The problem was, I had
to drive the car to Connecticut to have Jake (pictured at right)
work on it, since he's the one who rigged the vehicle in the
first place. That took some time. Then I drove back to New Jersey
to finish packing, and found ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid,
the stuff in my power steering system. No, that's not wrong,
it's just the way it works, they're both hydraulic fluids) on
the ground underneath the car, and a significant drop in the
level in the recervior in the engine. Now, at that point, I knew
that the car wasn't necessarily leaking still, since the
fluid on the ground could have been just dripping off the body
of the car, having collected there while it was leaking. But
I couldn't take that chance, so I had to go back to CT to have
Jake check out the car again. Only that was on June 5th, and
Gabi got married on the 6th in Toronto.
So I
called Gabi and apologised profusely, and continued packing my
trunk as if I were leaving. When I was done, I left for CT, a
sort of Alan B. Sheppard Jr. test-flight to what will be the
John Glenn launch of my actual departure. Now the car is all
packed up, and has been since last Monday. When I got to CT,
I took a few days and drove the car around while dealing with
a few errands, like replacing my Therma-Rest sleeping pad and
acquiring a HUGE plastic water can for carrying bathing water.
After 2 days it was apparent that the car was not in fact leaking.
I could have left then, but Erika prevailed upon me to stay in
Old Saybrook, CT for her 21st birthday party on Saturday, and
since it was so close, and I no longer had the time-critical
wedding ahead (snort. having blown it already), I did so. That
was a hoot. Pictured above and to the left is Paul's back after
he asked Erika to draw something filthy on his back, and to the
right is Erika after I smeared whipped cream on her face.
I've now
rearranged my travel plans slightly. Originally, the plan had
been as follows: leave from Campus Dance at Brown U in Providence,
RI, on the 1st of June, and be in Toronto by the 6th. Travel
West to Michigan, crossing the border at the point of Lake Huron.
Then North and across the Straights of Mackinac (between Lake
Michigan and Lake Huron) and up to the Ontario border to check
out the phenomenal boat locks between Lake Superior and Lake
Huron (which have their waterlines at different altitudes) at
Sault Ste. Marie. Then West again across the top of Michigan
and up to its northernmost tip, and finally plunging South to
Chicago along the West coast of Lake Michigan.
Now I'm here in Jersey City again. The plan is pretty much to make up time by heading due West to Chicago, ignoring points of interest in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.
I'm sorry you guys aren't seeing the magnificent stuff yet, but soon, soon. Stay tuned for the Chicago update.