Covid 19 and my road trip home to Canada

My 30-hour road trip, living in my car to get to my ‘Home and Native Land’, Canada.

This virus, I believe, is going to change our world forever. I would never have believed I would live in my car all the way home from Yuma, AZ, to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but I did. Deciding to eat and sleep in my car, to stay safe and get home with minimal exposure to a dangerous virus.

You may think this is extreme, but not me. I looked at it like an adventure, and I love road trips. The scenery didn’t disappoint, and I packed enough food to last me a year. Topping up with gas along the way kept me relieved. From the call of nature, disposable gloves (thanks, Linda), and hand sanitizer (thanks, Shar) kept me safe.

Naps along the way were necessary; old people need them, and I’m in that category. Starting at 9:00 am Saturday, I decided to call it a night by 10:30 pm. This put me in Orem, UT, at a Techron service station to top up my tank and for a bathroom break. The gal on duty also helped me buy a cord for my phone, which had quit charging along the way.

The cord for my phone was important if I was going to sleep in my car. We couldn’t open the package to see if it was compatible, and I also wasn’t sure if it was the cord or the plug in my lighter. The gal running the station was really helpful, even going to her own car and getting her phone to see if it charged on my cord. It didn’t.

Thanking her profusely for going out of her way, I didn’t even get her name. The station was right beside the Hampton Inn and an IHOP (closed) in Orem. I decided to spend the night there in the parking lot, under the bright lights. It wasn’t deserted, but it wasn’t even a tenth full either.

I will admit that a few thoughts about my safety did cross my mind, then, deciding ‘what will be, will be’, I nestled in for the night. The car was warm, and I had blankets, so I turned off the ignition. I also put up a couple of makeshift screens (towels) to block out the bright lights and secure my anonymity. I was snug as a bug and promptly fell asleep around 11:30 pm.

Waking at 2:30 am and feeling rested, I decide to get back onto the road. This is where the adventure part begins. I bring my seat back up to sitting position. Pulling down my makeshift ‘tent’, I quickly start my car so I can find an open service station. Nature calls ya know :  ) I am a senior, and I need to pee a few times a night, doesn’t matter where I’m sleeping.

I hear a faint clicking noise as I turn the key in the ignition, but that’s all… wth? So, I try again, a few little red pictures on my dash resembling an engine, but no motor starting, again wth (what the hell)? Now I’m starting to squirm, literally and physically. I’m somewhat alarmed, but more importantly, I gotta pee! I check that it is in park, try again, and still nothing.

Opening the car door and getting out, I am confronted with a cold front from the North Pole. This immediately releases a warning shot from my bursting bladder. Omg. I have just seconds to make an executive decision to pull down my pants and assume the squatting position to release the rest of the artillery, just in time! whewwwww, and ahhhhhh……

Once relieved, I look down at this river flowing from the driver’s side, where I am shielded somewhat by my door. If there are security cameras everywhere, I don’t care, I’m more concerned about stepping into my pee to get back into my car! This brings up a whole new area to explore on ‘pee etiquette’ for women. Men already have this figured out, I’m sure.

I’m totally disgusted that I peed right by my door, but I have to move on to the bigger problem. Why won’t my car start, and how much battery power do I have left in my phone? That’s important! My phone would have been dead had I not bought that cord only 4 short hours ago. I had it up to 27% before I turned off my car engine.

I Google service stations (ya.. I stepped in my own pee to get back into the car, yuck). The nearest tow service is 26 to 37 miles away, geez! This is snow country; surely every service station has a tow truck. I decide to go into the hotel lobby and see if they know of a closer place that can send someone to give me a boost.

Hotel doors are locked, and a note says to use the intercom, which I do. This nice man comes out and proceeds to go out of his way to accommodate me as best he can. He does not have booster cables, but he calls around and finds someone who can be there at 6:00 am and cost 55.00 bucks. (American money) just saying…

More importantly, his calm demeanor and his willingness to go the extra mile have calmed me down considerably. Once I calm down and plug my phone into an outlet, I’m now looking through my emails. I know I have CAA, but I don’t have my number. Voilà, it is in my insurance papers in my emails.

This nice man, whose name is Bruce, called AAA, and they honor Canadian CAA, and they will be there within an hour (it was actually within half an hour), at no cost to me. Turns out Bruce was born in High River, Alberta, and his wife is from Tabor (a city I go through on my route home). He has a son who lives in Prince George, BC, and they travel there quite often.

The tow truck driver is there in no time, and the boost works immediately. All the while, I was still trying to figure out why my car died. Why, or what, did I do wrong? While saying my goodbyes to Bruce, I mentioned I stopped there at 11:00 pm, and he said he noticed me out there at midnight and again at 2:00 am because my lights were on!

Did you know that on some newer vehicles, when you turn off your ignition and then leave your vehicle, the lights stay on for a fraction of a second? Well, did you also know that on some, if you turn off the ignition and DON’T get out of the vehicle, the lights STAY ON! OMG… that little tent I rigged up inside my car kept me from noticing my headlights were still on.

So, I’m not incompetent after all, and now my brain will have more work to do once I get back home. Peeing etiquette is something I want to look into for us gals. An invention (my mind never shuts off) for travelers who want some privacy when sleeping on the road for short periods.

My 14 days in isolation will not be wasted.

That’s all.

copyright,

March 20 2020