Our van is a blessing. But Phoebe (FBE) failed us this once. The brakes began making an awful sound before we left Red Deer on Monday night after visiting our kids' birthmom. I thought we had caught something under the van at first and was dragging it, but it turned out to be my front right brake. I thought it was road salt, so I dismissed it and was going to take it to the car wash as soon as possible. Well, ASAP turned out to be too late.
We ended up having to go to Innisfail and Red Deer again that week for some odd reason, and the grinding noise continued. I left Faith there overnight so only one of us would get killed on the way home instead of both of us (yes, this is sarcasm) and returned again with clothes and stuff. I got to washing the brakes out, but it didn't make a difference by this point.
So, when we were about to leave for Red Deer on Monday, I did a brake test. Rev it up and let 'er fly. Vroom! Grind... clink! Yes, the brakes had disintegrated. So we did the logical thing - dropped the van off at the mechanics and I drove Flintstone-style all the way there. Just kidding. I had 4 good brakes, 4 gears, and 1 E-brake. I was fine. Faith's dad followed in Old Blue, his Mazda which might be older than I am. We dropped him off for the few hours he had left at home before travelling again, and took Blue to the hospital that day. The front brakes were replaced in under two hours, in which a rear light and idiot light were also fixed. How's that for efficient!
Now, Old Blue probably needs to go to the hospital for more reasons than one, but I like him. He's got tons of character. I'm not sure if the speedometer works quite right, which is to your benefit when the police ask (right Carmen?). And the heater blows, sometimes. And it feels like wind is coming in from all over, especially at highway speeds in high winds. But Old Blue, we love you, all 5 standard gears of gutless wonder and a face only a mother could love. Old Blue got us there and back in style.
We got the van back that evening, but we kept Old Blue around because Dad was away on business, and we weren't sure how to work things all the time. So, every once in a while, Blue and I went for a stroll in Calgary's playground of streets. Old dogs need exercise, you know. No word of a lie, I tried to stop a nosebleed, shifted, and answered my cell phone on Deerfoot. I won't be trying that again any time soon!
With Blue, you don't just feel potholes - you experience them in a way you never thought possible. Leaf springs and manual steering are only a few of the options you'll love about this bad boy. Fuel-injection? Who needs it? And I even left the lights on and killed the battery in sub-zero weather. Right on. I got it started with a boost kit from the parkade attendant. Then stalled it on my way to the first traffic lights I came to without letting it run long enough. No matter! I just hit the clutch and threw it into a lower gear while we were still moving and he started like a charm! Then I had to give him back. Thanks for the memories.
Ol' Blue, what would we do without you?
- Mark
No comments:
Post a Comment