Skiergirl: Crazy, Crazy, Crazy Day

And yet I stayed relatively sane. The big plan for the day was to get up early to take a trip down to Waterton. We had reservations to stay at a hotel in the park, then tomorrow we would go to the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre and Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. But, alas, plans changed.

We got started pretty well, out of the house by about 8:30, which is very early for mom. We headed down Highway 22, the "Cowboy Trail" scenic route. We were 4 km south of Black Diamond when Omar started sputtering. I pulled over to the side of the road and he stalled. He refused to start again so I had to call a tow truck. We were hauled to OK Tire in Black Diamond, the mechanics determined that the fuel pump had died and ordered me a new one. Unfortunately, the pump had to come from Calgary so we had to wait until 3:00 pm for the part to arrive. Omar was ready to go by 4:30 and we were back on the road again... to Calgary. I would have lost my deposit (one night's stay) at the hotel but they were nice and just deferred my booking so I can use it again later in the summer.

Since most of the day was lost, we hit MEC on the way home to so I could stock up on some supplies for my trip. We pulled into the parking lot and Dad thought he smelled gas so he looked under Omar and, sure enough, the gas tank was leaking. So, fantastic... after spending $630 to fix the fuel pump I'll have to spend more on the tank. I'll find out tomorrow what the deal is. If it costs too much more, I think I might have to let him go. Perhaps losing Omar will be the final step in moving on with my life.

So I went in to MEC and bought a new stove (MSR Simmerlite) and some other stuff. I also bought a new tent (NorthFace Rock 22) at Coast Mountain Sports... I've got almost everything I need to go now! Just as we were about to leave CMS the heavens opened up and it rained like a bitch! Then hail. Then more hail. Then huge hail. It was the perfect crazy end to a crazy day.

Through all of this, my spirits remained remarkably high. The initial breakdown and tow actually made me laugh my ass off. I took a bunch of photos and wasn't really bothered at all. It was a little weird though, it was like seeing your child get hurt. I really do feel like Omar is a person. I was brought down to earth a little when they told me how much it was going to cost and how long it would take to fix it. I was still doing okay until I saw the gas tank leaking... then the swearing began. Now I'm feeling dejected and antsy, but at least I have a new tent and stove!