On a Mission from Buck to Truck

A tale of optimism, denial, despair, acceptance, trust and action.
When I last wrote about our truck, Buck, I was in a bit of a state.  I knew that he was messed up beyond a simple repair but walking away completely was a bitter pill to swallow.  Since we’ve already laid out why I might react this way to an inanimate vehicle, I won’t waste our time here.   I found the writing about the collision cathartic: it helped me move on, helped me process the priorities, and helped me let go of him.  The 2 weeks required to complete the repair at the North Bay auto repair shop (should insurance decide to repair) certainly didn’t hurt either.   Where’s Phil’s Citgo when you need it?   I love the truck but waiting around for an additional 2 weeks might be more than I’m willing to invest.  Sorry, buddy. 

By Wednesday we really knew that it was a lost cause, our insurance confirmed it was totaled.  Our friends in the Franklin Motel / Campground helped us go to the towing yard and collect our things from Buck one last time.  Right, well we’re down a member of the team but we’re now accepting applications!   Back to the Tim Horton’s we go: come for the cheap coffee, stay for the free wifi.  Autotrader helped us find a lead in Michigan City, another Nissan Frontier, this time a 2000 (so the bed cover and gear storage scheme should be the same).  For those not from the mid-west, Michigan City is not the capitol of Michigan, it’s in Indiana and is an 18 hour bus ride plus layovers from North Bay, Ontario.  As luck would have it my parents we’re traveling back from Ohio and I was able to divert their route to go take a look at it.  Mom and Dad also lined up an appraiser to give us another opinion: needed some work but otherwise a good truck.  By Friday we had moved the trailer and all our junk to our new friends’ house, put a deposit down on the truck, purchased bus tickets to Gary Indiana, arranged for repairs to be done while we are in transit, loaded up on groceries and walked their dog, Millie.  We got on the bus with our hopes high, and a nicely scratched off to-do list.  Weren’t we done with these back in August?  Oh, that’s right Mr. Lennon, “life is what happens to you when…”

In 2012, traveling by bus is pretty darn easy when you’re not rushing back to a job and deadlines.  The last time I went anywhere by Greyhound it was from Saginaw, Michigan to Columbus, Ohio in 1990 – which took around 12 hours.  I remember a pretty dismal bus with dismal stops, and even more dismal snacks.  There was one bus stop/ bathroom / restaurant just outside Findlay, where, I swear to God, a huge guy named Louie in a stained, white-ish, tank-top and greasy apron made you a Chicken Fried Steak or Fried Bologna sandwich – if you wanted one, “You want fries wid dat?”   Options on the menu were, fried or fried.  

So either my standards have gone down since I was 19 or bus travel has really stepped theirs up – either is entirely possible.  The buses are new, clean, and have free wi-fi and a/c power.  The bus terminals are tidy, orderly and with the possible exception of Detroit terminal bathrooms, not a reminder of the developing world.  They make traveling civilized – thoughtful bus drivers, regular potty stops, time to get out and stretch your legs, or grab a bite to eat.  We think the airlines could take a lesson or two from Greyhound, rather than the other way around.  It’s also an interesting way to get around, you see a greater cross-section of our society and country-side, plus  it doesn’t seem to have the same stressed-out, overly Starbucked vibe of air travel.  Possibly that’s just the state of mind we’re in, but it won’t be the last time we use this mode to get around, Go Greyhound! 

As we’ve been working on securing this truck, we’ve struck up a friendship with our salesperson, Bill, at Bosak Honda.  I don’t know what my parents told him about our situation when they stopped through, but Bill has been great.  He’s arranged to pick us up in Gary and bring us back to the dealership, negotiated with us on price, become a fan of our blog and invited us to dinner tonight – a Hog Roast fundraiser for children with cancer.  Remember our motto, we say “yes!” to such invitations even when the centerpiece is cooked pig.  Having been to many a pig pickin’ in the south, we’re old hands at eating all the sides, desserts, and locating the one small pitcher of unsweet tea.  Strangers in a strange land we remain.   Bill wants to talk to us about our journey, and wanted more time than the transfer of ownership of the truck would take.  But pleasure should follow business, and who can say no to a plate of baked beans, corn on the cob and ‘slaw?

Our plan as it now stands is as follows: purchase truck, drive truck back to North Bay Ontario, pick up stuff and reload into the new truck, drive to Ottawa and visit with the friends to whom we were heading when it all went “tits up.”  

Will we be able to develop the same quirky relationship with this “new” truck?  Time will tell.  We’ll have to “feel the old girl/guy out” as I like to say.   But we’re all chips in at this point, either way we’re heading back with this truck.  If our track record with making new friends holds, we’re in for a great ride.