Jun 27 - back to Reading

Up at 6am and on the road to Reading at 7, it should have been a smooth ride back to Reading, easily getting the car to Enterprise by 10:30 even with stopping at Jeffrey's.  I didn't get rolling until 10:15, which made it tighter; turned up the wrong ramp on I64, which added another 15 minutes to the trip ... we're now at 10:45 counting stopping but not counting unloading (car is due back by 11am).  No problem.

I64 to I81 then off at Carlisle because I81 doesn't actually intersect with I76 (PA Turnpike) -- short strip crowded with gas stations and fast food because a huge amount of traffic traverses that section.  I fueled up, which would get me to Enterprise with a little more than I started and then just as I was getting to the I76 ramp, dense fog came out of all the A/C vents and the windows inside the car immediately became opaque.  Ugh.  I pulled onto the shoulder, could see just well enough to do that, and turned on the defrost, A/C still running of course.  Now I'm getting hot fog coming out of the vents.  More ugh !

Fiddling with the A/C, on and off, outside air vs inside, it eventually cleared itself and I used a napkin to wipe the water off the windshield in front of me.  I'm now looking at 10:55 to the rental place, but not worried anymore because their Kia Soul has created a delay.  I've got an excuse !

I gave Jeffrey a call and asked if he could meet me at the rental place, telling him that I'd be stopping at the house first.  He said that he'd follow me there.  Ok. He called back a few minutes later saying that Sara was tight on time and how about if I go directly to Enterprise and we transfer stuff to his van ... ok, that works too and saves time.

I got to Enterprise around 10:45 and told the check-in fellow about the A/C problem.  He duly noted it and said that they'd get Kia to check it out.  He then went outside, checked the mileage and gas and moved the car, came back in and said that it blew fog for him too !  I had fully expected that this was an issue that couldn't be replicated and now I have a witness !  That care is now out of the rental pool !  He reduced my rental cost, listing a discount under "customer satisfaction".

The Soul ?  It actually is a nice little car.  I think that's what Terry Shuya drives.  I could get my bike in, barely, not removing anything and assuming that there is no-one in the front passenger seat, as it's pushed forward and leaning forward.  It is a squeeze.  It handled well on the highway although I could tell that 77mph was pushing it's little chipmunks on the treadmill for all they're worth.  77 is my standard speed in a 70 zone.

Back to Jeffrey's, I transferred bike and worldly goods to trailer and house and then borrowed Jeffrey's car to go to Giant for a big salad lunch.  I felt like a midget driving his car because he's taller, but it's a short drive so I just looked out the windshield through the steering wheel ... ok, it's not quite that bad. 

Sara was back a little later and I'd fallen asleep on the couch, kids playing around me ... did I say that I'd gotten 1 hour of sleep the first night and 2 hours the second ?  I'll do a blog on the ride in the next couple of days.  I was awake to see her leaving, 1pm ?  don't know the time but that was the plan -- off with the ladies for a concert and overnight -- girls day/night out. 

Sandy was back later in the afternoon and we went to Red Robin for dinner.  I had a bun-less burger, onion soup and a stack of onion rings.  Ok, there's carbs in the batter but not much.  I've been good anyway.

Early to bed, of course, and up this morning for Mass, packing and then heading north.  I'm not sure what time we'll be leaving but we are not planning on making it all the way to the cottage today.

Onward !