September 26 to October 2, 2010

September 26 to October 2, 2010


Wednesday ; ****ing pissant low level bureaucrats !

< sigh > This morning after driving Joanne to work in Cawston, I hitched the trailer to the truck and headed to Penticton for my “endorsement 51” road test. Which I failed … sort of. I’m not certain they classified it a “fail”. I think it was classified as a “termination due to mechanical failure”. HMPH … same effect ! ! ! I have to do it again !

I never got beyond the initial pre-trip “walk around inspection”. I never got out of the parking lot ! The trailer’s breakaway safety cable and switch chose today to “die”. Talk about Murphy’s Law ! After the “termination” of the road test due to mechanical failure, which was reasonable, I spent an hour in the parking lot repairing the switch. I removed the breakaway switch, dismantled it, found it full of dust and dirt, cleaned it, lubricated it, reassembled it, reinstalled it, et voilà … it works like new ! How frustrating !

But the real problem was … the two arguments I had with the examiner. The first one started even before the inspection began. He objected to my use of a checklist. He insisted that I perform a pre-trip inspection without the use of a checklist. I refused. I told him I wouldn’t dream of operating an aircraft without the benefit of checklists, and I felt the same way about operating a big truck and trailer rig. I refused to do it his way, declaring it unsafe. The road test is a proficiency test, not a memory test ! I told him I would not comply with his requirement as I felt it jeopardized safety. We argued for twenty ****ing minutes ! ! ! Finally, he stormed back into the building and phoned his boss. Who very reluctantly allowed me to use my checklist. Score one for me, although only temporarily.

When I opened the trailer for the “interior” part of the inspection, he was stunned that Bo and Sully were in the trailer. He said that pets were not permitted to be in the trailer during the road test. BULLSHIT ! Show me a regulation, or a policy, or anything written to support that ! Or demonstrate to me how their presence inside the trailer could possibly be construed as a safety hazard to him or me or anybody else ! And if you can’t … go phone your boss again. HA … score a second point for me !

Much later in the afternoon I had a phone conversation with his boss to discuss a rescheduling of the road test. And to discuss the checklist and pet issues. I demanded to see something written to support his contention that
( a ) the use of a checklist is not permitted and ( b ) pets are not permitted to be in the trailer during the road test. He will “look” for that, but in the meantime, if I succeed in getting the test rescheduled quickly, before he “finds” such documentation … no checklist, and no pets ! HMPH … score no points for me ! ! !

Thursday ; Happy 14th birthday to Sully

We got Sully one year ago at the BC SPCA shelter in Penticton. When he went into the shelter some six weeks earlier, he had been described as 12 or 13 years old. So we declared the day we got him to be his 13th birthday. We’re very pleased to have him, and glad that we were able to give him a well deserved “second chance” by adopting him. He’s a sweet fellow !

First thing this morning I phoned the driver examination supervisor to finalize discussion regarding rescheduling of my road test … and continue the arguments about the use of a checklist and the dog and cat being in the trailer. I couldn’t win ! I gave up ! I decided that “you win some, you lose some”. I’ve lost more important battles with more important people. In the overall scheme of things, this one’s not that important. Move on, Daniel
< last little bit of fuming >. My road test is rescheduled for Monday morning. Early ! ! !

I spent the day at home, drinking purgative to cleanse my large intestine to prepare for tomorrow’s colonoscopy. HO HO HO … what a lot of fun this purging / cleansing process is ! ! ! ! !

Friday ; So … today I had a colonoscopy and … finally … whacked a pack rat ! HA HA HA !

Early this morning we headed for Penticton where Joanne dropped me off at the hospital then went to run errands for half a day. My colonoscopy went … as well as a colonoscopy can go, I guess. I have now had two colonoscopies in British Columbia, and both were astoundingly less discomforting ( read that “tortuous” ) than the many colonoscopies I had in Ontario. The difference seems to be the sedating / anaesthetizing drugs used. Today my colon seemed to be in better shape than at any time in the last twenty years.

I spent the afternoon sleeping and recovering at home. After I got up late in the afternoon Joanne pointed out to me that … I had a dead pack rat to deal with. WOO-HOO … finally gotcha !

DSK