First Jedediah Smith Trail 1822 — 1824

Day 4: August 19th, 2009 Pittsburgh (Chevrolet Dealer)

Today I get up again around half past seven. The jetlag is still bothering me. After breakfast I take care of my emails first, then my and Helen’s computer. At Helen’s computer I work on the issue with Acrobat Reader. After a couple of more updates I eventually give up and leave the reader at version 8. In parallel I am fighting with my new DeLorme Topo USA 8.0. The program is really like hell. First I have to change my Windows completely to English. Otherwise, nothing will work. Then I must add a new group Users, which is the English version of the German “Benutzer”. That’s why they have placed the statement that it can only be installed on US computers.

But even with all these changes the software is not running. After searching for a while I find two registry entries, where SYSTEM needs write access. They are set, but just to be sure I add the USERS with the regular user account. Then I must stop all other running programs under Vista, which is for example everything that is running in the system tray. This can be done very comfortable with MSCONFIG and there is also a guideline available. After I have done all this and it is already three in the afternoon, I eventually made it and the software is running!

Around 2:20pm my Chevrolet dealer has called that my truck would be ready to be picked up. Unfortunately, Helen has another appointment since half past eleven and will be back not before half past four. So I ask for a shuttle service. As soon as the shuttle has returned, they will let me know. But even around half past four I have received no call. In the meantime we had a heavy shower and I almost thought the whole hill will be swept away…

When Helen returns around a quarter to five, we immediately leave for my Chevrolet dealer to get my truck. There I directly run into Jay and have a brief chat with him. He tells me, that they have fixed the hole with fiberglass. Therefore it was this cheap! He even brings me my car in person. I say good–bye to him and promise that I will be in touch with him about my oil pan.

Then I drive back home. There I quickly change my clothes to bring back my leaking battery to Walmart. There they accept this damaged battery without any issues. In the meantime I should look for a new one. Then I also buy some other stuff like oil, wires etc. — only my air filter is not in stock!

After I have passed the cashier I walk over to the Customer Service. When I arrive there, I receive the money back, which I payed for the old battery back then. This is indeed a bit less than what I have payed now. But instead I have now again the full three years of warranty. Therefore I don’t ask for anything more.

Then I continue to Pep Boys. There I buy more electrical stuff and also find an adapter for my battery! I am really anxious to see if this will work out! But they also don’t have my air filter. Therefore I must look for this one somewhere else or must change it when I am on the road.

Then I drive back home around half past seven. Helen is already again at her Mom. This time I decide to go the Outback Steakhouse. Just past eight I arrive there. My server Tricia has a brief chat with me, so not as short on words as the one at Lone Star. But it is also this usual casual talk. But she is really taking care and because they don’t have Thousand Island dressing, she brings two different ones to try. The service is really great and I am very positive surprised by the Outback. It seems that I will drive over here more often in the future.

Just before nine I pay and drive back. There I shock Helen that I have left my car pod somewhere with her. But she has no idea where it could be. Also I assume that I have left my laptop power cord with it. Both of them I am not able to find in my car. Hopefully my car pod will show up. Otherwise I have a real problem!

Then I quickly write my diary and check on the Internet where I could get my air filter. Slowly time is slipping away. Hopefully my stuff will arrive tomorrow. Because I might not find my car pod in time I already look on the Internet in advance where I could buy it. At Amazon I am able to find it. But my video head is no longer available. This takes now quite some time until I find (hopefully) a fitting one with the RC2 quick connect plate. Around half past eleven I fall dog–tired in my bed…