A long day of Thank You's and Nuts to You's

Yesterday was supposed to be a really neat day. I was supposed to go to the Legislature to see the first session of the new government and to see the Speech from the Throne delivered. So I left in a vehicle that was not mine. I won't say WHAT vehicle our of respect for the dealership it came from, but suffice it to say, this vehicle was not mine, nor would I ever buy this particular model.

I left town and put on glorious cruise control. The vehicle would periodically rev a little high while trying to maintain it's speed, but it wasn't revving really high, so I didn't think much of it, just made a mental note to tell someone when I got back to Swift and have it checked out. I managed to almost get to Regina. Almost. The engine started to rev very high (think 6000rpm) and wouldn't switch gears, nor would it go over 80km/hr. The engine light also came on and refused to turn off. I could see the road ahead that you'd turn onto to get to the airport...it's desperately close to the city and made it all the more frustrating to be stuck on the side of the road there.

I called roadside assistance who said a tow truck would be there in about 45 minutes. It was 1pm. I needed to be at the Leg by 1:30 according to the invitation. I resigned myself to the fact I would not, in fact, make it there. The tow truck finally showed up about 1hr 30min later. The guy was really friendly and gave me a ride to the dealership in his truck, which was grubby and WAY too warm inside. The dealership was also very nice telling me that I was next in line to be looked at. That took about 30 minutes and then another 1.5 hours by the time the vehicle was finished being looked at. The man at the dealership said it was a problem with the valve bolt on the transmission (?) and that they had done some stuff to the transmission to make it work. He thought I would probably be able to get it home, so I took the gamble. Wrong move. I was just trying to leave town and the engine light came on again and it started revving in the 6000's again and couldn't get over 80km/hr. I turned around and limped it back to the dealership.

Back at the station, Dave was trying to get me a rental car through Enterprise. It was about 4:45 by this time and he was being told there were no cars available but they were hoping to have one by closing for me. I waited in the dealership until my cell phone died (figures) then called Enterprise myself to tell them I would be reached on a different number. They told me they didn't think they would have a car for me. So I decided to go for supper and take the bus home.

Sitting at the dealership, it was 5:20 and I borrowed a phone book to see about a cab to a restaurant. I called Regina Taxi and waited and waited while it rang. Finally a woman answered. I was feeling particuarly exhausted by this time and not terribly enthused about the idea of a bus home, but even less enthused about the idea of staying in Regina for the night. I asked the woman for a taxi at the dealership. It's a big, well known dealership right along the main drag in Regina. She asked me for the address. I told her I'm from out of town and didn't know the address. She insisted she needed it. I told her it's on Albert and she said she needs the street address. I was almost in tears by this point out of the sheer frustration of it all and told her to hang on and I'll find it. Then she told me she can't hold. So I said "fine" and hung up on her. Thankfully, the woman in the dealership told me their shuttle might still be running and sure enough they were able to drive me to Boston Pizza.

The waitress was really really nice. I almost wondered if she could see the exasperation in my eyes and was being nice out of sympathy. Regardless, I was grateful. I had just ordered my food when Enterprise called to tell me they had a car for me. I changed my order to take out and then left.

I got to Enterprise at 6 (closing time). Jon Potter, a wonderful man, chatted with me about Swift and said he had just moved from here and couldn't leave someone from Swift Current stranded. I was on the road shortly after 6 and home by 8:30, completely exhausted.

All that being said, I have to say thank you to Dave for all of the phone calls back and forth trying to find a way to get me home, thank you to the waitress at Boston Pizza for being so kind, and THANK YOU to Jon Potter at Enterprise who "pulled a car out of his ass" to get me home. I would also like to say a big "Nuts to YOU!" to the lady at Regina taxi who was absolutely no help to a stranded out-of-towner.

And let me also say, climbing into bed last night was one of the greatest feelings ever.