Trip Details

New Brighton, MN


Hello,



Our first day on the trip east, I was blissfully taking in those enticing mountain views when I was shocked out of my reverie by a very loud explosive bang. Driver Leroy was as shaken up as I was. He knew that it was something hitting the windshield. Sure enough there was a crack more than a half inch and two chips below it. It was surely a rock thrown up by the semi that was approaching, but how could an approaching truck do that? That night we checked in Jackson about getting it repaired, but they could not do it until Thursday so we said, “We will be gone by then.”



Hoping it would not get worse we headed out into the natural beauty available to us. When we next cleaned the windshield another chip to the right was discovered. Apparently the rock bounced. Thankfully the line had not grown. Unfortunately on the last day of travel we were hit with another rock. This one only struck once that we could tell. We are so grateful for the modern glass on cars that does not shatter on impact. This was more an inconvenience than a danger.



At Brian’s, Leroy called several places to learn the cost and whether we should just replace the windshield. One place told him they would not repair more than three chips, but only replace. We now have a new sparkling clean windshield. Our insurance does not cover this so it was an out of pocket expense, but again we are grateful that we have that money and it was not a physical danger to us.



Usually getting gas was not a problem, but most of the time we seemed to buy gas and then see it at the next stop for almost 20 cents less per gallon. One time, however, was a little more problematic. It stated gas on that blue interstate information sign, but did not list any stations. I did have to use the restroom so I said, “Surely there is a station since it states gas. Perhaps the station did not want to pay to advertise.”



It took some searching for the station that we finally found connected to a grocery store. There were no services in the station so I walked to the store and let Leroy buy gas. When I came back out he had moved the car to a parking place. In a rather grumpy voice he informed me, “It would not accept my credit card and zip code, so we will have to go some other place to get gas.”



“Do you have enough cash? Since we are here it seems that it would be easier to just get it here.” I urged.



So back to the pump to try again. With cash, prepayment was required. Leroy went in to do that and the person in there took his $20, we were not on low gas, and told him that he needed to put in his cell phone number which it did not accept. Fuming Leroy was ready to leave and forget it. I went , told the guy we could not get gas, he came out, got the cell phone number, commented on the area code, put it in, and it rejected it again. “I do not know what to do,” he said somewhat apologetically.



“What now?” I almost wailed, “We just want to get some gas, who can get it here?”



“Oh this is for a discount,” he said as he picked up the pump and put it in the car, soon the sound of gas filling the car was clearly heard.



Leroy was by this time steaming and snorting, but not at this guy because it was not really his fault. When Leroy is in this type of mode it is not easy to be with him. He could not remember which way to go to get back on the Interstate, drove at least ten mph below the speed limit, drove five mph over the speed limit, slowed to pass a truck before he moved into the left lane even though there was no one else around, and did a lot of deep breathing before he recovered.



I did ask Leroy if I could write about this and he said in a gruff voice, “Go ahead.” This is so you know that life is not always bliss on the road.



Paula