Learning the culture - pets

So, the vet at the National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital left us free tickets to the Pet Expo at the Nangang Convention Center. Believing that it might be considered rude to not accept the gift, and that when we went to pick up the dog we would need to have an answer to "How did you like the show?", we accepted the tickets and on Sunday, we went to the show.

It was in a major convention center and covered about a third of the first floor. This is at the scale of something like the Javits Center. And it was packed. People brought their dogs, many off leash and abundantly in strollers.

The show also included sections for cats, fish, rabbits and, well we gave up half way through the dog section. I think one of my favorite signs was singing the praises of dog food that came from Vermont.

People in Taipei are serious about their pets, who were astonishingly well behaved. One little guy (no photo) off leash, waited patiently outside the bathroom for his mistress to return. As soon as she came out, he took off, looking back periodically to be certain he was going the right way. This was amidst a crowd of hundreds. She did pick him up to go up the escalator.

While most of the dogs were small, there were exceptions like these two guys.

Holly will certainly not be unusual as a small dog, but now that I think of it, I don't think we saw any other chihuahuas. 

Sorry, the box spring won't fit in the elevator

We moved in yesterday, which turned out to require a crane. Folks here are clearly quickly adaptable. They discovered our queen size box spring would not fit in the elevator. The seven story stairwell had too many too tight turns. The leader for this project was called, arrived within 1/2 an hour and had a crane on site in about another 20 minutes.

This is looking off the living room balcony. The orange square in the center is the crane. There's a motor scooter to the right for scale. The white oblong rectangle next to the building is the box spring.

What impressed me - besides the fact that they had unloaded and unpacked in less than 4 hours, was that someone could say, "I think we need a crane, I'll check with the boss." The boss shows up, looks around and orders a crane. Boss comes and fills us in and then helps unpack. Crane arrives 1/2 hour later and within minutes, box spring is in bedroom.

Trying to imagine how long that would take to organize in San Jose.

Not ready, but on our way.

Well, now we've gone and done it. Sold the house in San Jose, bought the house in Maine, put our USA stuff in storage in the new house and have a tenant moving in today.

The last two weeks have been so much about accepting the love and support of friends like Glen & Sarah and Joanne & Michael, strangers like the team at Land Rover of Monroeville, PA and our family of Kat, Grace, Keda and Raoul. I can't imagine how we could have done it without them.

The Hudkins jackass gene was definitely in play as I worked at Harker until 2 weeks ago, took a week to drive across the country and then took a week to move our lives into storage. Now after checking the dog in, we're waiting for our flight and wondering, "Are we really moving to Taiwan?"

We may not be ready, but we're jumping off the bridge again. So far we haven't hit the rocks!

Adventures without motion the sequel

Hanging out in Monroeville, PA waiting for parts to come in.

For those who didn't read yesterday's post, Grace and I are waiting for parts to fix the Range Rover that suffered a right rear brake explosion - no joke - ready yesterday's post.

Latest news is that the can get all of the myriad of parts required by 10:00 AM tomorrow - except the one that would actually hold the brake caliper. <SIGH>

So the question is not what time can we leave tomorrow, but will we be able to leave by Friday.

Moving company is now delivering Sunday instead of tomorrow, so that's sorted.

Keeping our fingers crossed.

In the meantime, we walked to Target and went shopping for gear to loll by the pool and snacks for the rest of the trip.

Adventures in motion - or the absence thereof

Travel can always incorporate adventure. I traveled many thousand miles through largely uninhabited country, crossing North America on a 31 year old motorcycle three years ago. The only mechanical issue was a stone breaking the headlight. This trip has been more mechanically exciting.

Short version

Bad news - massive brake failure.

Good news - speed was about 10 miles an hour, 100 yards from trailer parking and .5 miles downhill from only Land Rover dealer in 200 miles. Repairs to be determined as we are in a motel tonight until service takes a look tomorrow.

Long version

So, in January, I bought a 2005 Land Rover Range Rover at a fairly attractive price. These suckers depreciate a lot.

Less than a 100,000 miles. Owned by local family who did not go off-roading. There were several reasons for buying a larger car and selling the two we owned:

• The schedule. Since the Taiwan portion of our wordly goods would leave the first week of May, and the Maine stuff would before the end of May (turned out to be June 6) and I was choosing to work until the day we were leaving (June 16 - Hudkins jackass gene), we'd need a car (and two motorcycles the second motorcycle would be for co-driver Grace) for several weeks after everything else was gone as we'd be camping in the house. That meant two motorcycles could not go on the moving van to Maine. I was thinking a trailer was the right way to manage what we would live with for two to three weeks plus two motorcycles. The two cars we owned didn't have the guts to drag a trailer over the Sierras, the Wasatch and the Rockies
• The wine collection. Moving wine across the country in summer is impossible without temperature control. Can't do that in a moving van or a trailer.

