The Wheels on my car go POP POP POP

Well well well. I hate to sound overly pessimistic and negative but I am seriously starting to take inventory and try and figure out what I have done in my life to invite the kind of bad luck and evil karma that I experience on a daily basis into my life. I feel that I am essentially, in my core, a good human being. I don't torture small animals, I use my indicators, I hold the door open for old ladies. But then after all my "good works" I get slammed with life rattling events that make me question: Is it even worth it?? IS ANY OF IT WORTH IT?? I kid, but seriously.  

As the kids say, let me backstart. Friday April 25th was our last day of school before Goose Break. I had a quiet and uneventful day, the kids were excited about the break and the teachers even more so! There was a buzz of positivity and hope in the air, the anticipation of a two-week break was palpable!! My mom and I had packed the car the night before and were pretty much ready to go! Snacks prepared, podcasts downloaded and overnight bags packed. Ready. To. Go. Well my dears it seems the open road had other plans for me. 

We (Carmen and Monika and dogs in one car) and I and my mother and Bobo took off at about 4 and hit the road. I got a nice tasty rock chip within the first half hour of driving the freshly graded access road which was a big bummer. I got over it and kept driving. Things went pretty uneventfully for the next few hours as we travelled along the James Bay Highway into the evening. Then the best thing ever happened. At around KM30 (thankfully within cell service range and very close to Matagami) I somehow managed to hit a pothole about the size and depth of a FIAT and explode my tire, also breaking my rim. It was late and I was already exhausted from a full day of work and needless to say this set me into a whole new level of rage. Calm-like-a-bomb rage. So I checked it out, decided rather than wait for help I'd just drive slowly to Matagami and figure out what to do from there. 

We got to Matagami about 20 minutes later and called my roadside assistance number and arranged for a huge flatbed tow truck to take me to the nearest covered by policy service station which was conveniently located in Amos, our destination for that night anyways.  The tow driver was really quiet (probably because he spoke NO English and we spoke NO French) but very helpful. Luckily my friends were staying the night in Matagami and came out to keep us company while we waited and Vincent helped translate which was extremely handy given the circumstances. Jeremy offered some sage advice and all around they tried to lighten the mood in a very upsetting situation. 

Hamsters securely confined to the van, we were on our way to Amos. So my mom, Bobo and I spent the next 2.5 hours in the truck driving to Matagami in absolute silence (except for the blasting of "Eye of the Tiger" on the radio). We arrived in Amos at about 2 or 3am I can't remember really and we were pooped. Carmen stayed awake to pick us up from the lot and drove us back to the hotel which was really appreciated!!!

The next morning I waited at the closed Chrysler dealership where my van was dropped off for CAA to come pick me up and take me to the only known open car repair place on a Saturday morning waayyyy up north, Canadian Tire. WELL guess what Canadian Tire had no appointments available and we needed to be out of our hotel by 1pm so I had to make some quick decisions. I bought another new tire (my old one was destroyed) and drove (temporarily pumped up) to a no-name gas station where a CHILD worked on my car for what seemed like a decade. Inbetween pumping gas and working at the register, Justin Beiber over there appeared to be having trouble trying to get my tire off my bent and broken rim. So he called who I can only assume was his father to come bail him out. Once Daddy arrived we were singing. He popped off the wheel and used a SLEDGEHAMMER to bang my rim back into a temporarily driveable shape and put my new tire on. At this point it was noon and I was about 4 hours behind schedule but relieved to be able to drive safely back to Ontario where I could get some real repairs done. Of course none of this was covered by my warranty so it was allll out of my very shallow pockets (I am taking donations in tender of any form).

So we drove all day and most of the evening making it back to Oakville on Saturday night just after 10pm and tired as could be. We didn't even bother unpacking the car, just grabbed our overnight things and crashed. I spent the next day deep cleaning my filthy car (earning a paper cut from my WINDSHEILD WIPER BLADE) running errands and yesterday buying a new rim and making the necessary repair arrangements! Needless to say I am pooped still but happy to have zero teaching responsibilities and being in a metropolis while all this is going on so that I can get things taken care of quickly and professionally. 

I really hope nothing else scary happens in the next few weeks because I tell ya my poor heart can't handle the stress!! Pray for me!!!!!

It hurts. 

Vincent: King of Communication

I tell ya that better be secured, my Hamily was in there still. 

My poor baby. 

In the truck. 

Wah wah. 

Side note: renos at Amosphere Hotel not quite finished... 

Getting pumped up for a short trip. 

Ouch

Justin trying to work his magic. 

Thank goodness father arrived. 

When in doubt, bang the crap out of it! A philosophy I follow closely myself. 

Before and after! 

Oh and Carmonika pulled her usual escape stunts so I made her sleep in the bathtub that night. She tried to build a nest in the drain. I have one smart hamster... 

The open road! Before all hell broke loose!

My rock chip (1 of 5 from the trip).. IM DONE.