Day Seven, AM

Everything has worked according to plan. Good thing today was another day off. Joe and I left the hotel at 6:45 so we could get to the service station by opening time, 7AM. We only sat in the waiting room for about ten minutes before our loaner vehicle was ready:



We puttered our Ford Focus back to the Red Roof, Joe went back to bed, and I updated the blog. This is where I am now. Everyone is asleep and not only can I not go back to sleep after I wake up, but I now have no van to chill out in. Yeah, woo. So I’m hoping that I’m not waking up the kids by typing, but screw it, it’s my room too!

SO, I’ve decided. No more Mr. Nice Guy. I’ve pulled through my absent-minded phase, I’ve come through in a crisis, but I’m spent. I’m sore, my hand is cut up from glass removal, I reinjured my already scarred and scabby knuckle and bled all over my jeans. I’m wearing the same clothes I played in last night. I got two hours of sleep and woke up at 6:30 to handle business. I need a change of pace. So, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for my metamorphosis. Today the beard begins to disappear. Phase one, the Lemmy. This is what I’ve looked like for the past year, more or less:



I will keep you posted on my progress. The Lemmy is going to be nearly impossible to pull off, but maybe I will feel badass for a day. More to come, as it is only 9:15 AM right now.

...

I just heard. It’s going to cost over $1400 to fix the van. They have to replace a seat belt because the old one is jammed with glass. They have to remove the side panel and clean the whole thing out, and then they have to replace the glass. This tour is officially screwed. I am officially screwed. I am at a loss for how I am going to remain sane on this tour. No joke.

Update: The rental people were supernice. We handled everything exactly as we were supposed to. I called my insurance company to file a claim, and since we are using the van for business purposes, they’re likely not going to cover any of the damage. Also, the van might not be ready by checkout time tomorrow, so we might be stuck in a parking lot with all of our gear. I’m beside myself right now. And I try to put things in perspective. I know my problems are not huge, but whatever they are, it’s awfully difficult to find the strength to keep going when there are these forces that seem to oppose every move we make. I’m not fighting the Taliban over here. I’m just in my corner of the world, and you know, shit’s tough right now. Joe told me yesterday that this is character building. I told him I’m 36. I’ve had enough character building. I would love some time to enjoy the character I’ve built up to this point.