My brothers, Alex and Tim, are stranded somewhere in the middle of nowhere Canada.
They left Alaska Thursday morning in a U-Haul vacuum packed with my Mother’s possessions and headed South to the Seattle area. The trip can be made in three days if you have two drivers and don’t stop to sleep. That is also provided you are driving a vehicle that has been maintained a little better than a U-Haul.
This little adventure has netted the boys so far (on separate occasions): brake lights out, engine light on, lost power, fuel line failure, lost second gear, RPMs won’t go over 200. Responses from U-Haul have included repeatedly hanging up on the boys and one assistant manager stating that U-Haul doesnt pay him enough to drive out there with a new rig to swap them out. They did finally send a tow truck so now I’m hoping they’ll get moving in the right direction.
Apparently we’re not the only one to have trouble with U-Haul. A quick google search came up with a list of sites like this:
In the few short months between my trip to Alaska for a family reunion in August and my trip to Alaska for my father’s funeral in October, I read Sarah Vowell’s book Take the Cannoli: Stories From the New World. The book had been sitting on my shelf for nearly a year before I finally picked it up and started to read.
The first essay in the book was called “Shooting Dad,” a coming of age story of sorts: a progressive minded young woman grew up in the middle of nowhere in a house full of republican gun fanatics, yet finds her way home to a reconciliation with her father during an outing that involves his cannon. Hmmm, could be the story of my life.
My dad was famous around town as the guy with the Moose Gooser – A cannon that he kept at the house and packed up to take to every home game and most away games of the Palmer High School football team, the Palmer Moose. He was obsessive about that cannon and spent hours loading the shells by hand before each game.
I went to one game with him to watch him fire the cannon. That was this August and it was his last game. I read Sarah Vowell’s essay a month later and it was exactly what I needed to hear. No matter how extreme our political differences, he’s still my dad. And I love him – and I miss him.
The story is as funny as it is touching and well worth the time to read it.
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I have recently decided to quit my job and go back to school full time.
I can’t begin to tell you the relief that comes with that decision. The sensation of relief far out-weighs my terror over how we are going to get our bills paid, and each day I am more convinced that I have made the right decision.
This is going to be an interesting couple of years with both of us as full time students and little hope of any kind of financial aid. We’ll see what happens.
Mom, Aaron and I went on a little road trip today. We took the ferry from Edmonds across to Kingston. We stopped for tea in a cute little town called Port Gambel, and then drove on up to Port Townsend.
Once you get through the seemingly endless winding roads through forrests and farmland, Port Townsend is a jewel of a town right out on the Straight of Juan de Fuca. The old army base, Fort Warden, was the film location for An Officer and a Gentleman, as well as the Ring. It is full of sights, and the old officers quarters are available for rent – but book early because those rooms fill up. Downtown Port Townsend is beautiful and interesting old buildings filled with restaurants, cafes, and little shops. I could spend hours, days exploring this town. I’m going to have to come back again when I have more time.
They’re such a great couple. You never mention one without at least thinking of the other. They just belong together.
The wedding was beautiful. The Asian Art Museum is a great venue, the food was WONDERFUL (especially the little crackers with goat cheese wraped in grape leaves and topped with rosehip jelly – I Loved those things), the moon was full, and I was full of wine. Happy Day.
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. The book had been sitting on my shelf for nearly a year before I finally picked it up and started to read.
