The Double Whammy
It happened again. Just as parts have arrived and my Aston is finally getting fixed in Phoenix, my old Ford Explorer takes a crap while approaching my weekend vacation destination. I’m cruising along US 97A outside Entiat on the Columbia River, just before beginning the ascent up the mountainside for the cross over to Lake Chelan. I’m doing about 60 and decide to pass a slow moving tourist. The Exploder bumps down two gears and loudly howls a protest at being required to momentarily work hard. Looking back, I’m pretty sure it was more than just a simple protest; about three miles later I was sitting on the side of the road, victim of that old V8 having thrown a hose off the rear cooling block. It’s about 95 degrees out. I open the hood and see the telltale sign of an empty cooling reservoir. No steam anywhere, which is a bit odd. To me, that means there’s nothing left in the radiator to make steam – bone dry. Right away, I assume I’ve lost a lower radiator hose. Time once again to call my lifeline, AAA, for a tow. That organization is really good at what they do.
Then, I call my buddy who’s expecting me for an afternoon round of golf. I really don’t want to wait the 90+ minutes its going to take for the tow truck, but prudence says no matter what I can’t pour enough water in the cooling system to get me over the hill. So I tell him my sad story. He offers to help, but I tell him it’s a tow truck solution. Ron is always ready to wing-it if necessary, so he says, “No problem. I’ll come pick you up at the shop and we’ll head for the course.”
Awesome. Golf sounds better now than it did even an hour ago.
The tow ruck driver shows up and promptly puts the old girl up on the flatbed. Once in the cab I get the bonus of a little entertainment while this guy gets into an F-word heavy, expletive laden exchange with his dispatcher about the condition of his truck’s inner right rear tire. After hanging up, he remarks how the dispatcher likes to think of himself as the God’s gift know-it-all to the company, especially when the boss is gone, like today. After listening to how this went down, I’m in full agreement with the driver and I say so. He was completely calm and matter-of-fact while the other guy just went off, blaming the driver for not being more proactive. Hmm, seems to me him trying to tell you the tire needs replacing is being proactive. If he really didn’t care, he wouldn’t say anything, and your lousy attitude is encouraging him to do just that.
Listening to all this makes me think of my days running my own company, listening to employees and always, always making a huge effort to actively listen, to not take anything personally and, as tough as it sometimes was, to be solution-oriented. It pays off. Listening to this dispatcher and the driver’s reaction in the aftermath just proved it to me all over again.
Okay, so drama over, he drops me and my car at a local Chelan auto repair shop. It’s Saturday, and every shop in town is closed for the weekend. It’s put the key in an envelope, deposit it in the night drop, and pray they can both work on it and fix it by Monday evening. Every day delay is going to cost me another $350 in hotel room. Chelan is always packed this time of year and, if you can find one, rooms are a real premium. I’m already out $330 for a room in Wenatchee that now I can’t get to, and the two days I managed to book in Chelan is another $750 I wasn’t planning on. This has turned into one of those really expensive, oh damn, miscues. When you total in the car, the gas, the rooms, food and golf it ends up being an $1,800 weekend.
Golf ends up being two wonderful rounds at Bear Mountain. That first day, we don’t start until 4:20 but finish by 7 as the course is closing – the sprinklers come on at 7:15. A beautiful day with no one else on the course. I even start by birdieing the first hole. Fantastic! Monday morning we tee off at 6:15. There are only a couple of singles ahead of us, and we thoroughly enjoy a gorgeous, still summer morning. We savior every great shot, try to forget the poor ones.
Sandwiched between the days of golf is a water day. Two Skidoos, an innertube and a pontoon boat, six kids under 11 and their parents and a few grandparents – 16 of us in all. Marginally organized chaos. After 8 hours on the water, Ron gives me an out by inviting me to BBQ but in the same breath saying, “I’d escape to a quiet dinner out if I were you.” I laugh, and tell him that’s exactly what I have in mind. “Wish I could join you,” he says.
I head to Campbell’s Resort, directly across the street from The Landing where a quiet, comfortable room with a fluffy pillow awaits my weary head. Campbell’s is one of the oldest and most sought-after spots in Chelan. They have an excellent restaurant, but I head to the bar to imbibe in a $65 house pour shot of rare Blood Oath Pact #7 bourbon. It was worth every penny. A short rack of ribs and a crab Louie salad top off my hunger. A conversation with a very nice younger couple at the bar closes out my evening and I finally make it to my room. By ten o’clock I’m lights out, only to rise again at 5 to make that early tee time with Ron.
After golf Monday morning, I get the good news my car is being worked on and if all goes well it should be done today. Yes! Ron chauffeurs me over there and I’m able to exit Chelan about 3:30. I managed to put the money side of things out of my mind and have a really fun, entertaining two+ days of vacation. Oh yeah, and I made it back to Seattle with my Explorer still running. How about that.
