but it did hurt. $80 to read the engine diagnostic code, which led the mechanic to believe that the EGR solenoid was blocked up. He couldn't replace it the same day since he wasn't able to get the part, but offered to try to clean it out with a wire brush so that it would be drivable until it could be replaced. He did his thing, I was there for a few hours waiting. Did a little research using my phone's browser about the EGR setup in Escorts. Oddly, I had EvDO coverage in this tiny little town in the middle of nowhereseville. The bill hurt. It was something like $270, if I recall properly. Thus thinking I was safe, I decided to continue on to Ben & Jerry's.
Car was fine. I got to B&J's, parked, and took the tour. Wandered around, bought a couple of trinkets in the gift shop, and finally was ready to leave. Get back on the road... "check engine". Another storm of profanity, Since I had no choice, I drove it back to Rutland. I told myself that I'd get to the hotel, and I'd take it to the Midas 1.6 miles up the road first thing the next day. This of course, shot to hell any plans I'd had for that day. But recall, I hadn't even had this car a month by this point, so I was more than a little paranoid about it randomly self-destructing from a well-hidden flaw I'd overlooked.
I was at Midas most of the day, waiting on them to get the EGR solenoid in order to replace it. They got it, replaced it, and by then it was too late to do anything. So I went back to the hotel.
The next day, I was going somewhere (I forgot what it was) and the "check engine" light came back on again. At this point, I was just about tearing my hair out in rage and frustration. So, back to Midas. This time, they tell me that since it wasn't the solenoid, it had to be the sensor. If I wanted it installed same-day, I had to drive 40 miles (each way, mind you) to a Ford dealership and pick it up, since they couldn't deliver it for whatever reason. That was the only way it could be done same-day. Still paranoid as fuck, I did it. Got back to Midas not long before they closed, and they installed it. No more light. The owner of the place stunned me by not charging me for this final piece of installation (saying "it was dead simple, it only took a couple of minutes"). Oh, I forgot to mention... the part cost for the EGR sensor/valve assembly and the solenoid came out to over $200. So, total cost between the shops was almost $500 at this point. So I was pleased to hear him say that, if also relieved.
I had done some more detailed research the previous night, so now I know exactly what was wrong, in retrospect. The car was having it's first long-distance highway run in many years, possibly ever. I'd just switched it to synthetic blend and put new plugs in. It was still de-gunking itself from years of half-assed maintenance, and displaced crud had collected inside the EGR subsystem (that's Exhaust Gas Recovery, if you care to know). I also vowed to buy myself a code reader, so that I'd never get dinged $80 for them to pull a fucking code from my engine computer again. I found one online with a manual and extension cable for $70.
The whole plan for my vacation kind of got flushed down the shitter because of the car trouble and my paranoia surrounding it. But if you're 1400 miles from home, and in a vehicle you're not yet familiar with, you'd be cautious to the point of paranoia too.
Even though I didn't get to do anywhere near as much as I'd hoped while I was there, I was happy to have the opportunity. It wasn't about seeing people or going places while I was there, it was about being there, and seeing my old home again. And in that respect, it was a great success.
The trip back home was uneventful. I headed south, and detoured to pay Lorie a visit in Pennsylvania on my way back down. PA is a big state, bigger then you'd think, until you have to drive through it. Oh, and it's roads are absolute shit. Unlike Vermont, they actually have money to spend fixing them, and they don't.
I got there fairly late. Crashed there, hung out for a bit the next day. Lorie brought me food from her job, showed me around. Then, onward and southward!
The last part is a bit blurry. I was going to drop in on Mikey in Georgia, but the timing didn't work out. So I was a few hundred miles in the wrong direction. I think I stopped at a rest stop in one of the Carolinas after it got foggy around 4AM on some backroads. Then, home. I did miss the sunshine.