Stranded. For real.

[Mitch]

Hey, everybody, right now I am typing this from an internet cafe in Mount Shasta, California.

I am currently trapped here, as my transmission has broken somehow, and even my radiator has decided to leak. What else can go wrong? I had such a good time at my convention, and actually made a lot of money, but now ALL of it and MORE will be spent fixing my truck just so I can get home. I don't have cellular signal here, I know nobody, and the hotels are expensive. I just want to go home.

So, please, pray for me, and that the problems with my truck are easy to fix and not going to throw me into incredible debt. I need some help right now, and I am very quickly losing hope. I have no idea when I'll be back home again, so, my replies will be sporraddic until then. I also have far too much stuff with me right now to take the bus back home, too, so I really, really need my truck fixed.

-Mitch

[Dasquian Belargic]

Oh dear :( Maybe one of the posters in Cali can come help you out?

[Mitch]

Not likely. I'm way up in northern California in podunk nowhere, and need to get all the way back to Tacoma, Washington.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Er, I wish I lived further down than Portland!!

^_^; prayers coming your way. :)

[Lady Vader]

:(!

Call me if you truely need assistance in getting anywhere Mitch. I'm not close to where you are at all, and driving up to Washington would take me even farther away. (I'm donw in SoCal, Long Beach.) But if you really are in a jam, I'll do what I can. I have tomorrow off all the way through Monday. I'll PM you my cell number.

[Droo]

Take care, Mitch. Hope your luck perks up and the rest of your journey is safe.

[Mitch]

Update:

Okay, I've checked back in at the shop, and they say it's just the transmission case seal, so it should be an easy (but expensive) fix. With any luck, I'll be on the road again tonight.

Rie, thank you very much for your offer. I shouldn't need to take you up on it, but, if things take a nosedive for the worst, I may end up needing to give you a call. If I have any quarters left for pay phones, that is...

Things went so well at my con down in Costa Mesa (just south of LA), that this is really a bummer to be stuck here like this. I'm sure my work isn't happy that I'm not there today, too. This just HAD to happen before my annual review, too. Well, there goes my raise, even though this wasn't my fault.

Oh well, thank you for all your support. I'll be checking in from time to time, seeing as this cafe apparently has a free wireless hotspot I can tap into. Now, if it works is another question entirely...

[Morgan Evanar]

I hate being right sometimes :( Good luck with the Exploder, Mitch.

[Mitch]

Morg, snide comments are not appreciated right now, even though I know it was in good natured jest.

[Kelt Simoson]

Love ya Mitch, hope everything works out :)

[Morgan Evanar]

Originally posted by Mitch
Morg, snide comments are not appreciated right now, even though I know it was in good natured jest. I am really sorry that your car blew up :(

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Let me make some phone calls and see what I can do. I'll get back to you in a sec.

[Mitch]

Okay, well, apparently three guys at a transmission specialty shop can't open ONE tranny in a day to fix the seal. If I had a lift, I could do this job MYSELF in under two hours.

So, I am stuck in this new-age hippie hole with only an organic foods grocery store (blargh and $$$) and overpriced crappy motels. I was hoping to pay my roomate the rent I owed him, but now I'm going to look like a major heel and say, "Um, sorry, but I'm a freaking loser with a crappy job and my newest car broke down so I can't pay you again." How long until he kicks me out for not being able to pay, I don't know.

So, here I am, at this charming little internet cafe, where I will be until 7:00 pm Pacific Time, on my little laptop, with a dandy case of dehydration and mild heat stroke and starvation. Whee!

I'm flying to conventions from now on. This sucks.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

:( sadness!!!!!

They must really be inept.

[Mitch]

It's a transmission specialty shop for crying out loud! Their excuse is that the bolts aren't coming out easily.

Well, that's what your air compressor and impact wrench are for!

Gaaah! My kingdom (small as it may be) for an AAMCO Transmisson shop!

I'll be on AIM and MSN if anybody wants to help keep me sane until 7:00, when I descend into lack of contact with the civilized world.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Man, too bad you aren't a girl. I'm sure they'd get it done for a girl... although then they'd probably charge you double.

You should tell them off.

edit: the closest AAMCO is in Eureka, CA, but you probably already checked that.

[Mitch]

Right now all I want them to do is finish and let me leave with a working truck that won't break again. If they can do that, I'll pay what they ask and worry about the money later. I just need to get home. I need to get back to work, and get back to take care of my cat, who I bet is driving my roomate nuts.

Gah, I wish I had cellular signal....

[Lilaena De'Ville]

When do they think they'll be done with the truck then? Tomorrow??

[Mitch]

It better be done by tomorrow. I can't afford weekend rates at a motel to wait for Monday for them to finish.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

If you get on the road tomorrow, I'm off work at 5:30 and we can do dinner in Portland.

[Ishan Shade]

Originally posted by Mitch
Gah, I wish I had cellular signal....

Who's your cellular service through? There should be an option on your phone to put it into roaming to get service, it would be expensive but worth it in your case.

[Mitch]

Sprint. I don't even get roaming out here. I am in the boondocks.

[Clive Solo]

Wow, not even roaming? Yikes...I feel for you man, hope everything works out.

[Mitch]

Sprint gives me great service at home, but out in the boonies like this, they just don't have enough people to make any kind of coverage worthwhile. While I'm not happy about it, I do understand it from a business standpoint.

[Clive Solo]

Yeah. I have been in some pretty remote places and not had service but have always had the option for turning on service roaming if I need it.

You must be WAY out there.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Mitch, I called the mommy person, but she wasn't home so I left a message telling her to call me back ASAP. I've got family in mid/northish Cali, so I'll see what I can pull. Hang in there :)

[Mitch]

Thanks, Christin, but from the looks of things, I'll be out of here in the morning now. I've already paid for my crummy motel room, and can't get a refund, so I'm just going to stick it out.

After pestering the mechanics every two or three hours today, I think the guy is getting the point that I really need to be on my way, and that I also have very little money. He even said he might be able to lower his price that he quoted. Things are starting to look good for Homestar Runner.

This little internet cafe has been great to me, letting me hang out all day without paying a dime, and I'm finally starting to relax. I'll be home tomorrow night, and the world should be good.

[Lady Vader]

Glad to hear everything is looking to be ok, Mitch. :)

[Lion El' Jonson]

Sorry to hear about everything, Mitch. :(

I wish I still lived around San Francisco, but Beijing is a bit far to travel. Bad luck, man. It's good to hear that you'll be back home soon, and you've got our sympathies.

[Mitch]

Update!

My truck is being put back together now, and should be ready in about an hour, so I'll be back on the road sortly!

Thanks for your support, everyone, and, I'm going to fly from now on.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Hooray for flying!

That's great news. :):thumbup

[Lady Vader]

Lets us know when you get home so we're not worried sick!

:)

[imported_J'ktal Anajii]

Okay, everybody, I am home, safe and sound. Big thanks to LD and her husband for the great steak dinner they were nice enough to cook for me when I stopped in at their place on the way back.

[James Prent]

:D yay you made it home!

And you're welcome for dinner. Sounded like you needed a good meal. :)

[Clive Solo]

Glad you made it back Mitch.

[AmazonBabe]

Glad to hear you're back, safe and sound, and with a full tummy! ^_^

[Pierce Tondry]

Was worried about you mate. Take care of yourself, and glad you got home okay.