May 2

Last night, as I was going to bed, I discovered that I had left the power cord for my CPAP machine (that is for my sleep apnea) in the motel at Bangor, Maine! I was in a panic as I don't know if the company (based in Calif.) has anyone in Mexico. After getting the customer service number from the internet, I called from a pay phone at a rest stop along the highway as I had to wait until the office opened in Calif. We were headed towards Roanoke, Virginia and the woman was able to give me 2 places in Roanoke that might be able to supply me with a cord. Not too far out of Roanoke at another rest stop, I decided to call them to see if they could help me. However, the pay phone I was trying to use kept taking my money but not completing my call.

However, a young woman, standing nearby and seeing my frustration, offered me her cell phone (we gave up our Nova Scotia cell phones because we couldn't use them in Mexico). 

The second place I called said that they could help me. Then, all I had to do was program the address into the GPS system and it told us exactly where and how to go! I love Tomtom now. Anyway, I got the new replacement cord (only $25--I would gladly have paid much more!). The woman in the store claimed that my experience is not unusual; she even claimed to have had one guy who had done it twice. However, I told her that my wife would be unlikely to let me forget again. Tomtom got us back on Interstate 81 and we continued on our way.

Tonight, we are staying just to the west of Knoxville, Tennessee in a Days Inn for $40! Over 900 kms today. I'm not sure how far we'll get tomorrow as the car is due for oil change and lube job. That will probably take 3 hours at least on a Saturday afternoon. Also, I'm not sure which direction we shall be going. Right now, we are on combined I 40 and I 75, but a few miles on, they divide with I 40 going west to Nashville and I 75 going south to Chattanooga. Only Tomtom knows.