All set? Almost

So the drive to Canadia was uneventful. I plugged in the ancient but trusty Tom-Tom, fired up the Suzuki and set off for the border at a fair old rate. As ever Michigan did its best to help its car industry by throwing up roads designed to shake your car to pieces long before you'd imagined you'd have to buy a new one, but being wise to this I aimed for the scars and potholes and avoided the small car swallowing sinkholes and soon as at the border.

No cars there and in minutes I'm on a silky smooth road, driving in kilometers per hour and heading towards the house of the guy who's going to attempt to do the impossible and fit a Canada Approved Immobilizer to a US specced Suzuki. We meet at his house rather than his garage so that I have somewhere nice to sit - they're that kind of people. He's friendly, fast and gets the job done with only one setback - a blown 50A Fuse that nobody has in stock. We call around, Tuesday is the earliest - he throws in a 40A, gives me a spare (just in case) and knocks $100 off the bill for the hassle. It's a $5 fuse.

I drive back in a state of mild paranoia without turning off the engine (just in case) and manage to average the 38mpg (UK) it takes to get to the house before spluttering to a stop or having to turn off the engine at a gas station

But so far - all good

We're legal... bar that one fuse, Tuesday... legal

Long, nervous drive

Today I'm driving to Brantford, Ontario to get a Canadian standard immobilizer fitted to the car
The web and Suzuki tell me that this is impossible, due to wiring harness issues

Reg in Brantford disagrees.

So I'm off - 4 hrs each way - to Brantford

If it works then we're set for Canada
If it doesn't then the car will have to be sold in the US in the next 60 days
Or worse, I'll end up stranded by the side of the road somewhere with no cell reception and lots of snow banks

Keep your fingers crossed for me

Weird little town

Funny little town. People in MIchigan are weird, give 'em some sunshine, a hint of warmth and some bunting and they'll hold a festival, dance like lunatics in the street and pay any amount you want for ice-cream. They'll also arrive in vintage cars that have been mothballed for the summer and tell you how much they love this place / state / country.

We of course are planning to leave it. Yesterday I got my permission to export papers from Suzuki, I faxed my Certificate of Title to US Customs, I talked to a guy 4 hrs away about installing a Canadian Standard immobilizer, I faxed a certificate of No Recall to Canada and still I'm, 59 days away from being registered. And it's a new car.

There's lots of that going on. Plus the 75 day contract came through (we won't starve, woo-hoo) and there's movement on the P.Fish front (we'll do better than not starve, way-hey). Engaged and ready to go people, let's do this

Catching up

It's been a busy few days. First we had Judith's leaving party to go to; a tastefully done affair in the basement of a wine bar / restaurant that then dribbled on until the early hours of the next day and ended 'somewhere Cuban'

The next day we went up to Ferndale with our neighbors to take in an improv comedy show. Alas the crowd was thinner than Susan Boyle's chances of winning "Mastermind - Miss World edition" due to it also being the first night of competition for Detroit's only decent sports team - the Redwings

Today saw Jude playing golf this morning as I took pictures at both the half marathon and the food festival and this afternoon she's off shopping with some 'semi bridesmaid' friend while I look for entertainment in all the wrong places.

So busy but hardly worth reporting... such is life