Honk! Honk!

They say the first casualty of war (and moving half way across the country) is the plan.

Once the final push to move was on, I formulated a tentative plan.  The first thing I decided I needed to do is to pay off all the small local bills and the credit cards.  Done!  Now that the outstanding bills are all paid I will have my truck serviced and made road worthy.  I had the brakes done last month and I put the truck in the shop yesterday.  Next, I will save money.  I need enough to fund the trip: gas, food, hotels, a small emergency fund, enough to pay to have the big trailer hauled, plus enough for rent on a lot in Texas.  Altogether I should have about three thousand, maybe three thousand, five hundred dollars to make the trip.  I will need to make fast the things inside the trailer, and put everything that is left in the storage trailer, hook up, and go.  Just a few short weeks and I'm gone!  That sounds like a good, doable plan.  All this as soon as I get the truck serviced.  Simple.

Well, in theory.

Close to nine hundred dollars later, my truck is back in the shop and no one seems to be able to tell me what is wrong with it.  This time I took it to a specialty guy.  He should be able to pinpoint it and let me know. It is suspected that it is something simple to fix, like a sensor or a computer module.  It's just a matter of narrowing down the problem and then fixing it. I just wait now, until I know something.

At times like these I could kick myself for getting rid of the old '62 Ford I had back in the day.  Three on the tree, sweet, mint green pick up truck with no computer modules or sensors and nothing that a standard set of tools and a little elbow grease couldn't fix. Parts were cheap and plentiful, gas mileage was decent, reliability was outstanding, and it already had a moderate ration of scratches and dents so I wouldn't be fussing over the paint job.  The stress factor was so much lower for the owner/operator/chief mechanic of such a truck.  I think if a deal had presented itself to me today I would have traded!

Don't get me wrong; my truck is nice and I'm thankful for it.  It's low mile, good looking, fast and powerful for the kind of truck it is.  It's just that I can't look under the hood and identify much of anything.  If it's broken I have to rely on someone else to fix it, and extend trust to him, someone I don't know, that he will deal with me with integrity and honesty concerning something I can't verify is accurate or fair.   I was blessed today to have a friend, who is a pretty fair mechanic himself, follow me over there to drop it off.  He talked to the guy in my stead and translated it into less technical terms for me, but he won't be here when I pick it up.  I'm at this guy's mercy-- not a position I am comfortable in.  God, go before me.  I leave it in your hands.

To add to the problem, every time I shell out another couple of bills, I rob my moving schedule of another day or so, pushing it further away. It costs my husband another day on the road.  It keeps us apart another day.  I'm not usually whiny, but I am NOT liking this. Not a bit.  My head can be logical and say, "What's another week?"  My heart wants to go be with my husband. 

Another aspect of this I don't much care for is the hold it places on the rest of the plan. I don't consider myself a schedule Nazi, but I do like to have a general timetable.  I can't plan for saving the cash or paying final bills until I know the final cost on the truck repairs.  I can't estimate a date to make the move until I  know how long it's going to take me to get the cash together. I can't reserve a driver to pull the trailer or a lot to park it on until I get the other things squared away.  I can't put or extra belongings in the storage trailer, I can't pack the tools or the barbecue grill, and I can't stow the gear.  I can't re-arrange the scheduling of any of the other parts of "the plan" until this obstacle has been overcome.  Bottom line?  I have to wait... some more... again.

Alas... this too shall pass. Despite the discomfort and aggravation, I am confident and know that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord.  It ain't nuthin' but a thang, chicken wang.  A good night's sleep and things will be much brighter tomorrow.

Good night.