With the half- Marathon was finally completed and our bodies aching we continued onward with our trip. We made sure to see other sites, got lots of good food, and made our way back to Gimli who is now done with getting the transmission fixed. Happy that we got to the race finished but sad that I have to pay a bunch of money for the fix we arrive in swift time. I split the transaction as much as I can and suck up the hurt that was coming my way. It wasn't fun but I had to pay the people who assisted me with this mess up.
Paying the dues and getting the keys to the vehicle I start him up and we go get some dinner to fill our bellies and say our goodbyes. I knew that I wanted to go check out the sand dunes in Colorado so that was my next stop. So Giving my dad a big hug I started on the path towards sand and adventure. Side note: I hate sand...really really hate it.
Even though my heart was heavy from the amount I paid I kept in mind that the transmission now has a warranty and that I should feel good about it being fixed and new. I wouldn't get stranded and it could have happened at any time. I got lucky with where it happened and I'm glad that it was in an area where I could get somewhere for help without much issue. Looking back at Lylah I knew that going to the sand dunes was going to be a good way to let out her excess energy. Plus I mean I just wanted to explore and just relax after all the craziness that we had been through.
I get about 45 minutes in and suddenly the van stops going up. To get to the sand dunes you have a bunch of hills and panicking with the fact that I just paid over $3000 to get this transmission fixed I spaced any other issues it might be having. My very first initial reaction is that the guys were smoking something while working on my van and ****ed something up. I was about to explode. I was stepping on the gas peddle and it would lurch forward with no warning and go for a little bit and then stop working. After about ten minutes of this, I finally decide to pull over and call good old dad.
Unsure of what else is wrong he tells me I can meet him in Colorado Springs so he can take a look and see if he can get any codes on it and see what was going on. Defeated I hang up and turn around. I just couldn't win. After about ten minutes I realize that the van isn't doing anything. It's running normally but all downhill. Confused I text my dad to see if I should go there now or not. He tells me it's up to me.
Thinking about all the troubles I've had with this van I decide to say **** it and turn around. I wanted to do something new with this trip and it was going to happen. So I turn back around and try to list the things I know are wrong with it. Only one thing comes to mind. The gas tank.
In the past Gimli has ****ed up going uphill. I'll have a quarter or more of gas and it will randomly stop working while on a hill even though it's full or has more than enough gas in it. So thinking that may be the case I found the closest gas station and pulled in and as soon as I did the van died....five feet from the pump. Getting my little one gallon out I put some gas in it and pull up to the pump. Filling it up all the way we finally set on our way to the sand dunes. I was hoping that I would be able to see the dunes and maybe shoot some star shots as well.
Getting out there I was surprised at how big it was. I wasn't sure what to really expect but I was excited to shoot some stars and just enjoy some time out there in the grand sand dunes of Colorado.
For about an hour Lylah got to run around and play in the sand and when we were done there we went back to the van and sat in it waiting for it to get dark enough to go shoot. Once it was dark we headed back out and enjoyed the night sky. It was beautiful and definitely worth the extra scare from Gimli to make it happen.
