April 4: $$$ + $$$ + $$$$ + $$$$ + ????

I am currently parked in the back of the lot at Precision Maintenance in Georgia because I was impressed on how Joe, the owner, helped a skoolie sister at the homestead. We are waiting another three to six days for a new transmission to arrive and then be installed.

It was a draining experience getting here late yesterday afternoon – physically, emotionally and financially. Picking up where I left off, Gordon Snow did finally show up to tow me to a facility chosen by CoachNet. Gordon was worth waiting for because he managed the impossible – towing Karmalita from the rear. He went slowly, especially over railroad tracks. And when he left me at the dealers, he sliced and stomped down the pricker bushes reaching through the fence to grab by driver's door. The next day no on from the dealer even came out to look at my transmission. At 5pm when I called the service department again, I was told "Oh. Um. Yeah. Um. We don't have anything that an deal with the weight of your vehicle. That was rather obvious because there were no other large vehicles on their lot. I had passed the time doing my own research, crawling under the bus three times to try to get pictures of the transmission, because if it was an Allison, I had found a shop to work on it Wednesday. Only it wasn't. When the dealer suggested another dealer, I called and was assured that yes, they could handle it. So CoachNet agreed to tow me there. I requested the same driver. When we got there about 10pm, the gate across the lot was closed and padlocked. I ended up letting Gordon drop me off at a Buick dealer that did have large trucks in the lot. We had great conversations about so many topics including adopting children and camping.

Wednesday morning that dealership told me their truck division was across town and if I paid for the tow, and left the bus there, they could get to it next week. Since I was not about to rent a hotel room and try to relocate Pye, and since CoachNet wanted nothing more to do with me (because I made the appointment at the locked dealer, not them), I chose to pay $900 to be towed 125 miles north to where I am now. That driver was equally as kind and considerate of me, Karmalita, and Pyewacket. He loved my seat because he did one of his car interiors entirely in purple. He was a Pisces. The conversation was equally stimulating, and the best part was I was not the one who had to drive over a big scary bridge.

I have yet to get the final bus build bill, there was the $800+ registration fee (including taxes on the $7,000 bill of sale), the tow, a new transmission that will run $4,000 or more, and six tires for around $800, plus mounting and balancing. It's adding up to about what Karma cost me after I drove to Florida from the homestead my first winter.

I've gotten deep into gratitude (Amazon and Instacart are near the top of the list) and forgiveness while struggling to avoid immediately going to worst-case scenarios ... and I'm taking advantage of today's 444 portal and the Death card I drew to let go of what's been and done, instead turning toward what will be.

I'm about to take in the sunset and put my head down before it goes down below the horizon.