It was definitely a 3 cup morning and I am still drinking coffee! Coffee makes me happy and when you have a Monday like mine you grab what you can! Haha!
It started out normal enough. I had to be in the office early for work. Got up, got dressed looked at the temperature because I am in Timmins and apparently preparation to go outside is needed. -18 C with a wind chill of -22. I am hoteling it for work and at those temps that’s ok! The van was not feeling well on the weekend. She has been using oil and had started to lose coolant as well. These cold morning starts were not helping. But it’s been colder and she started right up.
Turn the key and hear a big bang then nothing! Dam! Get out and look underneath and sure enough there is my coolant. Oh man! Really???
The engine just blew! Dam!!!
Well I have to get to work so take a sip of my coffee and head back into the hotel to call a cab. This predicament has a lot of issues. I had planned to change the engine when I got back. Now I had a dead van, 10 hours from the people that were going to do my engine, in a city that I know no one! Take another sip! ☕
I get to work and by some miracle all my technology works and everything I needed to do got done smoothly! It was a pretty busy day and my job requires a lot of thought. But in the back of my mind was my baby sitting sad and unmovable.
Now to prioritize the predicament I am in. And fit the solution into my day.
First thing first…how to get back and forth to work? Called my manager and explained my predicament and he said go get a car! Called the 5 rental places in Timmins. No one had a car! Any car!! Ohhhh time for coffee number 2. Ok there is a car available Thursday. Ok I can cab it until Thursday. Wishing I had done groceries on the weekend its delivery not delicio for the next few ! There is no way I can walk to a store. It is way too cold and I am a fair weather walker! It’s a ways! Lol! So cabbing it is! Great! Btw this would be the first time since before I had a drivers licence I have not had a car for more than 24 hours!
It’s difficult! I have confinement issues! Lol! Seriously! 😊
I get to work and by some miracle all my technology works and everything I needed to get done got done smoothly! It was a pretty busy day and my job requires a lot of thought. But in the back of my mind was my baby sitting sad and unmovable.
Now what to do about the van?? She is dead as doornail in a parking lot at the hotel. I text a couple of friends for some ideas. I have CAA but it will only cover 1/2 way. Ask around work if anybody knows anybody who can change an engine. Can I get it fixed here? Can I somehow get her and then me 3 weeks later back down south to get fixed? I called a flatbed company. $700 -$1000 to float her down. Ohhh that hurts! On top of the cost of a new engine! Ok. I put it out on Facebook that grrrrr this was happening.
A friend reaches out and says I may know a guy out that way that can put a new engine in! He is 2 – 3 hours away! (Google Timmins and you will see that 2-3 hours is close! Lol) Omg!!!! That would he awesome! Its CAA mileage away! Woohoo!! So arrangements are made and she will be on her way on Wednesday!
Ok plan in place! Breathe and sip!
As I sit here and think about the day. I think not about the problems but the beautiful people around me that are the solution! Within 8 hours I had workable solution because they stepped forward and said I can help! From the people at work, friends and my girlfriend who listened while I was for *%&@ sakes!!! Thinking about when she blew I was in the parking lot at the hotel. 2 days ago I was in the middle of a forest with next to no cell service in -22. Had it happened then my problem would have been life threatening! I have 3 more weeks here. I have a warm place to sleep and a plan to get where I need to go.
Yup it was a hell of a day but in the end, with a little help from my friends everything was figureoutable!
Hope your Monday ended just as good as mine!
See you on my next Chipmunk Adventure!
🐿️