Today is sunny and warm but it still sucks donkeybutt because the bus isnt starting and things are hard and stressful. Could’ve gotten my card? Couldn’t cause bus! Phone is on low charge so it’s hard for me to do anything with it.
Sitting at Sprouts in Las Cruces. Lucky my friend Kenny is here and available. He’s currently getting a new fuel filter. Super spendy $63 filter
New filter on, still no fire. So here I sit eating mac and cheese with the boys trying to unwind. Not just mac and cheese. Organic dinosaur noodles and cheese. Yum. From “sprouts” which is the lot I’m broken down in. They also carry Irish soda bread. If you’ve never had it (or heard of it), I highly recommend this sweet carb treat.
Gotta see the good in our parking spot, which we chose after a a long day of fun.
Well, the first hald not so fun, we awoke at the truck stop and tried to make some fuel happen which wasn’t working very well. A lady named Jennifer came over to speak to me. She seemed very lost and hopeful I would give her a ride to Santa Fe. I really wished there was something I could give this woman, a speck of hope or something, but I also didn’t want her on my bus, and I’m not going that way.
At that truck stop, My friend Kenny found me. Last year I stayed with him in Deming. I called the ambulance when he had a heart attack and helped him figure out his prescriptions and follow ups. He was very excited to see me and the boys especially. Atreyu’s birthday is in 2 days, so he insisted on taking him to walmart and buying him a present. It’s like this kid manifested Kenny for his birthday!
We went to hang out for a little while at Kenny’s hotelroom. He has a motor home that’s at least 40ft but goes and stays at hotel rooms. It cracks me up. He bought Whataburger and cake.
I had secretly planned a little birthday party for atreyu with his friends here so when we got to just watching movies, I packed up and got the boys over to MJ’s. She had baked a cake and we added all kinds of fruit on top of it. The boys played and ate some Pizza. Atreyu got a pair of socks with Pizza slices on them from his friend who was too excited to wait to give him the present. Which is good since I’m saving “presents” for his actual birthday. Crikett wired me some money for him, and now Saliha did too which I can only assume is for Atreyu since it’s so close to his birthday. ❤
We sang happy birthday and Atreyu blew out four canldes, but that’s ok cause one was shaped as a two, so technically we got the number five together somehow.
That cake was so bomb. And the company was pleasant and relaxed. I feel like we should’ve just followed the boys wants and had a sleep over instead of cranking that engine and moving to sprouts. It might’ve fired in the morning and I would have my Debit card from the post office. Or it wouldn’t have fired and I would have had a good place to park and work and a ride to get my Debit Card.
Instead, this is how my day ensued:
I woke up early and told the kids straight up that it was ridiculous and we were going to sleep more now. So I awoke again at 7:30 feeling amazing. My mom messaged me that the letter had reappeared on tracking and I’d get it latest on Monday. I checked tracking myself and mine said it was here. So I proceeded morning things and quick grocery run mainly for our Water jug, but tried to get our butts on the move to that Post Office. I cycled the glow plugs new control bypass word for word but repeatedly a hard crank but no fires.
I messaged Kenny. He took forever to get there so the Post Office was already closed. He replaced the fuel filter. turns out there’s such a thing as a water separating fuel filter that costs 63 doll hairs that needs to be purged of water every two months or so. Who knew! Mine’s been on for at least 2 years and was rusty as hell and hard to get off.
To get it off, Kenny pointed over at a car and told me to ask that guy to help us get the fuel filter off. I approached him with a “Hey bro, can we borrow your muscles?” When I reached the word “muscles” the guy turned to look at me. Lo and behold, buff as a motherfucker, wearing a National Championship Tshirt. For upper bodybuilding. So the inflection in my last syllable went up a notch. He grinned and kindly helped get that thing off. It was even a task for him.
All said and done on the filter, and still no vrooms. Apparently I shoulda bled the lines. Maybe I need a new fuel pump? maybe I just need to clean some grounds on the starter and plugs? Maybe it really will be a simple fix, but as of now, we’re parked for another night in the same spot. Waiting on fate…
I always say/ think to myself: When I get stuck, on low fuel or mechanical issue, there’s something I really need to wait for. Either something good is coming for me, or I’m being kept to avoid something. This problem was bound to come up. This town may not be the best one to be stuck in, but I’m keeping my eyes open on what’s coming for me.
The boys and I walked to Walmart for electrical tape, a wire brush, and a multimeter. Afterwards I made the Dinosaur Mac and Cheese. Atreyu ate a lot, but when I told him I didn’t want to go to McDonalds tonight, regardless of being parked inconveniently next to it, he cried for a minute, but after a hug he calmed down and fell asleep while Galixy and I finished eating.
Galixy had a nap today so he wasn’t quite tired yet, though I have been. I read him a book and tucked him in before going out and writing some.
There’s this lady flying a sign on the corner right opposite me. She’s been there for hours. Her name is Carol. She lives here, but apparently has been through living in a truck with two kids in “her younger years” as she puts it. She gave me a little money wishing she could help more. I’m very grateful she wants to help at all. She feels like a kindred spirit. As she stands on the corner with her sign she’s communicating with the world around her and being helpful instead of just a block on the side of the road staring pitifully into the dark hole of misery. I hope she’s happy, she seems like it. I hope she makes the money she needs and beyond.
I hope miracles are coming. We could surely use one.
Matilda the Bugus 