April 28, 2006

April 28, 2006

Kingston, Ontario

YEAR 2 DAY 315

 

Today was sunny and cool.

This morning I got a very early start, heading out at 8:00 A.M. for Van & Truck World. I stopped at Canadian Tire on the way, and got a refund on one of yesterday's purchases on which I changed my mind. I arrived at Van & Truck World just a few minutes before they opened at 9:00 A.M.. I discussed with them the finer details of where I wanted the brake controller and hitch wiring mounted, then left to walk about a mile to the library. On the way I stopped at a Dodge dealer. The owner's and maintenance manuals that were in Lanoire were in French. Belleville Dodge gave me new owner's and maintenance manuals, but they were the wrong ones, for gasoline engines. I phoned them yesterday when I discovered that, and they told me to go to a Dodge dealer in Kingston or Ottawa, get the correct manuals, and they would pay. The Kingston Dodge dealer did not have the correct manuals. I'll try Ottawa.

At the library, I found a quiet desk in the corner of the basement, and set up the laptop. I did yesterday's accounting and journal entry. I deleted all of the records related to Dee-Dee, and set up new ones for Lanoire. Dee-Dee is gone, I threw out all her paperwork files yesterday, I deleted all her computer files today, now all that will be left of that ******* piece of crap is the cold night sweats and nightmares. HA HA HA ! Last night while we were looking at our travel photos, Brian commented on what a good looking truck Dee-Dee was in some of our photos. Yeah ... just the like the Northern Pikes' hit tune of the 80's. "She ain't pretty, she just looks that way". HA HA HA HA HA !

I got online using the library's Wi-Fi system, sent and retrieved e-mail, updated my blog, and surfed for winter WorkCamping jobs. I've had no responses to my applications for a WorkCamping job at Pinery Provincial Park in Ontario for September and October, Falcon State Park in Texas for January to March, and Guide Dogs Of The Desert in California for December to April. I hate when organizations are neither professional nor courteous enough to respond to applications. I went across the street to Cataraqui Mall and had lunch in the food court. I returned to the library and started today's journal entry.

At 3:00 I left the library and walked back to Van & Truck World. When I arrived at 3:30, they were not yet finishedthe hitch installation, they had not installed the tool / storage chest, the fifth wheel wiring, the brake controller, or the step tubes. AND ... the step tubes were "on their way". What do you mean "on their way" ? ! ? The step tubes were in stock the other day. Oh ... they made a mistake ! I expressed my displeasure. I wonder if it's possible to find an automotive service facility that does what they say they're going to do, when they say they 're going to do it, at the price they've quoted, with competent workmanship ? ! ? < sigh >

They had more difficulty installing the fifth wheel hitch than they had anticipated. They ran into some unexpected problems with the wiring of the trailer brake controller. They finally finished the work at 6:20 P.M., 20 minutes after the shop had closed for the day. The manager treated me fairly when he prepared the bill. However, when I got back to Rideau Acres and began inspecting the work, I found the trailer brake controller mounting bracket was installed upside down, there was a mounting screw missing, there was an improperly reinstalled mounting screw in one of the dually mud flaps which they had to remove, etc.. I'm rarely satisfied with the competency and proficiency of young men working as automotive "service technicians / installers".

Joanne made a nice pot roast for supper. After dinner, I did today's accounting and finished this journal entry.

DSK