Tracy's moving nightmare (long)

[Cheryl Newbanks <horsetrails@inficad.com>]

Hi group, I know this isn't endurance related but heck this just proves how
tough our endurance horses truely are.  In case some of you didn't know my
good friend and our ridecamp buddy Tracy Stampke just went through moving
to Idaho.  Good for her because she gets out of this AZ heat bad for me
because I lost my best riding buddy and endurance pal.  This was truely the
MOVE FROM HELL.  

First of all they started off one day late, so July 3rd they hit the road
at about 10pm.  She actually got 50 miles or 6 miles from my place before
the first mechanical problem hit.  Now mind you they are driving a 1 ton
dually filled with 4 dogs (3 which are huge anatolian shepards and 1 toy
poodle), 1 child, 1 horse trailer with 2 horses, 3 cats and a bird.  Plus
the Ryder truck that her hubby was driving.  Anyway the radiator blew, so
they slowly made it to our house, filling up the radiator every 3 miles.
We unloaded the horses around midnight, put the dogs in the horse trailer,
cats in the garage, and the poodle and bird in the house.  We got to sleep
around 2:30am.

Ok, next morning the guys were lucky to find a auto part store open, being
4th of july weekend and all, and they bought a new radiator.  Came home,
installed the radiator and when Tracy's hubby Al was dropping some plug in,
the last thing to do, it punctured a hole in the new radiator.  Sooooo,
they took the dang radiator out again, went back to the auto parts store
and talked them into giving them another radiator.  Next install went well
and done by 1pm.  

Soon as it was dark they hit the road.  This time they made it another 20
miles before they called.  Over heating again, arrrghhhhhhh!  So they
crippled back to my place, by the way I hate to admit it but I loved having
them here!  I was sick the week before and didn't get a chance to say
goodbye to my best buddy!  I felt like I was given a great gift, Tracy kept
apologizing and I kept saying that I it was ok because I was totally loving
having them here!  AND NO I DIDN'T SABOTAGE THE TRUCK TO KEEP THEM
HERE<vbg>!   Anyway this time it was the thermostat, which was probably the
original problem to begin with that blew the old radiator.  We unloaded the
horses, good thing I had extra corrals, gave my goats to my neighbors
petting zoo, put the anatolians in the goat pen, cats in the garage, poodle
and bird back in the house!  This time we got to hang out and watch the
fireworks from my backyard! 

Next day Al pulled the thermostat and left it off, heck with it.  Al and
John went to the auto part store AGAIN, to find some faster setting sealer
stuff. This time the guys test drove the truck with the horse trailer
hooked up for an hour before they decided it was a go.  We had a huge
dinner for my John's bday and at dark they loaded up all creatures great
and small and attempted to leave.  

This time Tracy's gorgeous 1 year old Jackson 2 horse slant's lights
wouldn't work.  Thank the powers that be that was a 15 minute fix and off
they went AGAIN.

We waited, and waited no calls.  Looks like they are going to be ok this
time I thought.  HA!  About the time they should of hit Idaho, last night
around 9pm,  I called Al's mom and found out they broke down in
Ely,NV!!!!!!!  Called Tracy's cell phone, it was out of range so I waited.
Well Tracy just called me.  They had to hook the horse trailer up to the
Ryder truck, put the dogs in the tack room, cats in crates (I don't know
where they went after that) the poodle and all family members loaded into
the Ryder and they left the truck at the mechanic's in Ely.  It was the
transmission this time!  They finally made it to Idaho, the horses faired
really well, experienced travelers that they are, and all are doing fine
knee high in grass as we speak.  Now they have to go back to Ely to pick up
the truck when it is fixed.  Funny thing is that this truck they just
bought is a nice truck, has a new engine and is in good shape.  It was like
AZ didn't want to let them go!  

By the way during this whole nightmare, Al's dad, who's farm they are going
up to take over because his Dad is getting up there in years, landed in the
hospital in not very good shape.  Geez, talk about bad luck!  If you want
to write to Tracy you can email any letters to me and I will forward them
to her when her pc and internet service is up and running again.  She could
probably use a few letters from friends at this point. 

Thanks for letting me post this non related subject but I wanted to let
Tracy's friends know how the move went.  Also a good friend of ridecamp's,
Karen Chaton, is laid up with a horse related injury right now too.  I
don't know if she'll be on her computer for a while, but we may want to
send Karen some get well cards too.  
   
                                  Cheryl Newbanks 
~~~           ~~ ^ ^        SW Region
~~~\      _ ~~/ /\ /        Buckeye, AZ
       (   ) __    ) ' '        horsetrails@inficad.com
       //          \\ 
      //            \\
    **             **