The first two days of our journey were sweet and a breeze. The children have been excellent travellers, and we've had a lot of fun. We've come about 1000 miles!
Today was a little more eventful. After we slept last night in the Comfort Inn at Evanston, Wyoming, we got on the road this morning excited to be almost "home" to Elk Mountain -- just 250 miles more down the road. Our van decided that it liked Evanston, and it didn't want to leave. About 20 miles into today's journey, the transmission became seriously handicapped. We turned around got back to Evanston!
A mechanic confirmed the seriousness of the issue, and we needed to change our game plan. No hope of repair was possible in the next one-to-two weeks, and we fly out of Denver next Monday. We now had some interesting issues to solve! What should we do with the van? How can we get to Elk Mountain? How will we get to Denver?
We quickly decided to look for a buyer. (We had intended to have Bone's dad sell the van after we fly out, but now things were obviously not going to play out that way.) The Dodge dealer was not interested, but a salesman referred us to a man named Anthony who keeps a fleet of vans for "Mountain Regional Services, Inc", located a few blocks away.
We drove to "Mountain Regional Services, Inc", and I walked inside. Anthony was not in, but a sweet receptionist dialed his number and handed me the phone. He was interested, and a few minutes later he was shaking hands with us. He was in his late thirties, full-blooded Italian, with an easy smile. He could only offer us $300, and he was certainly not trying to rip us off. (His cost would be about $2500 to repair, and the value of the vehicle in trade was little over that.) We knew we were in no position to find a better offer, and we agreed. We were grateful that we'd be able to properly dispose of the vehicle, and also that an otherwise good and useful van would not be wasted. $300 was way better than paying to have it towed to a wrecking yard in another city! We made arrangements to make the transaction after lunch.
During this meeting with Anthony, I was required to take emergency potty breaks with children three times! And this facility was actually not supposed to allow children inside the doors due to the nature of some of it's clientelle. Awkward! Thankfully, the staff was very kind and understanding.
Lunch was a whirlwind of questions, decisions, and calls for information. The children hardly noticed, and instead had a blast climbing and playing at the surprisingly fun Evanston McDonalds. (God bless the person who invented the idea of climbing toys at McDonalds!) Could we rent a car in Evanston and return it in Laramie? The answer was no. Could we rent a car from Park City and return it in Laramie? The answer was no. Could we rent a car in Laramie and return it in Denver? No -- but Laramie Enterprise told us there is airport shuttle service from Laramie to Denver. Good to know! Is there Greyhound service from Evanston to Laramie? The answer was yes. The next bus was tonight at 10 PM.
I would have taken that. Bone was not game for Greyhound in the middle of the night with four children. Was there another bus? The answer was yes -- 9:30 tomorrow. That would work. But Bone's father also didn't like the Greyhound idea, and would prefer to come get us tomorrow.
We got settled in again, to the same nice room at the Comfort Inn, cleaned out the car, and then I returned to meet Anthony and make the trade. It was fun chatting with him and with Maryanne, the notary who witnessed the transaction. I was glad to meet these interesting people. I felt I was having an adventure. Finally, Anthony dropped me back at the Inn.
And then, Bone and I took the children swimming!
So here's what I am thankful for and amazed by. Where did the car trouble happen? Very close to town. How long did it take to see a mechanic? Immediate service. Did we have a GPS and cell phone service? Yes, and boy did they help! How long did it take to find a buyer for the van? Like 10 minutes. Did we have to pay or did we get payed to get rid of our van? Yes, we came up with enough to rent a van for a week if necessary, after we get to Laramie. Can we get to Laramie on our own if needed? Yes we can. Did we meet some interesting and kind people and get a little taste of Evanston, Wyoming? Yes we did. Did the kids have a good day? They did! Did Bone and I learn a thing or two today? We did, and maybe even grew a little closer.
As I was driving to meet Anthony and sign over the title, this song came into my head. It made me wonder about how God wants us to feel. Is there somehow he wants us to feel? I believe he wants us to be happy, but he does have to send us challenges sometimes.
Fear not, I am with thee. O be not dismayed,
For I am thy god, and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
In every condition, in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea,
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.
