May 7
May 7th, 2007
Things are getting better every day now! A lot has happened in the last couple days. After my 70 km start on Saturday, I was forced to rest on Sunday while we waited for the ignition switch to arrive from Toronto. This gave me some extra time to catch up on some e-mails and make some new media contacts. The ignition switch was to be flown in on Monday morning, but we were warned that if it was too foggy, the shipment would be delayed until the fog lifts. Our recent run of luck had us concerned that we would be stuck in Harbour Grace for another full day. That would put me almost 5 days behind schedule by the time I got on the road again. Fortunately, the sun was shining down on us today. The ignition switch arrived with no problems.
On my day off yesterday I made a trip into the local Shoppers Drug Mart to ask if they would donate some tape for my ankles. I went over to the store just as it was opening. I was shocked to see a lineup of people waiting to get. This struck me as odd considering the town of Carbonear only has 5,000 residents. What could be so incredible at Shoppers that people would wait in line on a Sunday morning to get in? AS it turned out, 2L bottles of pepsi were on sale for 97 cents. I was actually disgusted to see the amount of bottles people were buying. Some people were walking out of the store with as many as 32 bottles! And of course anyone who buys pepsi has to have chips to go with it. So people were buying just as many chips.
Once I regained my composure, I found a clerk who let me know that unfortunately the owner was not in until the following day, so I’d have to come back.
Back in Harbour Grace, Gerri was busy preparing a feast fit for a king. When I sat down at the table to eat, a puzzled look came across my face. I was staring at what appeared to be 2 plates of freshly carved roast beef. But why 2 plates? My question was quickly answered. One of the plates was actually moose meat! But Gerri wouldn’t tell us which was which. I’m an adventurous person, so I was keen to try both. There was really no noticeable difference in the flavour, but I correctly guessed the moose because it was slightly darker. It was very good, and slightly more moist than the beef.
Later in the evening, Bill told us we should call his favorite radio station and tell them about my Skate For Hope. So my dad called the VOCM station and was put through to the talkshow host almost instantly. It made for some fantastic provincial publicity! Within minutes, I had messages from people who heard about my on the radio show (including another radio station CHRM from Memorial University).
This morning, my dad decided to call VOCM and mention my skate again. And once again, he got through to a different host who was very receptive. This time, my dad even gave a great plug to Hostway!
With the ignition switch now in Newfoundland, we were ready to take the RV to the mechanic to have it fixed. We weren’t sure how long it would take, but we were hoping he could be done by 4pm so i could get an hour or 2 of skating in before nightfall. Sure enough, the RV was ready for action with enough time to hit the road.
Just before leaving Harbour Grace to head back to the Trans Canada Highway, we stopped into the Carbonear Shoppers Drug Mart one last time. I met the owner and he was very happy to contribute by donating a much needed heating pad for my aching muscles. We also stopped at the Walmart in town and were pleasantly surprised to receive a donation of several rolls of tape for my ankles! I’ll miss the people of Newfoundland when I get back to the mainland, but I won’t miss the cold wind!
So we bid Bill and Gerri a farewell. They’re hospitality over the past few days has been outstanding. We were only expecting to stay with them for a day before I began skating, but that day quickly turned into half a week. Thanks again Bill and Gerri!
By the time we got to the TCH to start skating, it was around 5pm. I knew I had 20 km until the next town, so I figured I should be fine. Although it was quite windy, the road conditions were great. We were in Whitbourne in a little over an hour. We actually stopped at the same gas bar where the RV originally broke down. But this time it was on good terms. And the locals welcomed us with open arms. When we pulled into the gas station, cash donations were being thrown at us hand over fist! Such an overwhelming and gratifying feeling. One woman even got out of her car to tell me she saw me on the Weather Network and read about me in the newspaper. She gave me a donation and a big hug. If anyone else saw me on TV, let me know! Unfortunately I missed it.
And with that, our day came to an end. The gas station let us plug in to their hydro so we’ll have a comfortable night. I’m looking forward to putting the RV debacle behind me and pushing forward. I’ll be able to make up the lost time.
Posted in Daily Journal | 1 Comment »
May 7th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
Go Rich Go!!! I’m happy that you are making people aware! I hope people are visiting this site too!!!! I leave for the YK tomorrow [postponed by three days] and I can’t wait to log on and read up on all the adventure! Keep on blading!