No rally for me this year

Today is not turning out the way I planned.

I fully expected to spend today packing for the BMW MOA rally in Bloomsburg, Pa. I even had the rally site coordinates programmed into my Garmin Zumo 550 and printed out the sheets for my trip log.

The plan was for me to ride to Indianapolis and BMW friend Rich Nathan’s house tomorrow and he and I would ride to the rally, arriving sometime around midday on Thursday.

But Pete the Aussie has had the squirts the last couple of days, which was very bad news for our dining room carpet. Then he had a small seizure and barfed in the living room last night.

So I decided it was time to take him in for a liver checkup and get the vet’s opinion on his intestinal disorder.

I asked Maria to take the del Sol to work so I could haul Pete in the back of the Subaru, so if he had an accident, it would be on the removable rubber mat in the cargo compartment.

I stopped at the post office and was pleased to find the rent check, which was due 18 days ago. The tenant included the late fee for last month’s rent, but not for this month’s rent and the check was made out to me and “Marie” – not the first time he’s made that mistake. Whatever.

So I altered my course to the vet’s office to include a deposit at the bank.

But as I made a left turn off of Johnson Avenue onto Bridge Street, I noticed the Subaru power steering had quit. And the brake and battery warning lights were on.

So I went on to the vet’s office, where I left Pete for the day, since I didn’t fancy hauling a sick dog to Gateway Tire and sitting around with Pete while I waited for something to happen in the way of diagnosis and repair of the Subaru issue – which I suspect is a dead alternator.

But Gateway is backed up with work and they can’t even look at the Subaru for two days. I don’t trust the car to make it to the nearest Subaru dealer in Memphis, so there it is – the Subaru will sit there for at least two days and then probably one or two more waiting on parts.

Maria picked me up and brought me home. I’ll collect Pete later today in the del Sol.

There is no way I could leave town for a week with all of this – plus Maria isn’t feeling well – so I emailed Rich and told him I can’t make it.

Fuck.