On the Rack and Pinion

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June 1 Wednesday

Having slept in the basement maroon room in a B&B that has every surface wallpapered, I awoke to a breakfast that was pure carbo with an added, over the top, sugar fix of unnatural syrup.

The day was beginning … highly charged. Organized myself. Gathered everything that could be washed and set of to find the Sun&Suds. Two hours and ten dollars later everything that needed washing including the bed sheets were folded and put away in the van.

At 13:00 the van was at Canadian Tire. It would take four hours to replace the rack and pinion steering mechanism.

It was Campdays at Tim Horton’s. I sat with a woman who was visiting her daughter at the hospital. Keeping my eye open for a seat in a corner, I ate a crispy chicken sandwich because there was no chili left.

Once the lunch crowd left I found a corner and sat there for the next four hours.

During that time the Canadian Tire man came to Tim’s on his break. The mechanic was also on his break. OK. Add another hour to the job because the Van was waiting for that hour.

At five o’clock I went to Dollarama for toothpicks and the Bulk Store for a disgusting snack of corn chips and Oh Henry chunks.

Arriving at Canadian Tire I was hit with the news that the Van would take till seven. I watched Rosemary Barton and knit.

I left Canadian Tire with the Van; after the lights went out in the store; after the man closed out his cash; after I paid $800; after nine o’clock!

And that was June 1!

Only had heart to take a hot shower, eat some leberwurst on baguette with mayonnaise and pickles; drink the milk left in the cooler; and crawl into bed to watch some kind of schlock.

Even doing that I fell asleep in relief trying hard to keep the number 800 out of my brain.

While speaking to my sister I decided to cancel my trip to St. Pierre & Miquelon. Did the math and those seven days in France would cost over $1200.

And that was June 1.

The rack and pinion was refurbished in Mexico. To keep the one taken from my Van would have cost $100. The mechanic told me that the rusty non-working piece of junk removed from the Van WOULD BE REFURBISHED!!! probably in Mexico!

And that was June 1.

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Photos

Maroon Room
Maroon, dark green, trim, dark blue towels ... where was the tinking?... in the basement with those two tiny windows ...covered with ...I swear ...black blue panels of HEAVY cloth!

Wharf Architecture
...looks an awful lot like a trailer.

Rack and Pinion
... all you ever need to know.