A Fool's Progress: Advancing to the rear

And so we end day three. And I am at least writing this on a proper
computer instead of on a Palm in a hotel room.

Today went far better than previous experience would have me expect. I
got up at the crack of 6. I grabbed coffee from the lobby and trekked my
way to the truck rental. I was early by half an hour, so I went on down
the street to starbucks for more burned coffee and an email check. I
stopped in the can because the coffee seemed to have one desired effect
at least. The stress of the last couple days combined with the exertion
in the heat had caused my back to knot up in pain and my insides to stop
up like a hairdresser's drain. The relief was most welcome even though I
went through half a pack of matches making the place safe to enter
without the threat of immediate asphyxiation.

Lots of well wishes in the email from comrades. Thanks dudes, I
appreciate it.

Back at the truck rental place, they had my reservation and were happy
to help out with getting me a truck before my reserved time of 12:30.
YES! But they had no 10 foot truck available until then. Or I could get
going now with a 15 footer. Screw that, gimme the keys. I wanted to put
Idaho and its sturdy, flirtatious women behind me. Oh Idaho is a fine
place and the people I encountered were friendly. (well okay one prick
out of a double dozen. That's better odds than at home) I just had sort
of a negative impression is all. The rental folks and I had some
quibbles about insurance. My insurance company told me that no I wasnt
going to be unsured on the truck. So another 40 bucks was snatched out
of my hand. Oh sure it is a rip off. I could have assed around with my
insurance company and uprated my coverage then and there for cheaper,
but it probably would have meant phone tag with my wife and the agent
and and and...feh. I could have gambled and gone naked. But with the way
my karma seems to be skewed, it seemed that taking the risk would be
inviting disaster. I had no intention of owning a wrecked box truck for
full retail price. I am all for kicking the devil in the nads and
running away....but I would prefer his back be turned and nearby cover
available. This didnt seem like a good time to try for the bells.

After an hour or so at the rental place I was out the door with a truck.
I stopped at shucks to get drain pan, gas can and tie downs. They
required the bike be empty of fluids to go in the truck. No one checked
on it, but again..My odds are screwed up right now. I dutifuly drained
the tank, sump and tranny. I didnt do the final drive. It would have
made more of a mess than it was worth. and I think they were more
concerned with the gasoline.

By 10:30 I was loaded up and on the road. Nothing to do until 3:30 but
keep the pedal down and try not to accelerate too hard to conserve fuel.
The trip home was uneventful. Just droning along in the big box truck
listening to the front wheel of the bike squeek against the box wall
and dance around the radio dial to various country and jesus stations.

My tentative plan was to get home...change the oil on the Quota while
the clothes were cycling through the wash and be back on the road in an
hour to make up some time, maybe to Moses Lake. But once home and
unloading with help from Palani, I was pretty wrung out. Then finding
out that the rental place I was returning the truck to (all of a mile
away) had closed not 10 minutes before I got there and no drop box in
sight...sealed the deal. So tonight I stay home, much to the joy of the
dogs.

Tonight I will go over the Q and rig it up. Tomorrow I am up at dawn to
load my bicycle in the truck and drop it off. Hopefully they open at
like 7 AM or something so I can be on the road by 8.

All in all I count today as a win. The last three days cost about 500
bucks. That wipes out about half of my emergency fund.