Mitch Cronin Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 Drat! Drat! Drat! Double Drat!... This is the first time I can recall being flummoxed because I chose to drive... We drove to Ottawa and back today... Dumb eh? ...lemme explain... It's March Break... I've got holidays, kids have holidays, wife has holidays... Perfect, "let's go somewhere" sez me... where?..... Daughter wants a short trip or no trip at all (big plans with friends for most of the week)... Son wants to go to the moon, or Newfoundland, or BC will do.... Dad thinks and thinks... "I've never seen the aviation museum in Ottawa, how 'bout we drive there just for a single overnight, visit the aviation museum, maybe check out the mint or something else?" It's a done deal, All agree... So we load the kids and the dogs and a few overnight bags in the Sub, and off we go.... half way there the damn truck is acting strange.... (Have I ever mentioned how much my wife hates it when vehicles she's depending on start to act strange?)... if it had ignition wiring, I'd suspect it was made by Lucas and we were driving in the rain (which we were all day, but no ignition wiring in a diesel)... sort of missing a bit when ever I pressed the throttle for passing a truck going uphill... But we make it to YOW - Oh ya, I forgot to mention, we already had discovered the Aviation museum isn't open on Mondays - by about 4:00... so we somehow manage to find Sussex drive, and magically find a place to park not very far from the mint... cool! We got to the mint just as the last tour of the day is heading on their way, but they're "full".... so we snoop as much as we're allowed to, by ourselves.... not much allowed, but we got to pick up a gold bar (worth about $250,000 we're told!), check out some neat coins... my son bought a cheap one and was owed a dollar in change, and the guy behind the counter gave him a beautiful, brand new Terry Fox Loonie for his change, along with a holder for it ... walk back to the truck, fire it up and find the check engine light is on... wife very worried now... talks about going home.... "will it make it?" she wants to know... Get lost in downtown Ottawa - stupid streets! one ways galore, no straight roads to anywhere... now lost in Hull Quebec, even stupider streets... Roundabouts! almost nailed a guy in one, barely avoided getting nailed in another and I'm damned sure a ran a red light in yet another... found our way back into Ontario so we could once again get lost in Ottawa... all the while looking for a hotel or motel.... not a one to be seen.... (Well, we did find the Château Laurier Hotel, but I didn't even want to ask if they'd take dogs.) Somehow, we managed to eventually find our way back onto a highway that was thoroughly choked with traffic (hwy 417 I think?)... still looking for a motel or hotel... at one point the traffic opened up and if I didn't get over a lane now I'd be getting off, so I gave the pedal a squeeze and then backed off... suddenly there were too many lights on the dash, and the steering was real stiff... Crap, it's quit! ... I managed to get it relit, but not before wife had decided that was too much... "Will it get us home?".... ... Wanted to find a place to stay... eventually found four different places that said "no dogs"- Including a "Days Inn" right near the airport, which surprised me because on all our other trips, those places had always accepted our dogs... ...so we just flippin' drove til we were so far away from Ottawa, and still no place to stay, we just drove home. Son is bummed... wife is bummed.... Daughter is fine... Dogs are confused, but happy to be home ... Mitch is bummed and worried about the truck! No idea what's wrong with the bugger yet, but it's likely a fuel delivery problem... and a fuel pump on those things, .... $$...$$ Yike$...Don't wanna think about it!...$$ Some days you're the windshield, and some days you're the bug... ....I wonder if I thought telling this tale here would somehow make me feel a little better?... ... maybe it has... at least I'm chuckling at myself now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cp fa Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 If it's any consolation, yesterday was a terrible day to try to fly out of YYZ. The loads were already heavy due to March break traffic, and there were quite a few cancellations due to weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ACSideStick Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 Mitch, did the same thing once, did all the "other" stuff on the Sunday, thought we would save all Monday for the airplanes so we wouldn't be rushed. Showed up on Monday and yes it was closed. Drove back to Barrie and sent again about 4 months later. Kids loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Mitch; A little late for you now but I've found the museum of Science and Technology to be more interesting than the Aviation museum - and that's coming from a pilot! PS, next time give us notice before you pack up and leave - you're wasting a valuable resource here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cp fa Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 PS, next time give us notice before you pack up and leave - you're wasting a valuable resource here. I was thinking the same thing. Mitch, you really need to get a better travel agent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2006 Share Posted March 18, 2006 Mitch!!!!! Why the hell did you not contact me before you went?????? Have I done something wrong, do you not still love me I am in Ottawa, could have helped you out. but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I guess that since I am no longer in the centre of the universe (YYZ) I don't rate . For the next time, try the Baron's Best Western in Nepean, they allow dogs. Before I set up camp in Ottawa, my better half and I along with the Grey hound always stayed there, plus there is an amazing Sushi restaurant right next door! So what was wrong with the truck??????? I hope is was not the injector pump starting to pack it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted March 18, 2006 Author Share Posted March 18, 2006 No Robert, I still love ya .... didn't think... Didn't even occur to me that I knew anyone nearby. I changed the water separator and it was right as rain for the next hundred clicks, then died on me again... I'm thinking (hoping!) I picked up some lousy fuel somewhere, and am running some conditioner through it right now... so far, it seems to be doing the trick.... fingers crossed. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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