I am starting to think the powers at be are trying to keep me out of the bush this year.
To start things off, my business partner and I had planned a weeklong trip out west early last spring for the season start this year. By early summer we had both recognized that the not so perky economy has left our business and our pocket books looking a rather pathetic compared to normal. Fair enough trip cancelled.
We then decided to start our local season off on opening day this past Monday, nice and early. We both made all the required calls to our secretary and employees to schedule the day off and delegated what needed to get done in our absence. No Problem.
The Plan was simple enough, meet at my house "around" six being I am the only one with a truck and we would hit one of the local fields that we have permission on(and have been quite successful in past) for first light then casually make our way out west if nothing transpires.
Like a kid at Christmas, I was up at like 4:30, double checked gear rifle and ammo, loaded truck made coffee and stared out the window. 6 o'clock comes and goes with no sign of buddy, I give him until 6:30 before I call. No answer, straight to voicemail. 6:45, still no word I am about to head out on my own but of course by now my wife and my 4 year old daughter are waking up. Now the wife is in a panic because she has to get both kids ready, drop one off at day home and the other off at play school then get all her errands done. Really shouldn't be a big deal, I do it myself frequently, but since my morning was already off kilter I lent a hand. Got them ready to head out.
A little discouraged and with a partner who is still M.I.A, I get in my truck and start heading out. I was just out of the city and it has to be around 8:15 or so , cell phone rings. It's the wife. Car quit on the way to day home and won't start. I was about to suggest that she call my father, but decided that could be hazardous to my own health telling a pregnant woman I am too busy hunting to come save her. Okay, morning is wrote off so I turn around come home, grab our van take it to her and get her and the kids on the way.
After having AMA tow the car back to my shop and checking a few things out I kind of thought it was fuel filter or pump. Sure enough, fuel pump. Well may as well fix it now that I have a day off. Pulled the tank, got new pump put it in with the help of a very hung over partner who had since been found, just nowhere near his house.
That was that, opening day was over and I didn't even see a field let alone an animal. But wife was happy, partner treated his headache and I saved a few hundred by fixing the car my own self.
Next plan was for yesterday. Very similar to the first except this time buddy showed up and we were off on time. I left my phone off this time so I could at least plead ignorance to the inevitable issues that would come up and things were going great for the first 15 minutes or so, that's when my truck started knocking like it was going to throw a rod. WTF! AMA again, back to shop.
I had recently changed the intake gaskets(second time in 240k) and the thing was running like a top. I do regular maintenance on all my vehicles, and my chevy really only pulls the trailer in summer and goes hunting. It has never let me down. Anyway , sounds top end so I will be pulling the heads off to have a look when I get another day off, but once again hunting cancelled.
So, now we have no truck. Our options are his Infinity QX56 or my Dodge Caravan. Either one we strap our deer on I am sure we'll get some looks.
Right now, I feel a bit like Clark W. Griswold trying to get to Wally World!
Sorry for the excessive rant.
KO
To start things off, my business partner and I had planned a weeklong trip out west early last spring for the season start this year. By early summer we had both recognized that the not so perky economy has left our business and our pocket books looking a rather pathetic compared to normal. Fair enough trip cancelled.
We then decided to start our local season off on opening day this past Monday, nice and early. We both made all the required calls to our secretary and employees to schedule the day off and delegated what needed to get done in our absence. No Problem.
The Plan was simple enough, meet at my house "around" six being I am the only one with a truck and we would hit one of the local fields that we have permission on(and have been quite successful in past) for first light then casually make our way out west if nothing transpires.
Like a kid at Christmas, I was up at like 4:30, double checked gear rifle and ammo, loaded truck made coffee and stared out the window. 6 o'clock comes and goes with no sign of buddy, I give him until 6:30 before I call. No answer, straight to voicemail. 6:45, still no word I am about to head out on my own but of course by now my wife and my 4 year old daughter are waking up. Now the wife is in a panic because she has to get both kids ready, drop one off at day home and the other off at play school then get all her errands done. Really shouldn't be a big deal, I do it myself frequently, but since my morning was already off kilter I lent a hand. Got them ready to head out.
A little discouraged and with a partner who is still M.I.A, I get in my truck and start heading out. I was just out of the city and it has to be around 8:15 or so , cell phone rings. It's the wife. Car quit on the way to day home and won't start. I was about to suggest that she call my father, but decided that could be hazardous to my own health telling a pregnant woman I am too busy hunting to come save her. Okay, morning is wrote off so I turn around come home, grab our van take it to her and get her and the kids on the way.
After having AMA tow the car back to my shop and checking a few things out I kind of thought it was fuel filter or pump. Sure enough, fuel pump. Well may as well fix it now that I have a day off. Pulled the tank, got new pump put it in with the help of a very hung over partner who had since been found, just nowhere near his house.
That was that, opening day was over and I didn't even see a field let alone an animal. But wife was happy, partner treated his headache and I saved a few hundred by fixing the car my own self.
Next plan was for yesterday. Very similar to the first except this time buddy showed up and we were off on time. I left my phone off this time so I could at least plead ignorance to the inevitable issues that would come up and things were going great for the first 15 minutes or so, that's when my truck started knocking like it was going to throw a rod. WTF! AMA again, back to shop.
I had recently changed the intake gaskets(second time in 240k) and the thing was running like a top. I do regular maintenance on all my vehicles, and my chevy really only pulls the trailer in summer and goes hunting. It has never let me down. Anyway , sounds top end so I will be pulling the heads off to have a look when I get another day off, but once again hunting cancelled.
So, now we have no truck. Our options are his Infinity QX56 or my Dodge Caravan. Either one we strap our deer on I am sure we'll get some looks.
Right now, I feel a bit like Clark W. Griswold trying to get to Wally World!
Sorry for the excessive rant.
KO
