Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been trying to make a break from Fort Mac so that we could a) escape Fort Mac (a vital sanity restorer) and b) christen the camper trailer that we’ve bought. Yes, that’s a bit of news in and of itself. We’ve bought a Bonair camper trailer (or as they’re known as over here, a tent trailer – photos hopefully included).
With the turnaround finalisation dates being somewhat elastic in their timing, it was something of a challenge for us to actually pin down dates upon which we could travel. We finally did manage to get some dates together and also managed for them to coincide with the Calgary Stampede.
The plan was, leave Fort Mac Friday night, travel the rest of the way to Calgary on Saturday morning and then spend Sunday through Tuesday in Calgary and the local surrounds (I was then going to fly back to Fort Mac for the remainder of the week before returning to Calgary to drive back with the family again). During this time, one of Caroline’s cousin’s from Switzerland is going to be arriving for a short visit with us as well. We haven’t seen him since we were in Switzerland on our honeymoon (when he was 8) so it’s going to be interesting to meet him again.
Things in this world tend to be a little fluid though, so my plans changed and although we managed to get down here over the weekend, I’ll be flying back to Fort Mac on Monday and then back to Calgary on Wednesday night).
Anyway, the point of all this is that we did manage to leave Fort McMurray late on Friday (mainly because I got home from work an hour later than I had planned). And because I was late, I did manage to avoid that heart palpitation inducing period that involves getting crap in the car ready to leave. What I did find out though as I wound down the support to lower the van onto the tow ball was that there simply wasn’t going to be enough clearance to tow it adequately. Of coure, we live in Fort McMurray. Which means that when you go to purchase the draw bar, you get the ONLY one that they have in stock, which happens to have a 4 inch drop.
Now that was fine for getting the camper back to our house from the people that we bought it from, but once Caroline had had her way with it and stuffed it to the seams with the things that a of six needs for a week away from the civilised comforts of home, it was simply too much. We weren’t going to be able to get out of the driveway, let alone the 700 odd kilometres required to get to Calgary. And of course 6pm on a Friday night is the ideal time to be wanting to go to town to purchase a new drawbar.
I did ring friends on the insanely remote chance that they had one lying around (hey it worked for spit and swallow one year) and wondered what the hell I might do. It was then that I pulled it from the car and noticed the little piece on the labelling that noted that it could be used either way up.
Fortunately, although not in an overly aesthetic towing position, it was good enough to be able to safely tow and get us underway.
And thus, with a minor panic settled before it escalated into a major Dave moment, we left home. I managed to turn three whole corners before we had to come to the first stop of the journey. And I must say that the fact that it was a set of flashing police lights illuminating the skyline over the top of the camper was a reason for a minor panic all of its own.
As it turns out, turns two and three of the three corners that we took from our house prior to stopping have stop signs at them. At the first one, I didn’t quite come to a complete stop, mainly because I was still feeling the weight of the laden camper and getting used to the handling of the car. It turns out that at that point a police car nestled in quietly behind us.
When I reached the second stop sign (turn 3) there was a car coming. Its position was such that if I rolled through the sign and didn’t come to a complete stop, I could continue, where as if I stopped, I’d have to wait that little bit longer. So I rolled through.
And it was at that point that the fancy lights display started up behind me. I quietly pulled over and waited for the local officer of the law to come and have a little bit of a chat for me.
He opened with “Do you know why I am pulling you over?” to which I had to reply in the negative in case I suggested that I’d done something wrong other than that for which I’d been stopped (no point dobbing yourself in for more trouble – I assume its because of the kilo of coke in the back?)
He pointed out the fact that I’d failed to stop at two stop signs and added, for information purposes only I’m sure that each one in and of itself was worth a little donation to the Province of Alberta (or city of Fort Mac) to the tune of $287. As he said, “Not a good start to a holiday.”
I took it like a man though, after all, I did break the law, and kept the crying on the inside, saving the outward tears for the signing over of the funds. We had a bit of a discussion at that point about the fact that he done me a favour as had the highway patrol stopped me on the open road (because the driving behaviour I had exhibited in the 300m he had observed clearly meant that I was off for a family spree of recklessness and law-breaking) they would have the right to tow my vehicle if I were unable to provide valid insurance.
Because when you get stopped over here, they ask you for you license, registration and insurance. We found items one and two and then handed over item 3 … which was invalid. Recommence the heart wobbles.
There was an error on what we’d received from the insurers though as it stated that it had expired at a time before we’d even set foot on the fair shores of Canada.
All in all it was lining up for a severe and expensive bollicking, but to my surprise, he finished off with the fact that he’d do a license check and if it came up clean, he’d let me off with a warning. At that point the heart settled (a little) and I knew we’d be on our way as I have no license problems in Canada (yet?).
Thank God Caroline wasn’t driving, because one of the tasks for Calgary was for her to get her Canadian license!
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