Seattle to Costa Mesa Caravan - Update (Pt II)

[TJCallahan@domain.elided]

We left our west-coast travelers just north of Portland, confused about their speed ...

An otherwise uneventful last leg through Portland (where's the Monday afternoon traffic?!?!?!?) leads us to our inn for the night. We go our separate ways for a couple of hours (a swimming pool!), relaxing. Out in the parking lot, long about 5P, my son and I see both the boot and bonnet of the caravan's 71 spider open and tools scattered about. Oh, oh. Fearing the worst, we are quickly relieved to discover that the car has NOT been vandalized, it's just broken. Phew, we were afraid something awful had happened. 

The analysis shows that the wire from the alternator to the starter (or does it go the other way?) is chafed and creating a fireworks display of season-appropriate-magnitude immediately under the front Spica fuel filter. Fortunately, the fuel system is in top condition and very tight.

Baxter's Auto Parts to the rescue (it's next to Buster's BBQ, the site of the monthly AROO meetings), a little work under the car, and we're good to go. When you're at the concourse on Sunday, please don't bother poor Russ about the major league paint scratch on the RH rocker panel at the jacking point or the new ventilation hole in the passenger side floor board from the jack stand - he feels bad enough ...

While this repair was happening, my seven year old was being a champ (he only asked 'Are we there yet?' once on the whole trip down - 10 minutes after starting the trip) by sitting off to the side reading and playing a video game. At one point, I heard him exclaim "Hey dad, I have a loose tooth!" and about 20 minutes later I heard "DAD!!!! I LOST MY TOOTH!!!!!!" He's been a trooper, especially since this is his first major road trip and will be his first convention. Say 'Hi' to Greg when you see him at the convention, he's the one with two massive front teeth and a new hole in the ivories on the right side. :-)

We have 9 hours behind the wheel tomorrow and only one driver in the car. Next stop: Williams, CA.

Tom
Seattle
11615 (grumpy at being left home)
10123 (telling the Alfetta to "Get used to it.")
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