But why this car

• Timing - it went on the market in January while we were in Maine buying the house. It seemed a karmic gift
• Good for living/leaving in Maine as it would get through whatever weather
• Nostalgia.   One of the first cars I drove consistently when I was young was a Land Rover 109 Series II. This could have been it right to the vents under the split windshield to the spare tyre on the hood. Only thing obviously missing are the wing mirrors.

Which leads of course to the next thing about Land Rovers. They used to be very tough, somewhat finicky, and hard to get parts and service for. They have become a luxury brand. So now they're somewhat finicky and hard to get parts and service for.

Anyway, started using it in February. Surprisingly maneuverable for something so large. Handling not bad. Luxury features (who knew seats could have 16 different adjustments) nice on long trips. 105,000 mile service more expensive than anticipated (see above about service and parts) but other than that everything fine, barring the challenges of getting a second key (still don't have one see above about service and parts).

Departure plan: Load trailer Thursday June 15 and Friday June 16. Susan and dog to airport Friday at 10:00 PM. Grace and I start driving Range Rover and large trailer from San Jose, CA to Freeport, ME.

Tuesday, June 13, 3 days before departure, car stalls twice. Restarts without issue. Choose to believe it's bad gas or some such. 

Wednesday, June 14, 2 days before departure. Car dies in intersection. AAA to service depot. Bad fuel pump. Rent car. Don't pick up trailer.

Thursday, June 15, day before departure. Pick up car. Return rental car. Pick up trailer. Not enough time to pack trailer beyond loading first motorcycle.

Friday, June 16, day of planned departure. Car dies in intersection. AAA to service depot. Bad fuel pump. Rent car. Finish loading trailer. Load everything else into rented car. Drop Susan and dog at airport. Stay in motel as nothing in house.

Saturday, June 17 fuel pump replaced. Original pump missing clamp from output side of pump to rest of world. Departure at 2:30 PM with daughter Grace.

Sunday & Monday, June 18 and 19, uneventful in the best possible way. Car climbs mountain with trailer like a champ.

Tuesday, June 20, morning in Greenfield IN, right rear brake makes unusual noise that goes away almost immediately. Choose to believe that it's from dust, grit and gravel in parking lot.

Tuesday afternoon in Wheeling, WV grinding noise returns. I suspect hanging caliper. Local mechanic won't examine. Noise diminishes. Decide to head for nearest Land Rover dealer. Unfortunately located on the other side of Pittsburgh - which has an impressive rush hour.

Arrive 20 minutes after service department closes. Sales suggests going to Firestone across the street. Firestone doesn't have time, suggests another location up the street. They (hereafter the other shop or OS) are too busy also, but take quick look and say caliper appears to be moving freely. Keep going.

Tuesday evening - 50 yards from last check - VERY LOUD NOISE! THINK TRAILER HAS FALLEN OFF! Pieces of brake disc are in the road. Entire right rear brake disk and shroud broken . Pieces jamming wheel. Remains of caliper hanging from brake hose. Apparently, brake seized, all wheel drive and momentum kept turning and KABLOOIE.

Leave Grace in car in middle of road and follow passing AAA guy on foot to other shop. AAA guy no help. However, nice guy from other shop comes back down the road with me and helps me pull remaining brake pieces out so brakeless wheel can now turn. Picture of some pieces below including most of rotor, portions of caliper and shroud.

Drive very carefully (following parking lot turn around to OS. Nice guy from OS says okay to leave trailer there and lends jack, jack stand and wheel chocks. Drive back to Land Rover dealer (slowly as now have three brakes rather than four). Park in overnight cool spot. They provide ride to motel.

Stay tuned as tomorrow morning we find out about parts availability for a 12 year old Range Rover needing quite a few of them in Monroeville, PA. See above about parts and service.

First Day of School

Well, the Geezer is getting ready for another first day of school. Orientation for me at Taipei American School (and find an apartment) is all week this week. Fun to have those first day at a new school butterflies again.

Big Move

On the road again!

Well the geezer and partner are now off on phase 2 of the Next Great Adventure (NGA).

The NGA is moving to Taiwan to become the CIO of the Taipei American School! That happens July 1, 2017. But Phase 2 is saying goodbye to San Jose as a home base. New home base to be somewhere within an hour of PWM. That's right, it's back to Maine as a North American home base, summer residence beginning in 2018 and retirement destination (should we ever get around to that).

Having spent today setting up a trusts and estate lawyer, an accountant and a real estate lawyer today, the search begins in earnest tomorrow. Pictures and descriptions of the candidates will go up following the visits.

Stay tuned!