Stranded in Sarnia

So we finally get away about noon Sunday, Sept 30 about noon --- it’s a beautiful day, Peanut is on cruise control, the new stereo is blaring JP Cormier and life is good. We\re crossing the border at Sarnia and decide to pick up a few things at the Duty-Free. I’m turning into the parking lot at about 5 kph when an unholy screech issues from Peanuts nether regions --- something is scraping really badly. We both jump out and look – Linda is figuring curb – no curb. I’m thinking pothole – but no pothole. I’m also thinking ‘how could I miss either of those things'. Then I notice that the  body seems to be very low over the left front wheel  --- so much that Peanut has a list to port. Looks like we’ve lost the ball joint and Peanut is not moving another inch.

Sadly Peanut is taking up a lot of room where people wanting to cross the border need to get by. I move a couple of cones and Linda starts directing traffic while I get on the phone to Good Sam Road Assistance. Then a marvelous woman named Anne who runs the traffic on the bridge comes over and takes us under her wing. She sets up cones to direct the traffic around us and offers to call a tow truck. Good Sam is completely useless. They want to set up an RV place to take us before calling a tow truck --- good luck on Sunday afternoon. We finally declare a “safety hazard” and get Anne to get us a tow. She has also been busily getting us motel numbers and a passing trucker recommends a shop.

We end up getting towed to Bill’s Mobile Repair. As I find out later, Bill started out with a van full of tools fixing vehicles as large as semi’s that breakdown on the bridge. He’s not so mobile anymore as he has a shop that will take 8 tractor trailers – but he still has tool-laden vans that will come to you. We talked to someone at his shop who said they could look at Peanut first thing in the morning and the tow truck dude sets us down on a block so we are level for sleeping.

Peanut's first tow --- proud Dad and attending doctor

So we start settling in for the night and I hear a semi pull in. I go out to find out when Bill's opens in the morning. The lady trucker tells me he opens at 8 and I go back to Peanut. Five minutes later there is a knock on the door and the trucker tells us that she has called ‘Billy’ to tell him to expect us and that Billy said we could plug in right near where we were --- and provides us with a cord so we can reach. 

Now we have power so I can mess with the new TV that I have yet to touch. I hook up Peanut’s antenna and after much fiddling around and resorting to the manual I manage to bring in 4 stations --- one of which brings in the season premiere of Linda’s favourite show “Good Wife”. She was ecstatic as she had been a little sad about missing it. I got to look like a hero.

The next morning the boys at Bill’s were working on Peanut shortly after 8 and the ball joint arrived before they had the old one out. While theyL were working Bill himself came by to see how we were doing and offered us a vehicle if we wanted to go and get breakfast or go shopping. His mechanic was almost done by now so Bill told him to take Peanut inside and have a good look underneath to stave off further ‘mishaps’.

Linda waiting to hit the road..........

So everyone was as helpful as could be and we were on the road at 11 am Sunday having had a perfectly enjoyable evening at our free campsite.. When Linda has been telling this story she relates how things always work out for the best when we breakdown. I tend to add that maybe we are just outrageous optimists.