PART 6
Previously; In the First half of 2004, I had completed School; Grandma died; New Car; No Money; No Job/New Job; New Ex-Girlfriend; ROAD TRIP(S), and more yet to come
In May 2004, to sum things up a little more clearly. My Girlfriend was now my New EX, the factory jobs stopped, but a driver job came up. I had no income, no welfare, no grant funding and delayed pay. And I was about to embark on yet another Solo journey.
To get away from the Hectic traffic conditions of Toronto, I decided to go for a drive one day. I was just sitting there at home, with nothing to do just waiting for Monday. I hadn't been in contact with any of my friends in some time, I didn't feel like going to my parents house. I was trying to avoid contact with most of the people I knew, including my newest Ex-girlfriend.
I drove North on Highway 400, going towards Sudbury & Sault Ste. Marie.... the first weekend, I made it to a small highway 17 junction town called WAWA, I believe... There they have a statue of Winnie the Pooh. Hwy 17, is known as the Southern Route in Northern Ontario. The junction where I was at was a good place to stop late at night. I slept in my car, and continued at sunrise up the small Highway towards a town called Hornepayne which was the half-way point on the way to Hwy 11 aka the Northern Route. At which point, I headed back towards Toronto.
During my sunrise trip up the silent highway on a Sunday morning I saw some of the biggest wild life I have ever seen. About 4 Moose and 3 good size bears, the experience with the moose was pretty interesting. The Second one I saw was the only one that crossed the road, he was huge, I stopped and waited for a few minutes, but I had my music pretty loud, so he stopped and waited and listened, it wasn't until I turned it down that he actually continued to cross the road, but then walked along the road as I passed. Almost seemingly looking me straight in the eye.
Two other Moose were just standing and grazing on the side of the road as I passed, but the last moose I saw that morning popped up as I turned a corner on an incline. His head popped up and turned to look at me, the antlers must have been as wide as the length of my car, and the head was enormous. I didn't see the body, just the head over the guardrail. The bears I saw were just running, or chasing something as I passed, but big and a cool thing to see for me, as I lived in downtown Toronto.
I made two more Northern Ontario Road Trips that month. It was my way of just getting away from everything because even when I wanted to I couldn't contact anybody, The cell phone reception in the Rock of the Canadian Shield is almost non-existant.
After looking at my map, and realizing just how big Ontario really is, after my trip. I say that because of where I was able to reach. It wasn't much of an achievement, so the next time I tried something else. I took the Northern Route, Through North Bay. Just to see how far I could get, for real this time. I left earlier, like Friday in the late afternoon. I was determined to get out of Ontario and back before Monday. I did North Bay to Kapaskasing by the late in the morning, but then had to stop and rest. When I woke up I pushed through to Thunder Bay, but not before having to stop, eat and shower at a rest stop. I was really tired, hungry and a bit disoriented after working all week, and not really resting before the trip. At some point, I decided to try to keep going and headed out of Thunder Bay towards a town called Dryden, ON. This drive was much easier, much more flat and at one point I was driving on a flat route directly west, sort of into the sunset...
Either the Sun going down or the moon starting to shine, The Orb in the Sky was huge and Bright, bigger than I have ever seen it be. What a sight to see, while traveling alone. I arrived late late at night, and pulled into a hotel parking lot and fell asleep in the car. The next morning I went into the hotel to use the washroom, and snuck into the continental breakfast dining room, and got some snacks for the road.
Realizing that it was very early on a Sunday morning, and knowing that it shouldn't take three days to drive to Dryden, ON with still quite a distance to make my goal, and very little time to accomplish it, I decided to head back to Toronto. I more or less took the same route back, driving without stop overs as I had to work the next day... I pulled in North Bay, very tired but only a few hours away from home. I was alone and falling asleep at the wheel, driving behind one truck and in front of another, they were helpful to make me stay on the road noticing when I dozed off and started to veer.... They gave many loud horns to keep me alert and on the road, until I was in the city.
That same week, I worked a night shift to make some extra money, but I was exhausted and left the next road trip for later on in the Month of May 2004. One day near the end of the week, driving down the highway towards Hamilton, an old friend pulled up along side me and got my attention in an amusing way. He motioned me to pull off the highway, and we met up for a quick drink and to catch up a little. By this point, after all these things it was only about mid-May 2004.
