Oh Bozeman

I firmly believe that Alex is much more generous than I am, so when one of his Colombian co-workers asked for a ride to the airport to return home, he readily agreed. (I think I would have been more reticent - maybe not, I guess it depends on the co-worker.) So Sunday after I got off of work, we packed up the truck with Y's luggage and 2 of her friends and headed into Bozeman. I fell asleep during the 1 1/2 hour ride, waking up as we entered Bozeman to Alex saying, "I think something's wrong with the truck. It feels like the transmission is slipping."

We made it to the mall where Y wanted to do some shopping for gifts to take home, only to find out that the only store still open was JC Penny's. It's a small mall in a small town, so it closes early on Sundays. Y and her friends went off shopping while Alex and I tried to figure out what to do with the truck... and the extra passengers who were planning on getting back to Yellowstone that night. We thought we'd be able to drive the truck to a hotel for the night and to a repair shop in the morning, but definitely didn't want to risk getting stuck on the long lonely roads between Bozeman and Yellowstone in an attempt to get back. While we were discussing our predicament, K and some other Xanterra employees just happened to walk past on the mall sidewalk. Now, really, what are the chances of this happening? While Alex ran after K to ask him to take our extra passengers back with him, I called work to let them know we wouldn't be coming in on Monday. Both departments were kind enough to work something else out so we could stay in Bozeman and take care of the truck, although I'm not sure how either of us would have been able to show up for work as K's car was full with his new passengers.

With Y finally finished up shopping at JC Penny's (note to self, we are not compatible shoppers with Y, so if we're ever in Colombia, do not agree to go shopping), we started to drive out of the parking lot on our way to the hotel. Unbelievably, the transmission completed its death throes just as we pulled out into the middle of an intersection. How do the flashers work? Aagh. Alex and I jumped out of the car and started pushing. Suddenly, another man appeared, who had jumped out of his car, and helped us push the truck into a parking space. We were distracted and he went back to his car as soon as we were parked, so "thank you" to the anonymous man who helped us get out of the intersection.

What to do now? Y still wanted to do more shopping, but there was no way we were going to get her there. At this point (8 PM), I was very hungry and getting very grumpy. We'd already found out that the Holiday Inn had a shuttle to the airport, so I suggested to Alex to call to find out if they would come pick us up. Fifteen minutes later, we were in the van to the hotel which is conveniently located across the street from Walmart (Y's shopping) and Applebee's (my dinner). After a night in the hotel and getting the truck to Bozeman Transmission in the morning (once again grateful that I still pay for AAA every year), what's the moral of the story? All the good things that happened:

• When I called into the front desk in the morning to talk with Natalie, a Bozeman resident, to find out about taking public transportation back to YNP, the first thing she said was, "I'll come get you." Which she and her roommate, Sarah, did right after they got off of work.
• Calling into work to let them know of our troubles and having both Carol Anne and Tim say, "We'll work it out without you."
• Checking in at the Holiday Inn at the reduced Xanterra rate and having them pick us up at the mall, take Y to the airport at 4:30 AM, give us toothbrushes, toothpaste, extra lotion, and a comb, getting free breakfast, then having them take us back to the mall the next day, all given generously and without question.
• The nice man who helped us at the interstection.
• Getting to ride the free Bozeman bus system - we were well out of walking distance back to town at the transmission shop, but grateful to be able to get back into town for lunch, dinner, and a nap in Lindley Park.
• Meeting the mechanic and having him remind us of a friend from Oregon. He was recommended by the tow truck driver and seems as forthright and honest as our mechanic in Tillamook. (I've realized there are some really hard things about moving that include finding a new mechanic and finding a new hairstylist - I never knew how troubling it is to have a bad haircut until I got my 1st haircut here.)
• The good fortune of having someone appear right when you need him to so he can literally take part of the "problem" away with him (K giving our 2 extra passengers a ride).

Unfortunately, we can't make the bill for the new transmission disappear, but so many people made this situation a lot easier.