To Cry or Not To Cry?

My inclination at this point was to cry.  We had a plan...then life happened.  Despite having had the truck checked out thoroughly at Arnprior Ford before heading out, that Murphy's Law guy reared his ugly head!  Having said goodbye to our co-workers, we hit the road, feeling slightly giddy with excitement.  Destination:  Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, just south of Cornwall.

The truck brakes had been grinding that morning, but we decided to wait until we reached Maryland to have them checked out, but by the time we reached Cornwall, it was obvious there was something seriously wrong.  So off to Cornwall Ford we went...
Ford's mechanic informed us that the driver-side caliper had slipped off and was scoring the rotor.  Of course, both sides would need to be changed, calipers and rotors.  The damage:  $1,086 and a night boondocking in Ford's new-car lot.

The next morning, feeling no worse for wear (remember:  no electricity in RV = no lights, no heat!), we hit the road.  Upon arriving at the border crossing, we observed moderate lineups and decided to pull over to the side to use the bathroom before getting back in line to await our turn.  When we pulled up to the guard booth, the guard asked if we had pulled over "back there" for a bathroom break.  We said yes, we had, to which she informed us that we were very lucky we were not swarmed by armed guards and dragged out of the bathroom.  Apparently, we are supposed to wait until we have crossed into the U.S. before using the bathroom.  My thoughts on the matter:  If they have nothing better to do with their time than join me in the bathroom, then have at it!

In the end, we eventually made it to the Casino, parked in the designated RV area, opened up the slideouts, brought down the legs, put Peanut inside and headed for the slots.  At 11:00 p.m., we called it a night as we were leaving early the next morning for Maryland.  But being on the nightmare streak which had started the day before, things were about to get worse...  When we returned to the RV, we discovered we had no battery power.  No lights, no heat, nothing.  The RV battery was dead.  Marc and I are of the "cup is half full" mentality, but by this time, that bloody cup was emptying fast!  Lying in bed that night, I was holding back the tears as Marc jokingly said he was ready to go back to work!

The next morning, we called AAA to have them hook up to our battery just long enough for us to bring in the slideouts and raise the legs.  We then headed for Wal-Mart in Massena to purchase a new battery and power booster.  Then, yes, we were finally on our way to Maryland to visit our American friends, Mike and Shirley.  Life goes on!