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09 November, 2011

Y'know There's Days...

You know there's days when things just don't quite work out the way you had them planned.

Just the other day, Monday for example. I needed to go over to Chetumal to get some gas and to go to Sam's Club to pick up some lamps Dianna had seen over there. Doug went with me as he needed to pick up some things from Chedraui. So, off we went to the border.

We got through Belize Immigration and drove over to the Mexican side of the border. It was a little crowded but didn't seem too out of the ordinary.

We were waiting for a parking space to open up. Doug decided to run in and clear Mexican Immigration and to pick up a copy of the necessary form for me. It would speed things just a little bit.

Right after he left, a security guard came over and told me I'd have to keep circling the building as I couldn't just stop and wait.

I had circled the building about three or four times. Just about then Doug came out with my form all filled out and ready for my signature. And, just then a parking space opened up, so I grabbed it.

It had taken him all that time just to get the forms. He hadn't yet cleared Mexican Immigration, so we both went inside to clear.

As we came out I reached into my pocket for my keys... Uh oh... No keys. My first thought was that I had dropped them and began looking for them in my immediate vicinity. Nope. Nada.

About then, the sinking feeling began. I wouldn't have... surely... As we looked into the Isuzu, sure enough. There they were dangling from the ignition.

Sunny beaches. What a dumb stunt to pull! And here with it crowded and everything. What do we do?

First, Doug was trying to think of how to get Twyla, his wife, to get my spare set and bring them to the border. Then we thought of having Cody, my caretaker, bring the set. Then the question was, did I have a set? I called Dianna and stayed on the line as she rummaged through our spare key bin. Oh, yes! Found 'em.

Then I remembered that Cody had ridden his bike to work. Drat. Did his wife need the car for errands? We got Cody on the line to find out.

No, he'd just left the car at home. Yes, he would go get it and head up to the border. Whew!

As luck would have it, we picked probably the best spot in the parking lot to park - shady, nice breeze, out of the way of other cars. Perfect. Now, as long as the guard doesn't harass us to move.

We figured it would take Cody about a half hour to get to the border, so about then, I went up to stand on the bridge over the Rio Hondo which separates Belize from Mexico, figuring I could see him easier from up there and get the keys from him.

As I stood there, I began to wonder how Cody would get turned around to head back to Belize. Not easy. Maybe I should walk over the bridge to the Belize side and wait for him there.

I suppose, if things had been really organized, I would have been intercepted by authorities from either side since now I was legally in Mexico, but had just walked back onto Belize soil, where I was technically illegal, with no stamp in my passport showing I had departed Mexico. Oh well, roll the dice and take my chances.

I figured that since the Free Zone was right there, no one would know if I was actually going to the Zone or what, so I thought I could do it without too much trouble. I was right.

Pretty soon, I spied Cody trotting up to the bridge where I was waiting. He gave me the keys and we both headed in opposite directions.

I got back to the car and Doug and I departed the border area for the bug spray station, where you have to make a stop to get your car sprayed for bugs as you come into Mexico. It's an agricultural thing.

We did that (it costs sixty pesos - a little over four bucks, US) and headed on down the highway toward Sam's Club.

We decided to stop for lunch before we went shopping, as we had worked up an appetite doing all that waiting.

I thought it was getting a little warm inside the car so I cranked up the fan speed for the A/C. A few minutes later, it still seemed warmish. I felt the A/C vent. Nothing. Just a trickle of cool coming out. I jiggled the fan switch back and forth. No effect. Crap. The fan's busted. And it was becoming a warm day.

At what point should I have realized it would have been better to have stayed home and maybe just gone down and cleaned the pool or something?

Anyway, we got lunch under our belts and made it without incident to Sam's, where I picked up the box containing the lamps.

We completed the rest of our mission. I got a full tank of gas, Doug got his stuff, although that took him longer than he thought it would at Chedraui as they had rearranged the store.

Getting back across the border into Belize was non-eventful. I did have to pay duty on the lamps (roughly 20% of the value). We got home and everything was as it should be, except for the broken fan motor.

I got the Isuzu up to Rick, my mechanic. Doug and I had already checked all the fuses. That wasn't the problem. Rick looked at it and determined it was the fan motor itself that was gone. Of course not an easy fix.

Normally it wouldn't have been a big deal, but the following day (yesterday) I was supposed to be driving Dianna, Loreta, Barb, and myself to Orange Walk Town for appointments with the dermatologist. It should be an annual visit to the dermatologist, but in our case, it was almost five years since we'd done it. Better late than ever.

Anyway, I thought I'd have to cancel the trip, what with no A/C and all. I called Loreta to let her know. She came up with a plan to save the day. She was going to borrow Judy's Explorer as Judy was out of town anyway, and we could still make the trip.

So, all's well that end's well - as someone famous once said.

2 comments:

JRinSC said...

Beginning to look like you're developing a case of CRS. In case this disease is new to you it stands for Can't Remember "Stuff". Strikes many of us as we get older.

Stand by for more "lost keys" adventures... and it is usually not something you recover from as time goes by.

Have fun,

Julian

Dave Rider said...

Ahh, I get it. Something 'new' to look forward to each day, eh?