Stitches

If someone would have told me two months ago that I’d be beating my mustang with a hatchet on this journey, I would not have thought to ask how to avoid it. Surely, I would have wasted the opportunity with doubt and disbelief.

Yet here I was, what after three days of avoiding it. Sitting in my car all weekend as to fix the damage, is to admit there is damage. I really do love this car.  It is still the lowest millage vehicle I’ve ever owned (currently just over one hundred thirty one thousand, bought in two thousand and seventeen with eighty seven thousand.) And it was shiny when I bought it and I should wax it more often.

Now, I know it’s rusty around the rear wheels and the undercarriage and that the clear coat is peeling all over the place. And no, it’s not a stick, yet it is my mustang, and it’s got great story.  From the acquisition (from Pat Tyson of course) through the parades and puddles it’s been driven and most recently getting smacked by a white tundra.

When it happened, I was in a good place.  I had just packed up, fueled up and hit the road onward to the next destination.  At no point in this journey have I cared so much about the destination, so much as where I’ll sleep the next night.  The fact that I returned to where I began disturbed me.  It’s the coincidence of it all (aka, God acting anonymously.)

I did skip my workout that day- had I done a tour that would have easily let me miss the white tundra. Maybe if I would have skipped the fill up, I did already have a half tank and would have get gas along the way anyway.  Perhaps I should have been going north to Hobbs first? Maybe, God just didn’t want me to miss Mass yesterday, that is only my second for the year.

Maybe this is karma? I’ve ran stop signs dead drunk. I would be ashamed to know the number of drunken miles I’ve driven, damages I’ve caused to other vehicles. I’ve never been involved in an alcohol related motor accident, however, I’ve skidded out sober and left dings here and there. In any case, what this is for sure is damage.  Damage needing repair before it caused more damage.

It could be professionally repaired by replacing the quarter panel, bumper and headlight lens module. Parts could be ordered, surrender my vehicle for a week as parts accumulate and are put on.  Not to mention the cost of it.  Oh, I’m sure the other drivers insurance would pay. Eventually I guess, somehow.  Until then, I’d be tied down to some auto shop or make the payment myself and wait for reimbursement.

Yet, even if I had that money, I wouldn’t spend it.  At this point, the car still runs just as good as it did before and though perhaps it’s damage tally is now a little higher, yet I never focused much on the other damage it had before.. so, this will blend in.  Once repaired.

My hatchet removed and returned creases where necessary, sixteen zip tie stitches fixed the bumper and the curves.. well almost match the other side. It will blend in. I’ve had to think about what to do about the other driver.

An easy case, I even have video.  Although I wouldn’t use the funds to fix the car any more than I have already (oh, except the winder washer fluid tube leak.. I have to remember to fix that too) have.  Yet, is this the kind of thing I should call a lawyer and see how much money, money, money I can get from this?  Is that how the world works?

Or do I drive on?  Once I’ve cleared my name in New Mexico that is!  My court appearance is on or before march twentieth.  I’m told the magistrate is in town each Monday if I wanted to appear early.  I do.  So I did.  I appeared this morning at nine am (now the second time I had to use an alarm.)

Yet, today is Presidents day… and magistrates don’t work on holidays (the dispatchers at the City office do)

An uneventful day. Other than the pain.  Slept on the table last night, back felt great.  I slept great, thirty eight degrees or something, plenty warm enough and more of the same coming in the forecast.  However, as soon as I sat and turned out of my bag to be sitting on the picnic table, I knew something was wrong.  Extreme pain in both legs, mostly left though and also up and through my buttocks.

All cramped, all tight, all in pain. I barely made it to the bathroom, yet the steps did loosen it up. Slowly. Barely.  Kinda the thing you notice in hindsight.  Muscle relaxers and time, and a morning walk at Lowes after my stop at the PD.  LOL.  Lowes here is the grocery store. The. The grocery store, well unless you count the Dollar General, there is one of those here too.

Back at RV site number six by noon, I’ve parked here the rest of the day.  This is the first time here that I’ve unpacked much from the car. I am slightly spread out right now, I’ll have to clean up before bed.  Yet, I had all the tools I needed to repair the damage and to keep the damage from spreading.  Zip ties, a drill and the power to run it, a hatchet, a pair of vice-grips. These stitches won’t heal though. This is a scar she’ll carry with her the rest of her miles.

Cleaning the car, not much sorting to do anymore, yet organizing.  Almost a week in the car now, proper boondocking I suppose. No tent, just the sleeping bag on the picnic table.  Topping of the batteries tonight, have electric cookware now in case I run out of propane somehow, and am making my final shopping list.  Final?

Well, if I can camp for fourteen days for free, that sounds pretty cheap right?  Well, all these great camping places are usually fifty or sixty miles from anything resembling real stores.  So if I have to leave my site every three days for fresh food, that gas will add up fast I think.  The goal, if I can park for fourteen days, will be to stay parked for fourteen days.  Hence a final shopping list.

What do I need to go off in the woods?  Well, I plan to take ten gallons of water and a lot of beef stew at this point.  Ha.. still working on this.

Also, in stories I probably shouldn’t tell, yet what would be this point of this site if I didn’t?

I got a new pen today (and will store it in a safe place.) Tomorrow, we are back to Vyvanse and lists.

So where did I get just one pen?  Well, at the police station info window there were two bic pens laying there.

A backup pen. What a good idea of them in case the first one came up missing.

Standard disclaimers here, work of fiction, online blog, yada yada..

I saw it, I planned it, I knew it was wrong. OMG I’m a bad person to steal a pen from the cop shop.

Ugh, sorry officers.  sorry city budget.

The world will be a better place if I have a pen and can make a list.

Talked briefly to a neighbor Grant, nice older guy.  Another traveller.

Time to rest.