The Next Day...

Moving is always a pain. You know it. I know it. And no, we didn't go with a truck from U-Haul. We'd heard too many horror stories to even ask for a price over the phone. Maybe they'll smarten up one day. No - we went with Ryder.

When I picked up the truck, things didn't come as naturally as I had hoped. I mean, I am a farm boy, but I distinctly recall only driving the standard pick-up. The one time I tried driving the Big Ole International (13 speeds, is it?) I was on the Janz place going up a hill. Thanks Dad. I know that I learned how to drive standard because you stuck the truck in a rut and told me to drive it out so I would learn how to ease the clutch, but come on! I don't really remember figuring it out then. But at least this beast only had 7 speeds and Reverse (not 3 in reverse like the other International).


So, here I am, in Calgary, driving a 24' International up 52nd St. SE/NE in rush hour traffic and it starts sputtering. I'm thinking, "Oh no. What have I done?" I forgot to pray, that's it! So I prayed - then I revved it a few times in the Totem parking lot and things returned to 'normal' in a matter of minutes. I actually started to have a little fun by the time I got close to the narrow streets near our home. Backing it in wasn't so bad with a little bit of direction.

THEN the van went missing, etc. etc. (SEE BELOW) and life went crazy while everyone else loaded the van. The moving truck sits behind Nation's house overnight while we can't sleep and I get going at 8 or 9 AM to beat everyone to the weigh scales and the 'Hat'.

So, I'm on the road with this thing and I hear an audible 'POP' that caused me to pull over and examine the truck. Nothing. I prayed again and continued on, hoping it was just air pressure being released from the brakes. At Medicine Hat Faith joined me for the bumpy ride on the #1. A little ways past our Medicine Hat rendezvous with our belongings from the van I heard it again. 'POP'. I thought, "Hmmm. It was nothing last time..." When I fueled up in Swift Current, I had a look and there was still nothing wrong. So, Micah traded Faith spots and joined me for the rest of the ride. 'POP'. Once more before Caronport. We get there, look through the trailer, are disgusted by the dirty conditions and unfinished bathroom, start cleaning up and unloading, and I went and got some high school boys to give us a hand (I'm a youth pastor, after all...).

After jogging back, I looked at the truck and spotted a problem. Blown tire. Inside dualie. If it hadn't just happened, it would've been off the rim and could possibly have damaged the other tire. But it had just happened. Either that or God grabbed an angel and shoved him over the tire like a donut. Poor angel, in that case. I probably blew a few angels then. But we got there in one piece and the tow truck replaced it while we unloaded the goods. Thanks Kal-Tire and Ryder!

On the way back the following day, Brian drove for me. You know that hesitating and sputtering I talked about when I first picked up the truck? Yeah, it happened to Brian before Medicine Hat. The truck would quit, the electronics would go nuts, gauges would spike for no reason all at once - but he drove in the remaining 4 hours like that and parked it in Ryder's lot for them to deal with it. Livin' on a prayer, my friends.

Besides that, let me list for you so you feel our pain:

No water pressure & toilet leaks - call the plumber
Unfinished bathroom - call in the local handyman
No working furnace - call SaskEnergy
Dirty walls and kitchen cabinets - call a maid or get the family to clean it for you
Cockroaches of Saskatchewan (crickets) & fly hoards - call in an exterminator
New dryer hose required and heating tape to be checked - is anyone left? Go find the electrician why don't you, and he can fix that exposed plug in the bathroom that should be a GFCI, too.
No Mark at home - HELP!
A brown corrugated prison with rowdy and demanding inmates (boxes & children) - AARGH!
No van in a foreign land - PRICELESS

If life were like that, you wouldn't need the VISA win-what-you-buy contest. For everything else, there's VISA.