2005 Story Set
| Date: November 9, 2005 I got a 24' UHAUL truck - MONDAY. Surprize! It was ready Sunday. But I wanted it Monday. Loaded it Tuesday (2 laborers worked 6 hours - Andy speaks Spanish - gives them work). I will pay Andy back later. (His wife selling the house.) After Fremont house sells. My truck has John's computer - 2 CRT screens, my 22" TV, all the VHS and DVD players save on I brought down earlier, and a mess of stuff. Also - Chuck took the 6' painting out of frame (and took the frame apart) to get it out of the attic. (Andy's guys built the canvas into the attic when fixing the garage as a clean room for John -------- I warned them!!) I will get it reassembled and returned to the wall of the living room. 4AM Tuesday - Andy arrived to drive truck - I will follow in heavily loaded Tacoma with it's new $1000 Dueller A/T Revo tires (love them). Off we go - merrily - I am exhausted (after working upright for 7 hours day before my hips and knees were screaming). TIRED. So we made a couple extra stops. We hauled at 55-65 MPH - because of the UHaul truck brakes - I rode backdoor. We had walkie-talkies this trip - Chuck 's idea when he and I went down - work great. We can keep each other awake. I also got to ask Andy to pick a lane (first indication of high wind and sloppy steering wheel - new box on it too) - he drifted. Uh oh. We did make pretty good time down Central CA. By the Grapevine - I was delighted - we would get in about - oh - 2-4PM at this rate. We climbed the grapevine (0-4200 feet in 6 miles) at ----- 20 miles per hour-------. Well - that's novel. I followed as the backdoor with the blinkers on we were so slow. It rained most of the way - not as bad as before (my other wild trip) but enough - however - I was gripping the road ---- ha ha --- nice tires! UHAUL Truck has a sloppy steering wheel - we know this because on passing a slower truck (pre-grapevine) Andy hit the edge of the shoulder - and nearly flipped over - I have never seen that high a truck wobble - scared the crap out of me (him too). That was fun to watch - why we did 20 MPH uphill - he did not want to pass again not trusting the wheel - 5 is 2-lane each way - median between is a gully. Side edge about a 1000 foot drop into a lake - or a rock sidewall. OK - by the time we left Castiac - Hughes Lake stop (StarBuck's coffee of course and gas) - somewhere along there - we BOTH heard a loud noise. I pulled up to check the latch (God help us if that door opens - the spa would spring forth followed by 65% of my possessions). Nope - didn't see what it was. I was also pulling up to be point. I had tailed him down because of the soft brakes. Well --- as we threaded the Interstate 5 needle (about 10-12 other freeways split off right and left - I get the maze - ride the #3 lane and don't blink). Andy couldn't go over 40. Truck was squishy (I had to keep watching backward - that's fun) - he was fighting the beast. He decided we should pull over since it was getting worse - I got us to Washington Blvd (that's South Central LA - you know - WATTS) --- where I KNEW a MacDonald's was, having had the need to pee when John and I ran back and forth 10 years ago - safest spot. Ho ha - we had blown a tire on a 9 ton truck (dual wheels). This is 2:30PM - we had been on our way merrily out of LA pre rush hour. Well --------- by 6:30PM they showed up (next time - call AAAPlus and let them figure it out - faster). (Bill UHAUL). But we had waited. We only called about four times. Andy had joked about the Casino (Commerce Casino - he plays) - we could see it. I had wanted to see CSINY He got the girly rag to read (Nude Girls!) - I said call and see if they change tires. He called his wife - I called Chuck. I promised Judy to keep him out of the Casino. I said my new tires would be jacked - they do that when you stop for a red light - slam - you are on 4 blocks-----. The UHAUL tire guy arrived (sent from LAX - the other side of LA - a very big spread out city!!!!) It took 15 minutes (air jack and torque compressor - new tire). We hauled right into a MESSY TRAFFIC JAM. YUCK! I am now SICK of MacDonald's - even the apple pie was horrid (can't sit in the parking lot and not have something). Andy had chicken thing. I had soda. He had ice cream. I had the pie. All this over 4 hours. NOW the UHAUL truck transmission had been clanking and banging all the way down. Andy had mentioned it. At this point - it decided ---- not to downshift anymore. Unless he can anticipate the hill and manually shift. And the steeringwheel has become increasingly sloppy requiring full attention and stress. We cannot exceed 40MPH. We piss off a lot of rush hour people. We stopped for tacos someplace between San Louis Obispo and Mira Mesa. Andy is EXAHUSTED - I am about in a COMA. Then we limp home - I lead down Mira Mesa. UHAUL truck in driveway with an overheated new tire - what's up with that???? Rubbing? Bad mount? SMELLS!!!! Steering so bad it should be towed - turns 90 degrees sloppy - constant fight. Transmission a joke - no power - no speed. But we made it - 9:30PM. I saw CSI - Andy showered and collapsed on sofa (I am in my room). I am wired hirer than a kite - real coffee - decaf - soda- Starbuck's - Good Lord! I should sneak down and grab a bourbon. UHAUL - Alabama plate AA something - I will record it and send this to them. This truck is a wreck waiting to happen (worse than the other one). I could NEVER have LIVED thru the drive if I was at the wheel. It needs a complete overhaul. Andy flies home tomorrow - I drive back Friday on my Revo tires - 75-80MPH Love that - Love my Tacoma (John's Tacoma actually - he rode in style - still does). 3-4 laborers will be acquired to dump load into house by 9:30 AM (start at 7) (we did it by 9:30AM). I just need furniture in the rooms - I can move from there - boxes can dump into garage - attic and John's room stuff - dishes and what-all. Dog and cat (one must still be caught) coming back Sunday with me - I AM MOVED I will round up remains - set Fremont house for painting and cleaning - beds will stay up there - so will fridge. I will Not go back after this next trip until after Thanksgiving. Hey - I have a microwave and a toaster - must go buy a new fridge (build new kitchen around it). Washer dryer arrived in truck - so did swing and spa - in their various pieces. I am still shaking (too much caffeine - too tired). Can't even find the book I was reading. When was that? ---- I forget the last time I rested. |
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