We finally pulled into Smithfield, RI – only five minutes from the Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket, RI where our performance will be on Saturday night.
WHAT A CRAZY TWO DAYS!!! We got out of Lynchburg late because we were having some work done on the trailer brakes that took longer than expected. Once we hit the road, our timing was all off and we made it to Washington DC right around rush hour. We crawled for almost 2 hours through the nation’s capitol putting us further and further behind. We pulled over in Perryville, MD and stayed the night, deciding to pick up the journey today.
Now, normally, we would plan any trip to New England so that we drive around New York City. What made me think I could get through there today without any problems? I’m not sure – unless I’ve just lost my mind! We left out mid morning for, what was supposed to be an easy 6 hour day. We should have arrived in Smithfield by 4pm at the latest. Well, NYC was a zoo and, once again, traffic crawled across the George Washington Bridge and through the Bronx. Connecticut was under construction – yes, almost the entire state! And when we made it to Rhode Island, traffic again crawled on the 295 loop around Providence. Our easy 6 hour day turned into a very long day.
I noticed throughout the day the smell of coolant, like we were overheating. I checked the gages often and that was never a problem. But I did notice a liquid on the ground when we would stop. I checked the oil at every stop and all was well. It wasn’t until we pulled into Smithfield that I realized it IS coolant – again! If you’ve been reading the blog, then you know we’ve been having some issues with the rig since we did the whole Death Valley journey last April. I’ve replaced or repaired almost everything connected with the cooling system on the truck.
I called a local 24 hour repair shop close by…but they aren’t really 24 hour. Actually, I called three that advertised 24/7 repair service but only connected with one. His 24 hour shift doesn’t begin until Saturday 7am – which is when he’s going to call me. Hopefully it’s not a problem that’s too significant or costly.
We’re checked into the hotel and are only a few miles from the venue. I hope Saturday is going to be a better day. I have come to realize that we can handle these kinds of situations in different ways. Something I read a couple of days ago has stayed with me, giving me a way to view all these circumstances:
“My personal life may be crowded with small, petty happenings, altogether insignificant. But if I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God.”
How cool is that…