Day: September 24, 2010

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Fear and Loathing in the Okanagan

It wasn’t until I passed Oliver town limits this morning that I realised just how much I loathe that town and had no desire to come back to this part of Canada.

I know that ‘loathe’ is a loaded and serious word, but I do not use it lightly. Other than the friendships I made, nothing good came out of that place and I am a worse person for having been there. Since then, I have found myself to be wary of people in a way that is completely unjustifiable. I have been treated so well by so many since I hit the road, but the experience in Oliver poisoned my mind. I can barely recognize who I was while I was there and I know I am not the same person who pulled into that town just a little over two years ago.

In some respects, the changes are good. I’m more self-assertive and take much better care of myself, but in others the changes are devastating. I’m so wary of people’s intentions now and so much less willing to work hard and pitch in without a clear job definition and remuneration agreement.

It’s been two years and I’m still ‘not over it.’ Perhaps this winter in Osoyoos will help me pass through whatever mental obstacles I need to pass through. This RV park will probably be a refuge: it is beautiful and a good distance from the southern part of Osoyoos so I do not feel like I am even remotely in familiar surroundings. I don’t want to say too much lest I spoil surprises for Donna, so I’ll share pictures when she gets here. 🙂

The game plan now is to take the weekend off, tidy up the rig, and then start looking for income on Monday. I have a head start on that this time around in that I know that going to the wineries and handing out resumes on foot is a waste of time. Instead, I’ll head straight for the employment office and see what’s available. I’d really rather find contracts than a job so that I can have better control over my time this fall, especially since I’m flying to Montreal for a week on November 4th and I also have a lot of stuff to put together for that thing that’s coming up that I still can’t talk about.

I’m hopeful that coming back here was not a terrible mistake and will instead help me to close one of the darker chapters of my life. Knowing that I will literally be surrounded by friends soon enough makes all the difference.

That, and a pool. 😀

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No Resolution

Miranda started up fine and performed normally and optimally to the repair shop, Elite Auto Service. They spent about a half hour scanning the rig to see what trouble codes came up:

P0118: ECT circuit high input
P0743: TCC system electrical fault
P1290: cylinder head temp sensor low input

They said that there was one part, the name of which escapes me, which might need to be replaced, but the rig performed normally for them and they felt there was no sense throwing parts at a problem they couldn’t see. I was advised to go for a long drive, see if the problem recurred, and, if so, under what circumstances. They did not clear the check engine light, but gave me the list of codes so that the next time someone looks at Miranda they won’t have to start from scratch.

I left feeling a bit bummed that there’s still quite likely a problem, but very pleased with the service. I was there a half hour and was not charged!

Since I was feeling uncertain about the rig and had also just found out I could have my spot in Osoyoos for $15 a night plus tax (Full hookups! Pool!) I decided to just head for Miranda’s fall mooring.

I drove the 150km or so to Osoyoos and had one stall when I had to come to a pretty sudden stop at the bottom of a hill in Summerland when a light went straight to green from red. But Miranda started back up normally. The drive was otherwise 100% normal. I’ve spent enough time in this thing to recognize an odd sound or behaviour and there was nothing.

So, ironically enough, mechanical troubles saved me money on this trip. Well, so long as they don’t end up being ‘something’ after all. 🙂