Jan 13 - road closed

The day started off innocently enough although I did some dithering.  It was cool and foggy but I finally decided that I should get out and ride, leaving at noon.  That's late because it gets me back after 5pm and, at this time of year, dark is approaching.

That set the stage for the entire day, stretched out.

It stayed cool and foggy.  As I moved inland towards the north end of my usual route, I saw some sun, but heading east to the beach, I could hardly see the ocean from A1A.  Otherwise, it was a good ride with a nice tail-wind as payback for my northward work.

Sandy was out when I got back, having spent mucho time at Walmart, apparently.  She'd gone to pick up a thingy that Matthew will sleep in.  Sara had ordered it but somehow the Walmart didn't have the online order.  A person helping her simply disappeared for 1/2 hour (Sandy is obviously more patient than me !) but then another finally sorted things out.  Naturally some assembly was required, and I did that once she was home.

The flight was delayed about 1.5 hours, predicted to be in at 10:22 rather than 8:50.  Oh well.  As long as it stayed that way, we were good ... and it did.  We were taking two cars and she left around 9:15, me a few minutes later.  I had to stop for gas, she didn't.  She had the SUV ... I didn't.

When Sandy got home from her shopping trip she told me that the last few times that she'd shut off the car, it gave a little rumble.  I had checked that and, sure enough, it's like it fired once more ... dieseling, as they used to call it.  I figured that there might be some dirt build-up and put the required amount of an additive in the tank.  There were no warning bells going (error codes), so I figured that we'd be ok.

We both took the route south on I95, expecting to go east on 528.  528 actually meets I95 well south of Titusville but 407 cuts the corner.  Without that 407, it's a lot longer to take 528 than to take I4.  Well, as I approached 407, a sign warned that it was closed and take the next exit (which would be 528, about 15 miles south).  The 407 ramp was open, so I took it, hoping that the road hadn't actually closed ... no such luck ... closed where it meets up with the "Y" in the road.  Worse yet, there's no ramp from 407 to I95 southbound and I was forced to head east to US 1, drive south on US 1 (traffic, lights etc.) to where 528 meets it.  Time goes by ...

Bottom line, my arrival time was 1/2 hour later than planned.  When Jeffrey called, I was 1/2 hour from the airport.  I called Sandy and she'd just arrived at the cell phone waiting lot.  She'd continued south on I95 so had not had as much extra time added to her trip.

She told me at that point that there was something radically wrong with the X5.  The "range" was dropping precipitously as she drove.  Groan.  Unsure as to what was going on, I mentally decided that we'd get as many people as possible in the sedan and I'd drive the SUV.  If I was going to get stranded in any car with any children, it had best be Emma. 

By the time I reached the airport, Jeffrey had his baggage and Sandy had started to load.  We tried to get all three kid seats in the M5 but no go for Emma's booster in between the other two.  She'd have to ride with me.  Sandy headed off with Sara, Matthew and Zoe.  I left with Jeffrey and Emma.  I was going to the Comfort Inn with Jeffrey, who would be staying overnight and then flying back to his company meeting; I'd pick him up again on Friday.  Complicated, yes; late yes, but the plan was coming together.

Then it unraveled.  As we got to the Comfort Inn, Jeffrey remembered that Sara had his ID.  If he'd been staying at the motel for the duration, no problem, but good luck trying to fly without ID !  What do people do if they have lost their wallet ?  Wait for new ID, I guess.

I called Sandy and she got off at the next exit and headed back.  I checked Jeffrey into the hotel and left with Emma.  The X5 simply purred all the way home.  It seems that the "range" dropping precipitously was the result of "heavy foot syndrome" -- yes, driving faster with this car dramatically reduces your fuel mileage.  I knew that from experience but Sandy didn't have that many highway miles with this car. 

Optimum fuel mileage is under 60mph.  I get huge mileage in Northern Ontario with the 80kph (50 mph) and 90kph (55mph) speed limits.  On these roads, with the speed limit being 70 mph, our typical cruising speed is 77 and range will drop from 600+ to 450 or thereabouts.  That's what she was seeing.  The car did do its little extra chug when I shut it off but otherwise there were no issues.  We'll see how that develops over the next few days and take it in at some point if it doesn't clear.

Emma and I were back here about 20 minutes or so before Sandy.  That wasn't the original plan, but it worked.  We unloaded, Emma had a drink, got out her American Girl stuff and soon thereafter, Sandy arrived.  I helped get Matthew out of the car while Sara took Zoe.  A half-hour later or so and everything was in the car and everyone was organized and in bed -- kids, that is.  Sandy was chatting with Sara in the kitchen when I went to bed but came into the room soon.

By then it was around 2:30 a.m. My how time flies.

It's foggy and rainy today so we'll have some indoor activities, no doubt !  Hopefully that won't persist but even if it does, I'm sure that we'll figure things out.

Onward !