War and Peace, intermission

This will be a short break from our story to fill in a few details of interest.

1. My tow car is, as mentioned, a 1992 Volvo 240 wagon with an automatic transmission. I was planning on removing the driveshaft for towing (as said transmission will overheat if you tow the car any significant distance, resulting in ruination of said transmission, and possibly fire!). However, while I was at the Mennonite welding shop, a fellow driveaway driver came in for some work, and when I told him of my plan, he told me he just tows his car with the engine running! This seemed wasteful to me, but he assured me that he barely used ten gallons of gasoline on a 1000 mile run. So I tried it, and yep, worked a charm.

Of course, the first trip was kinda nerve-wracking, as I had no idea if the car was running or not, but thanks to the ever-dependable Volvo motor, I eventually quit worrying because every time I checked, it was running like a champ!

2. Apple iPhone is an amazing device that served me well and preserved my sanity! I have a 3G iPhone, and after that first trip to Richmond I got myself a suction cup window bracket for it, and using the Motion X GPS Drive app, it became a really excellent GPS unit for me. I have a car charger/FM transmitter for it too, so I had good music via either the iPod function or the Pandora or WunderRadio internet radio apps. I also was able to check in on Facebook and on the TDPRI (Telecaster Discussion Page, re-issue, a music-related bulletin board that I help moderate).

This meant I was in contact with folks pretty much whenever I wanted/needed some human contact. I'd take a break from driving, and spend a little time catching up with folks. I'm a much more gregarious guy than I realized, and being alone with no human contact really gets to me after a few hours!

I'd also note that, contrary to the Verizon ads on TV, I was able to get a usable signal for both phone and data almost everywhere I went.

Oh, another iPhone app that really came in useful: the Priceline Negotiator. Find a motel quick! Even better, it has Bill Shatner being outrageous on it...