Jan 19 - sorting out and digging out

The short story is:  lots of snow and more snow overnight last night.  In the main event, we may have a plan to get out of here !

We had almost a foot of snow in our driveway in places, averaging more like 8"-10".  Yes, I know that's not metric.  It was wet stuff; I could have made a snowman, had I been so inclined.  I wasn't, nor was I really capable, given my shoulder.  If anything, it's getting worse, but that's the way rotator cuff injuries go.  I really need to get to a doctor and start some physio or perhaps I should just lie in the snow and ice it ?

It took a long time to blow the snow with my little machine.  There's a lot of driveway and I need room to get Sandy's car away in the garage and use the barn, so I'm clearing all of it.  Just as I finished, I noticed that I'd broken one of the sheer pins, so I will fix that before doing any blowing today ... sigh. 

I also did some playing with Sandy's right front brake, taking off the wheel and compressing the caliper with a clamp.  I can get it compressed but it still sticks even though I cycled over and over again -- brake, compress, brake, compress.  With a little luck, that will wait until Spring. 

I talked to Canadian Tire on and off.  They are covering the towing, which was a $400 bill.  They are also, obviously, replacing the alternator.  They were very apologetic.  They also admit that they "might" be involved in the fan.  I held out an olive branch, rather than being hard-nosed and said that I want a fair offer, recognizing that parts were old etc.  They have ordered the parts, worth about $400 CAD, which would be slightly less than half that in the US ... I'd already checked that.  He, the Service Manager, wasn't able to make me a final offer by end of day Saturday (that's a short day for the service department), but did say that they'd do something for me on the parts.

The best that they could do, using "normal" deliveries, was get the parts by Wednesday.  I pressed them on that, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible.  The parts will be at Barrie BMW when they open on Tuesday, so I'm going to be there waiting for the parts and will then deliver them to Canadian Tire in Parry Sound later that morning.  With a little luck they will then install the fan & shroud, which is about 1/2 hour job tops and we (more on that) will then get back to the cottage, put Sandy's car away, load up and be out of here.

Unfortunately I cannot drive two cars.  Without some other solution presenting itself, Sandy and I will either leave here very early on Tuesday to be in Barrie by 8am or we'll drive to Barrie on Monday night and stay with David.  By myself, I'd drive Tuesday a.m. but that could wipe Sandy out since we want to get back down at least as far as Toronto, perhaps to Erie PA, on Tuesday night. 

Of course, getting back here and "loading up" isn't quite that simple.  I still have to change out the snow tires ... which I'm getting good at ! and we seem to be getting more and more snow ... hmm and it's now getting colder.  Cold isn't good for that work because I have to use the paint stripper heat gun on the hydraulic jack to make the fluid liquid so that the jack works.

I do have slow leaks in those two snow tires on the left of Sandy's car.  That's not a real problem since they are really slow, would take 2+ days to get low enough to be a problem.  I tried to top them up yesterday and was stymied by ice in the air line of the compressor hose.  I had to bring that in and warm it up.  Life in the frozen north is a joy. 

When I got up yesterday it was 34F, 23F by the time Sandy got up and it stayed there all day.  When I got up this a.m. it was still over 20F but has now dropped to 10F.  Interestingly enough, talking to Jim & Bonnie, it rained most of the day yesterday in Parry Sound, staying above freezing.  Being right beside Georgian Bay certainly has a moderating effect !

So .. we will see.  There's also the complication that I have two conference calls tomorrow night with Randonneurs Ontario -- 7pm and 8pm.  If we want to get to Barrie or part-way tomorrow, we'll need to either leave early or late.

I need to do most of my packing today.  Thankfully there isn't much, just one bag of clothes and a few odds and ends.  Sandy has to organize the food etc.  which takes longer.  What's actually going to take me a bit longer is doing all my normal computer backup stuff.  I've got that somewhat down to a science now though.

... and ... of course ... leaving here during the winter is not just a matter of locking the door.  The water has to be turned off and drained, some anti-freeze & bleach put into the toilets; anti-freeze in traps ... perhaps all this is not necessary, but I do it anyway.  I don't bother with the appliances -- dishwasher & clothes washer -- if the house freezes that much then we're just out of luck.

Onward ?  I really don't know at this point !