Some Like It Hot

Some days just seem rough. Try as one might, it seems like nothing can quite go right and the world is conspiring to derail what one has invested so much time and sweat to achieve.

As Robert Burns observed in 1785,

The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley,
An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,
For promis’d joy!

And so it is with Dodgy. As much as we love her classic exterior, roomy interior, and engine that doesn’t just “think” it can but does, she has spent more time in mechanic’s shops than she has with us. While her problems are overtly trivial, replacing parts on a car from the ’80s isn’t as simple as placing an order. Certainly, there are junk yards a-plenty, but Dodgy can spend two weeks in a shop and still be missing parts.

In our most recent visit to a mechanic, a personal friend of the family, Dodgy did get a fixed window shield wiper and a touchup to the breaks. Yet, she was referred to a specialist to fix the air conditioning. Certainly, air conditioning is a luxury that one can go without, but these repeated episodes—leaving us imposing on the kindness of various friends and family—do leave us questioning the practicality of relying too heavily on Dodgy. At the moment, we certainly intend to continue to enjoy her company through the end of the year, but we intend to engage in some more remote camping next spring, and we may need to reconsider what vehicle we take boondocking.