Myrtle '10, The drive back to Ohio: Detours, staying w/ family, and a new radiator

(Photo: Shell station at Exit 55, I-77 N through Statesville)
So I've been back in Ohio for about a week now. Definitely missing the coastal lifestyle already. Sitting here on our deck right now and the trees, dead leaves, and other units look lovely (we really do have a great view off of the balcony) but already missing the 843.

I've been meaning to write more about the trip but with the new job all last week and this crazy weekend, I have not got to it. The worst scenario possible played out on our way back. Just east of Conway my car started overheating. We pulled off and I noticed major leakage going on. But it didn't seem like coolant to me so I figured the radiator's just sweating in the heat. We let it cool off, and decide to take SR 9 north instead of 501.

The Escape was doing great until Lake View, SC, (population a grand total of 790 in 2000....)where she overheated again and needed assistance from the small-town half drunk-on-a-Monday-afternoon police officer (the town's only cop) and a barely in-business old style service station. Exhale.. love the south. After we checked her out there, we made it exactly 200 miles to Statesville before endless problems ranging from the overheating to serious smoke, and from loud rattling under the hood to oil sensors going off. An NC trooper made sure I could make it to a Shell station just up 77, and we left her there over night.

Now I really had no idea how or what we were going to do. And the kicker was that I had something slightly important to make it back for at 8am here in Columbus. Like, a new job? Yeah, thankfully new job was very understanding and helpful in getting some peace of mind back that night. That's when my cousins D.R. and Kim, who live in Mooresville, came to our rescue. They took us in and she showed us Davidson the next day while treating us to lunch. We don't get to see them enough! $620 later and 30 miles of towing, the Escape got a new radiator and thermostat. Back on the road by 6pm on Tuesday, and we didn't get in until 1am.

Now all's been good. No more overheating, but I should probably be looking into new vehicle options. New job, new apartment, why not a new car, right? And what the hell happened in South Bend yesterday? Michigan beats us right at the end of the game for the second year in a row? Oh well, I'm not worried. Crist was out for most of the first half and we have a coach who's still learning the ND ropes, adjusting to the stadium, and getting to know our opponents.