Day 12
I woke up at 7am and noticed everyone was gone. Only Valerie and Fab was still around packing
up. I asked James to help carry my stuff
to the Chan Hall so I didn’t have to make many trips. I sat on the steps waiting for a ride down. Valerie Tseng inquired why I was sitting all
alone while everyone was down in the Can.
She gave me a ride down with all my stuff.
As I loaded my car I chatted with Jia Hwei from Taipei
branch now a nun. I don’t know her
ordained name. She asked about my
mom. Then I recalled how she was
stationed in Gold Sage Monastery of San Jose as part of her novice
training. It took me a good hour to pack
my car in a away that I can drive it and see too.
I was so hungry when I was done I dipped 3 slices of white bread into
the tum yum coconut soup. I then
noticed, the nuns forgot their breakfast and dessert portion for their
van. That van is going to be hungry on
one meal a day.
Silver looked exhausted laying on the gravel in front of
the Can. I was able to roll off at
10am. I made a wrong turn before getting
on highway 101 and u-turned right away.
At Roseburg I pulled over and got gas, cleaned my windshield and used
the restroom at Wendy’s. It was a very warm
sunny day.
I turned onto i138
East to Crater Lake National Park. I listened to music on my
itouch. It was a pretty hot day. I was tired
from the week and from the heat. At Diamond
Lake, Umpqua National Forest, I pulled to the right shoulder to look at the map and put the car in park
mode. I smelled fumes and tried to drive
it and then I smelled smoke. I shut off
the engine to pop the hood. It was
smoking. The transmission was leaking a
puddle on the highway.
My body went into shock mode. Why should I be freaking out? I’ve got AAA.
But I couldn’t stop this body’s reaction of crisis. My body was shaking uncontrollably.
A Christian family pulled over, three cars, two dogs, and
their boat to help me. They helped me
push my car off the highway to the shoulder.
I had no cell phone reception.
They gave me a phone to call AAA.
They were so nice, checking the car fluids and transmission for me in
the middle of this heat, taking time out from their family reunion break to
attend to me. The father was going to
give me his phone and have me mail it back to him when I return home. I did not accept. I knew as soon as I am out of the mountains
via AAA pickup I will have reception.
I tried not to cry
but I found myself crying and talking the same time. It was strange to me. What was so scary? Why was I so scared?
As I sat in the car and waited for AAA, I wondered if I
should camp out at Diamond Lake until Monday when mechanics are open for
business. People don’t work on Saturdays
in Oregon. Gas stations also close for
the night. But I saw that I needed to be
at the auto shop first thing on Monday so I still needed to be towed this
weekend.
A park security came via the Christian family to come and
support me. His cell phone had reception
so I used his phone to call AAA again to see what the holdup was. He asked if I needed anything. I told him I just needed to cry and I sat and
cried in my car and he sat in his car with a/c and watched me cry. I don’t know why I was crying but I knew I
couldn’t stop the tears from rolling.
I sat in the car and tried to recite but my head was
scattered. I kept nodding off. Then I cried some more. I decided to eat some food even though I
didn’t have much appetite. I knew with
all this trauma or at least how I am experiencing it as trauma that I needed
some food in my body.
Bruce my tow truck guy finally came, it was so late in
the afternoon already. He said the
nearest choice is Coosbay 80 miles, Klammath 100 miles, Medford 100 miles. That there is no real mechanic shop in
Schmoldt where his boss’s tow shop is and that is also the so called mechanic
shop AAA had told me was the closest. He would take me there if I wanted to
but that he himself won’t get his car fixed there. His boss is a gambler and he gets 25% of
what his boss makes on each tow.
I had doubts on whether or not Bruce is running me around
for money. I felt a clear answer in me
to trust these options Bruce has laid out for me and that I shouldn’t worry
anymore, or stress or feel troubled.
Bruce gave me a tour of Crater Lake National Park and
told me stories and history. It was a fun
ride. Not a bad way to have to spend tow
truck money on. Crater Lake water is
beautiful. I passed by the campground I
would have camped in and had to pass it up.
The exit south of Crater Lake, the entire highway was full of
campgrounds. All were beautiful. I could camp in anyone and be happy. But I had to pass it all up as I
passed by it on this tow truck. I so
wanted to be there, any one of those campgrounds would have been fine. 
Bruce told me he was single but has been living with his
girlfriend for 12 years. I reminded him
that they are legally married. He said
she has a thyroid problem and gained a lot of weight that she is at 230 pounds
with swollen legs. That his mom died of
liver cirrhosis and how his father died 6 months later of lung stuff from his
early days of working in the coal mine.
We arrived in Medford way past dinner time and in this
summer sun the sky was still in twilight.
Medford is a big city for Oregon.
We pulled over to an auto parts shop like a Kragen in Oregon. Bruce looked at my car and wanted to see if
it was just something loose he can tighten for me or just replace a simple
clamp or tube.
Bruce took me to a nearby motel close to the mechanic
shop certified by AAA. Bruce says this
shop is great and being certified they uphold a standard of quality and the
rate is also standard. My dinky run down
old scary looking Motel is run by an
Indian family. I wouldn’t have agreed to
stay if not for the Indian owners whose family also lives there. It was $35. a night. The man Harry gave me 2 nights for $77.
Including tax. Is there tax in Oregon? I thought not.
Bruce recommended I take all that I need for the next two
days and what I can carry back via foot since my car will be at the mechanics
and my only mode of transportation is my feet.
My other choice was Ramada, Quality Inn etc… They were all at $80 plus per night. Plus they were all off the highway and this
shop is in the residential, too far apart.
When all was done, my car safely unloaded onto the mechanic’s lot, it
was already 9pm. Bruce wanted to take me
to dinner. I passed. It’s so late, it’s been a long day and I have
no appetite. The idea of it just felt
strange.
I went to the room and clearly understood why I needed
more camp food and supplies and how that did not make sense to me when I was
packing for the trip back in May. It’s
what I would need this weekend, in this motel, waiting for the shop to
open. It’s a good thing I had breakfast
at least. I was so hot I decided to just
lay on the bed with lights on. I was too
tired to cry, finally.
It was hot today and at night the temperature was 92 degrees. The place fortunately had A/C.
It was hot today and at night the temperature was 92 degrees. The place fortunately had A/C.
