Chance encounters happen all the time as a traveler. You’re on the top of a pyramid and you spot someone wearing a t-shirt from your high-school, or you are at a beach bar and you recognize someone from grade school. Things like that. But this one was different.
I was out running around with the kids yesterday. On our way back I spotted a car wash. We still had a few minutes before dinner, so I flipped a U-turn, gave the truck a quick wash, and was drying it off when a guy walked past the stall and asked, “What part of Minnesota are you from?” We get this question ten times a day in Texas because all the MN retirees come straight down I-35 to Texas when it gets cold, and we’ve got those MN plates on the truck. I told him we were from just outside of St. Paul, and he said he was from Le Sueur. Le Sueur is a small town, couple thousand people, but I knew right where it is because it’s just down the road from my Grandpa’s place in Gaylord where I spent much of my youth.
Normally, the conversation with other Minnesotans just moves on from there, and you go on your way. But with this guy I said, “Sure, I know where that is, my Grandpa had a farm up in Gaylord.”
He said, “I used to hunt ducks in Gaylord.”
“Me too, my Grandpa’s place was right there on Lake Titlow.”
“What’s your family name?” he asked.
“Schulte.”
“I have a Grandpa Schulte, too,” he laughed.
Turns out this guy’s grandpa is my grandpa’s brother, and his dad is my dad’s cousin, and godfather. He did a spot-on impression of my grandpa for me, and we talked about all the different family for a while.
Anyway, I just found the whole meeting to be incredible. From a purely mathematical perspective, it’s just off the charts. Add in how easily the conversation could have ended with a simple acknowledgement of a shared home state, and the odds go off exponentially from there. I love getting little reminders like this of what a small world we live in when you just bother to get out in it.
A couple of days after getting the good news about the clutch, my brake pedal started to get soft. It wasn’t losing any brake fluid, so I bled them and hoped that would do the trick. Nope. So, I’m guessing it’s the ancient master cylinder finally giving up the ghost. Ali’s dad had pestered me about replacing that when we did the clutch master cylinder, but I couldn’t track any down online except for some $30 Chinese job, and I wasn’t keen on replacing a working original with some super cheap replacement.
But when I got online this time the Travelall parts shops had some “new” masters in stock. Still cheap Chinese units, but what look to be better quality—they are also the spitting image of the old one, so I won’t have to rejig the brake lines. I’ll be putting that in tomorrow.
So while we were sitting outside the other day and I noticed a tear in the white wall tire on the Airstream. A closer inspection showed the tire basically peeling apart. I checked the other side, same thing. I looked closer—Load Range B. Rated for 1,700 pounds. We’re about three times heavier than that. It’s a miracle we didn’t have a blow out. So, new tires.
All in all it’s a good thing all of this is happening right now. It’s certainly easier to get the parts we need to fix things up here.
Over the weekend I got a bug up my butt to bang out a project I’d been wanting to do for a while. I’ve never really liked the black basket roof rack. It was sturdy and strong, but it didn’t match the truck. Wrong era. I had an idea to just build a simple one out of wood. The one I had in mind would work better as a rack for the kids’ bikes, too—they wouldn’t have to be piled on top of each other in a heap.
At about the same time, Ali decided she wanted to change up some paint.
Building a roof rack with nothing but what’s in my small tool bag.
It might not be perfect, but neither is the truck. Both of them get the job done, and look great from twenty feet.
Eight bucks to walk down a pier? When all the real fun to be had is underneath?
The eye wash station. The wind never seems to stop down here.
I also whipped up a surf board rack inside the truck. Ouest got a new stick for Christmas.
Driving the beach road. I’m not sure that all the rules go out the window once there is sand under your tires, but for us they do.
27 Comments on “Small World”
I love the picture of Lowe with the wrenches! Nice to get all the repairs done in one week.
Love the roof rack!
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Bob Hall! Hoping this afternoons sun warmed you up! See you tomorrow!
