I started to write a blog post on Friday morning, but by Saturday evening the still-open browser window – the blog editor page with just the word “Stress” written in the title box – had become its own succinct review of the events of those two days. I won’t bore you with the details, but the main point is that after some fast talking, the VPD granted me another couple of days to get my engine going. I spent most of the weekend working on her, and as of now I am reasonably confident (though knocking wood) that she is working well enough to get me the heck out of Dodge.
A quick highlight reel – in the past three days, I:
- bicycled over forty kilometers and rowed over eight kilometers in total,
- borrowed a truck and drove to Bellingham and back for engine parts,
- had my oil filter spring a leak, leaving me with a couple of liters of used engine oil in my bilge,
- spent over $700 on a new exhaust system, and assembled and installed it,
- ate six cans of sardines and probably over a pound of sliced ham,
- drank most of a bottle of Sailor Jerry, and
- went out dancing. Twice.
Tomorrow morning I try once more to escape the Creek. My first destination will be Kitsilano.