Broke down in Yuma, Arizona

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Dorian’s version

We’re stuck, broke down on the side of highway 8 east in Yuma Arizona with a burned out transmission and a bad case of the blues. Sipping a warm Budweiser I contemplate the odds that the two pints of transmission fluid that I dumped mostly on my engine block and myself will get us back in gear and on the road. Checking the fluid dip stick once again I pray that the other possible cause of our roadside blues (complete destruction) will be erased with one final pull of the shifter. Entering the cab of the truck I offer my final words of wisdom to my wife, “Hold on to your butts”. I turn the key, rev the engine, and put the car in drive. Releasing the brake we slowly begin to roll backwards down the slope of the highway , and I come to the realization that we are indeed screwed.

From the side of this dusty desert highway we watch as a seasoned tow truck operator pulls our rig atop a flat bed that looks a few feet short, like bulging feet hanging over an undersized mattress. As cars race past in the late evening sun the wind swirls dust in their wake, and the warm dessert air rushes across our face. The massive landscape seems to almost shimmer in the dieing daylight. Even when standing on the road side, the desert can be a beautiful place. The drive to this point has revealed amazing rock formations, abyss like canyons, and polished sand dunes that looked smooth as silk. Yet it can also be deadly, and we were glad to be moving on to safe haven.

We soon found ourselves, and our rig, resting safely on the mud shoulder of a small back road across from the most affordable transmission shop we could find. The owner, Jerry, or Hommitos as he is affectionally known, can work wonders with his Mexican crew. This was of course according to our tow truck driver. He assured us we’d save at least a couple of hundred dollars. As our driver disappeared into the darkness I raced to set up camp. Angelina, up to this point, was dealing with things amazingly well, but she was tired and ready to crawl under the covers and forget our recent trials and tribulations. Working fast I made sure that what remained of the day would be as comfortable as possible for the both of us.

Within the hour we were watching “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle”, sipping a cold beer, and enjoying the cool desert breeze. One nice thing about being self contained is that even a road side ditch can feel a little like home. Staring at my wife laying peacefully on here side I caressed her head and took one last sip on the ice cold Budweiser I waited so long to enjoy. Home is truly where you make it.

Angelina’s version (remember I am not an English major)

From rocky mountain tops to sand dunes, I must say that the natural scenery of Arizona is soothing to my soul. The oversized boulders make me realize how big the world is and how much I need to experience to understand it. Breaking down in Yuma was definitely unexpected. Dorian, the man he is runs not walks to the nearest gas station to save his wife and puppy from the rumbling speeding cars that sway El Grande Rojo from side to side.

Once our new tow trucker friend picked us up, we conversed with him as we drove to the nearest local transmission shop where we literally camped out in a ditch on the side of an industrial road. Our conversation with him was a story in itself. After telling him we were headed to Costa rica his first question was, “Are you running a load of pot”?

We are now at a motel 6 where we await a rebuilt transmission that will take a couple days. We didn’t quite make it to the Sebastion’s house in Tucson but I am still looking forward to making it there eventually. I still can’t wait to get to Mexico where the water is warm and the beers are cold.

Since the beginning of even planning this trip it has been struggles and triumps. Not even 200 miles from home and we already broke down. We have been delayed and delayed again since the beginning. Do you see a pattern happening here?? I think mother nature is going by her play book not ours.

I am ready to defeat whatever she has in store for us.