The Following weekend, I wanted to attempt my little Northern Ontario road trip once more. This time I followed the Southern Route again, and made very little progress my two days on the road, the is a junction in the highway where Hwy 11 & 17 meet up just before they go into Thunder Bay. I got to some small town, not really aware of where exactly I was, but by that point I had been pulling off the road every couple hours to close my eyes for a few minutes as I felt like I had been on the go for a long time. Later that day, I stopped for food and a shower at a truck stop, and then decided to head back, after an unsuccessful attempt at exiting Ontario to the west. I went back a different way this time, through a place called Manitoulin Island, knowing there was a ferry boat to take me across the lake. I thought it was great, It saved me. I just had to get there.... I arrived at the ferry dock around 3 or 4 am and parked and went to sleep the best I could. When I woke up I bought my ticket, and grabbed some breakfast at a local restaurant/gift shop. When I finally boarded, and the car was secure I headed above deck to find a place to snooze, but became amazed at the size of the ship.
After some much needed rest, I exited the ferry in Tobermory, ON and headed for home. Down the Bruce Peninsula, to Owen Sound and down the rest of the way back to Toronto.
I went back to work that week, I was very busy. Making many deliveries and still awaiting my first pay check. I was on the Gardiner Expressway during afternoon Rush hour trying to make a delivery to a downtown Restaurant, when traffic came to a very quick stop. I was able to stop, but the guy behind me ran right into me and smashed my trunk inside out, sort of.
So, it's now the last week of May 2004, I had just got into an accident with my new/used car. I had only had it at this point for under 2 months. The tow truck guys were helpful, they hooked me up with a body shop, and the body shop hooked me up with a free rental, according to my insurance. Another courier met me at the reporting center and took over my stops, while I was awaiting my accident report.
I went to my doctor a couple days later to document the accident, and was referred to physiotherapy, but there was a waiting list of about 6-8 weeks. I then went to visit that friend I had met earlier that month on the Highway....
TO BE CONTINUED...... Q3 & Q4 2004
Previously; In the First half of 2004, I had completed School; Grandma died; New Car; No Money; No Job/New Job; New Ex-Girlfriend; ROAD TRIP(S), and more yet to come
In May 2004, to sum things up a little more clearly. My Girlfriend was now my New EX, the factory jobs stopped, but a driver job came up. I had no income, no welfare, no grant funding and delayed pay. And I was about to embark on yet another Solo journey.
To get away from the Hectic traffic conditions of Toronto, I decided to go for a drive one day. I was just sitting there at home, with nothing to do just waiting for Monday. I hadn't been in contact with any of my friends in some time, I didn't feel like going to my parents house. I was trying to avoid contact with most of the people I knew, including my newest Ex-girlfriend.
I drove North on Highway 400, going towards Sudbury & Sault Ste. Marie.... the first weekend, I made it to a small highway 17 junction town called WAWA, I believe... There they have a statue of Winnie the Pooh. Hwy 17, is known as the Southern Route in Northern Ontario. The junction where I was at was a good place to stop late at night. I slept in my car, and continued at sunrise up the small Highway towards a town called Hornepayne which was the half-way point on the way to Hwy 11 aka the Northern Route. At which point, I headed back towards Toronto.
During my sunrise trip up the silent highway on a Sunday morning I saw some of the biggest wild life I have ever seen. About 4 Moose and 3 good size bears, the experience with the moose was pretty interesting. The Second one I saw was the only one that crossed the road, he was huge, I stopped and waited for a few minutes, but I had my music pretty loud, so he stopped and waited and listened, it wasn't until I turned it down that he actually continued to cross the road, but then walked along the road as I passed. Almost seemingly looking me straight in the eye.
Two other Moose were just standing and grazing on the side of the road as I passed, but the last moose I saw that morning popped up as I turned a corner on an incline. His head popped up and turned to look at me, the antlers must have been as wide as the length of my car, and the head was enormous. I didn't see the body, just the head over the guardrail. The bears I saw were just running, or chasing something as I passed, but big and a cool thing to see for me, as I lived in downtown Toronto.
