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A Peculiar Day

7/26/03


It's been an odd day. Things kept going wrong, then mysteriously went right. The scary thing is, the day's not over yet.

I got into Gunnison about noon, looked over some motorcycles, got on the web for the first time in a week, and inundated everyone I knew with the preceding tardy emails. Got some financial stuff done, made some calls, went to the store for supplies. Connected with the world, however briefly.

I set off for Altmont, into the teeth of a storm. About 8 miles north, I passed a tired looking hiker sitting on a rock. He was not obviously seeking a ride, but as I passed he jumped up and pointed to me. More specifically, right behind me. Immediately I heard it: thump, thump, thump. My second flat on the trailer since I bought it, and in the same spot: right rear. By humping it a bit, I got the tire changed before that wall of water arrived.

Back to Gunnison, took a long look at Walmart but didn't see any bays. Stopped at the Sherwin-Williams store to use the phone. Fellow there informed me Gunnison was one of those towns that closes up early on a Saturday. It was already 4 o'clock, after all. Sure enough, tire stores didn't answer, one after another, until finally: "Yeah?" I explained my situation. "Well, I'm not really open, but if you come over right now, maybe I can help you." You bet. Last man in town, and $80 later I'm all fixed up. Kinda like the last time, in Clinton, Oklahoma, repaired after hours. Only that time it set me back $110.

So, I head on up to Altmont, stop for a pulled pork sandwich, and the heavens open up again. How do you find a campsite in this mess? Then I remembered the Walmart back in Gunnison. Why not? Never tried it before. Give me a chance to surf the web on my weekend minutes, watch a little TV. So, back to Gunnison for the third time, through the rain and wind. Only trouble is, there are several large signs in the parking lot: "No Overnight Parking".

So now I'm sitting on the street behind them, facing an empty field, and the gutters are flowing. Ain't camping wonderful? And no, this is not something else that went wrong. That came when I tried to turn on the TV.

The first inverter I installed in the trailer was a cheap Vector 400W from Sam's. Only problem, every time I plugged in the computer it turned off, and the "fault" light went on. It was explained to me that the thing had an improper ground, so I got a Prowatt 600 for twice as much and quit having that problem. I put the Vector in an outside compartment, in case I wanted to run a drill or something. And just in case, I snaked a line from it to the general area of the Prowatt.

A couple of months back, I bought a new 16 inch Samsung TV for the trailer, but never got around to plugging it into the Prowatt. When I did tonight, the Prowatt turned off, due to a "fault". But when I plugged it into the old Vector, it worked fine! What the heck is going on here?

Well, it's still raining, for one thing. And the trailer's rocking. And I'm not moving. I'm watching "Woman of the Year" on a local PBS channel, with Hepburn and Tracy. Funny show. Somehow I never managed to see it before. Never had to sit out a storm at just the right moment.

And everything's working, sort of. The computer is plugged into the Prowatt, with the power line snaked across the floor from the kitchen cabinet. The TV is working on the Vector, thanks to that line I ran a year and a half ago.

But the right things are working wrong, and the wrong things are working right.

All I need now is for the parking cops to show up, step in with muddy feet and serious faces, shake the rain from their hats, and tell me "You in a heap a trouble, boy."

Guilty, Ossifer. Take me away. Just don't trip on that cord.


Bob



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