I see a pink tool box in Ouest’s future.
Love the photos of you and the kids driving. Reminds me of so much of a favourite Alan Jackson song ‘Drive’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQe3DKDQRRs
Thanks, Garry. Just convinced me we need to go out there and drive it again tomorrow.
The good ole days of steering cars before you are 10. Some of my best memories.
Me, too. Steering my grandpa’s big station wagon around the farm, through the fields, and along the lake. And getting to start my mom’s ’65 Mustang and put it in gear. I can remember everything about those cars.
My mom used to have 5 acres and a 65 Ford truck. I’d let my 2yr old nephew drive around the backyard on my lap. Fun times.
Re the master cylinder – In the bugs I used to drive back in the day I could buy seal kits and just replace the seals.
Was pretty simple and worked fine as long as the interior surfaces weren’t corroded.
Might be an option if you want to keep the original cylinder, or rebuild the cylinder as a backup?
That’s what I would have done if the master cylinder looked good, but it’s really just a big ball of corroded mess. It needed to be replaced even before it started to fail. But yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s just the interior seals allowing the brake fluid past.
Get you some Karbach Weekend Warrior at an HEB before you leave Texas. It works far better than Sierra Nevada for wrenchin’. And most other things too.
Twist my arm why don’t you?
I met y’all back in the spring of ’13 in La Paz. We were the ones with the really loud companionway and the two cats next to y’all at the marina. Lowe was in diapers. I’ve been reading your blog since then. I don’t know why I never noticed until this blog, but the kids are getting huge! I can see a little of each of you in each of them Lowe seems to really becoming into his own!
Yes, Jerid, we remember you! However I highly doubt your companionway was louder than ours. 🙂
I see your posts on Facebook and happy you are still enjoying La Paz. We need to get back there (on a boat) soon! Would love to be neighbors again.
Great post — loved the photos on the beach. New roof rack looks great. I sometimes wonder if Ouest and Lowe are ever like my kids were at times — cranky, at war with each other, obstinate, bratty — Ouest and Lowe always look so joyous and happy to play with each other. Wonderful blog, always interesting.
Thanks, John. Regarding the kids – Ouest is never bratty with anyone, she really is a sweetheart. Now Lowe, well, he can be a handful at times. But to each other, they always want to play/explore/learn together. We tell them they are a team. If one gets in trouble, they both do (meaning that even if Lowe screws up, it effects both of them) and they take that to heart. Thank goodness for siblings.
Good to see you are getting your kit right and ready to go. Mexico is looking better all the time.
Steady on!
I am worrying about Ouest”s surf board flying forward in a crash. Is it secured against that? I suppose that goes for all the things in back.
When I see the pictures of the kids under the car , I realize how brave you are. Those kids of your, just might “fix” your car. 🙂 What does Lowe have on that drill? Cardboard? When I saw the pictures of the wrenches, I thought: That could be my son? I just love it.
Thanks, Dave.
Not cardboard, dried leaves.
What a cool story! I have a similar one with some long-lost cousins! So funny how things workout like that!
It’s never too early to start driving. I drove about 5,000 miles with my parents before getting an official license. One of the advantages of living in small town America. It was the best training ever,
The kids look cold!!
Time to go home to Mexico!! 😀
We are trying!
I’m no geneology expert, but if you had the same grandfather, you would be first cousins, generally referred to as cousins. So if you had the same great grandfather, as you do, you would be second cousins. I think. I doubt anyone would challenge you if you said he was your second cousin.
I was interested in Ruby when it was for sale, just wasn’t the right time!
You popped up on Facebook today and I am sat here reading about your travels so far. I think its absolutely fabulous that your kids are enjoying life this way. Kids and parents these days are so wrapped up in the rat race. I wish you much happiness on your travels, loving your pictures but you stressed me out with the no swimming Aligators! Please be careful. Live Life and continue to do what makes you happy! A little sad too that you changed Ruby! Safe Travels!