I made two more Northern Ontario Road Trips that month. It was my way of just getting away from everything because even when I wanted to I couldn't contact anybody, The cell phone reception in the Rock of the Canadian Shield is almost non-existant.
After looking at my map, and realizing just how big Ontario really is, after my trip. I say that because of where I was able to reach. It wasn't much of an achievement, so the next time I tried something else. I took the Northern Route, Through North Bay. Just to see how far I could get, for real this time. I left earlier, like Friday in the late afternoon. I was determined to get out of Ontario and back before Monday. I did North Bay to Kapaskasing by the late in the morning, but then had to stop and rest. When I woke up I pushed through to Thunder Bay, but not before having to stop, eat and shower at a rest stop. I was really tired, hungry and a bit disoriented after working all week, and not really resting before the trip. At some point, I decided to try to keep going and headed out of Thunder Bay towards a town called Dryden, ON. This drive was much easier, much more flat and at one point I was driving on a flat route directly west, sort of into the sunset...
Either the Sun going down or the moon starting to shine, The Orb in the Sky was huge and Bright, bigger than I have ever seen it be. What a sight to see, while traveling alone. I arrived late late at night, and pulled into a hotel parking lot and fell asleep in the car. The next morning I went into the hotel to use the washroom, and snuck into the continental breakfast dining room, and got some snacks for the road.
Realizing that it was very early on a Sunday morning, and knowing that it shouldn't take three days to drive to Dryden, ON with still quite a distance to make my goal, and very little time to accomplish it, I decided to head back to Toronto. I more or less took the same route back, driving without stop overs as I had to work the next day... I pulled in North Bay, very tired but only a few hours away from home. I was alone and falling asleep at the wheel, driving behind one truck and in front of another, they were helpful to make me stay on the road noticing when I dozed off and started to veer.... They gave many loud horns to keep me alert and on the road, until I was in the city.
That same week, I worked a night shift to make some extra money, but I was exhausted and left the next road trip for later on in the Month of May 2004. One day near the end of the week, driving down the highway towards Hamilton, an old friend pulled up along side me and got my attention in an amusing way. He motioned me to pull off the highway, and we met up for a quick drink and to catch up a little. By this point, after all these things it was only about mid-May 2004.
The Following weekend, I wanted to attempt my little Northern Ontario road trip once more. This time I followed the Southern Route again, and made very little progress my two days on the road, the is a junction in the highway where Hwy 11 & 17 meet up just before they go into Thunder Bay. I got to some small town, not really aware of where exactly I was, but by that point I had been pulling off the road every couple hours to close my eyes for a few minutes as I felt like I had been on the go for a long time. Later that day, I stopped for food and a shower at a truck stop, and then decided to head back, after an unsuccessful attempt at exiting Ontario to the west. I went back a different way this time, through a place called Manitoulin Island, knowing there was a ferry boat to take me across the lake. I thought it was great, It saved me. I just had to get there.... I arrived at the ferry dock around 3 or 4 am and parked and went to sleep the best I could. When I woke up I bought my ticket, and grabbed some breakfast at a local restaurant/gift shop. When I finally boarded, and the car was secure I headed above deck to find a place to snooze, but became amazed at the size of the ship.
After some much needed rest, I exited the ferry in Tobermory, ON and headed for home. Down the Bruce Peninsula, to Owen Sound and down the rest of the way back to Toronto.
I went back to work that week, I was very busy. Making many deliveries and still awaiting my first pay check. I was on the Gardiner Expressway during afternoon Rush hour trying to make a delivery to a downtown Restaurant, when traffic came to a very quick stop. I was able to stop, but the guy behind me ran right into me and smashed my trunk inside out, sort of.
So, it's now the last week of May 2004, I had just got into an accident with my new/used car. I had only had it at this point for under 2 months. The tow truck guys were helpful, they hooked me up with a body shop, and the body shop hooked me up with a free rental, according to my insurance. Another courier met me at the reporting center and took over my stops, while I was awaiting my accident report.
I went to my doctor a couple days later to document the accident, and was referred to physiotherapy, but there was a waiting list of about 6-8 weeks. I then went to visit that friend I had met earlier that month on the Highway....
TO BE CONTINUED...... Q3 & Q4 2004
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