When Shit Hits the Fan
I've been out on trips and haven't been able to update my life much.
Shit has hit the fan, unnecessary bumps in the road that would ensure a smooth transition from life at camp on the east to life as a graduate student in the west.
Our first piece of poo: Leroy Brown. We had already decided that Leroy wasn't coming out to Idaho with us, so we were either looking for a home for him or sending him to a no-kill shelter. But two weekends ago, his seizures were out of control. He'd have two or three seizures a day despite all the medication he was on. So the decision was made to put him down. Erin did what she had promised; she gave him a loving home and kept him happy until his condition would dictate otherwise.
Our second piece of poo: Movers. This is more of a worry than anything else, but we were sure cutting it close. After finding that the mover I wanted to use wouldn't service our area of Idaho, we had no choice but to use one of the larger moving companies. The cost is a couple thousand dollars more and will be a burden on our budget for a while, but at least we have finally found someone who is willing to do the job.
The Big Poo: My Car. Last Sunday, on my way back to camp, my car began to overheat on I-81. I pulled over and popped the trunk to find a cloud of steam escaping. At the time, I couldn't get ahold of anyone and it was a Sunday when no mechanics are open, so I called AAA for a tow truck and had them take the car to the Subaru dealer in Winchester. I had Sandy come pick me up and get me to camp in time to get ready for the new session. Just to clarify, the camp session ends next Friday and I am supposed to pack up and head to Idaho directly after.
Crap.
The best case scenario was that I had a faulty thermostat and the car would be fixed within a day or so. The dealership called back to inform me that the engine was leaking fluids and would need to be replaced. The cost of putting in a new engine would exceed the value of the car.
Oh crap.
So now I am car-less with a cross-country drive a little over a week away. My parents have come to the aid to help me out, but we're still not sure what the plan is. I don't have time to test drive cars, and we're not even sure what kind of car I'll get. I'd love to have another outback, but they sure hold their value. Used models 7 years old with 70,000 miles or less are still $12-15,000.
Plan b. We get a truck. If I take Erin's outback, she'll get a truck and can haul her trailer out along with a bunch of our stuff. I found some 2006 outbacks that I'd love to have, but it's looking like the truck might be our better option. This saves us from having to sell the trailer and buy a new one out there, and we'd still need a truck to haul it with. We may look into a cheap economical car for driving back and forth to work once we're settled in.
This was supposed to be a fairly easy move. I had it all planned out, but somehow, everything goes wrong. The stress of the uncertainty is causing this camp session to lose its fun. The last three days were the first backpacking trip I've ever not fully enjoyed. But things are starting to fall back into place, so maybe the next few trips will be better.
Shit has hit the fan, unnecessary bumps in the road that would ensure a smooth transition from life at camp on the east to life as a graduate student in the west.
Our first piece of poo: Leroy Brown. We had already decided that Leroy wasn't coming out to Idaho with us, so we were either looking for a home for him or sending him to a no-kill shelter. But two weekends ago, his seizures were out of control. He'd have two or three seizures a day despite all the medication he was on. So the decision was made to put him down. Erin did what she had promised; she gave him a loving home and kept him happy until his condition would dictate otherwise.
Our second piece of poo: Movers. This is more of a worry than anything else, but we were sure cutting it close. After finding that the mover I wanted to use wouldn't service our area of Idaho, we had no choice but to use one of the larger moving companies. The cost is a couple thousand dollars more and will be a burden on our budget for a while, but at least we have finally found someone who is willing to do the job.
The Big Poo: My Car. Last Sunday, on my way back to camp, my car began to overheat on I-81. I pulled over and popped the trunk to find a cloud of steam escaping. At the time, I couldn't get ahold of anyone and it was a Sunday when no mechanics are open, so I called AAA for a tow truck and had them take the car to the Subaru dealer in Winchester. I had Sandy come pick me up and get me to camp in time to get ready for the new session. Just to clarify, the camp session ends next Friday and I am supposed to pack up and head to Idaho directly after.
Crap.
The best case scenario was that I had a faulty thermostat and the car would be fixed within a day or so. The dealership called back to inform me that the engine was leaking fluids and would need to be replaced. The cost of putting in a new engine would exceed the value of the car.
Oh crap.
So now I am car-less with a cross-country drive a little over a week away. My parents have come to the aid to help me out, but we're still not sure what the plan is. I don't have time to test drive cars, and we're not even sure what kind of car I'll get. I'd love to have another outback, but they sure hold their value. Used models 7 years old with 70,000 miles or less are still $12-15,000.
Plan b. We get a truck. If I take Erin's outback, she'll get a truck and can haul her trailer out along with a bunch of our stuff. I found some 2006 outbacks that I'd love to have, but it's looking like the truck might be our better option. This saves us from having to sell the trailer and buy a new one out there, and we'd still need a truck to haul it with. We may look into a cheap economical car for driving back and forth to work once we're settled in.
This was supposed to be a fairly easy move. I had it all planned out, but somehow, everything goes wrong. The stress of the uncertainty is causing this camp session to lose its fun. The last three days were the first backpacking trip I've ever not fully enjoyed. But things are starting to fall back into place, so maybe the next few trips will be better.