FOLLOWING TOKA, THIKA AND IRANGA

Terry’s sister Karen flew in from California for the birth of her first grandchild in Montreal two months ago. She continues her extended holiday in the Toronto area these days along with her amiable travelling companion, Bill Clinton.

As well as doing touristy things, she and Bill are making regular visits to her storage locker in Brampton, home to lots of the teaching stuff and memorabilia she left behind when she moved to the United States ten years ago.

“I’ve got to get rid of lots of my things,” she acknowledges, “ but I do want to take some of it back to California.”

“Like your Barry Manilow CDs,” I tease.

She doesn’t disagree. Egads! I think she even has some Bobby Vinton on vinyl. Maybe she should have sent her keepsakes along with Toka, Thika and Iringa, the retiring Toronto pachyderms, who travelled to the Golden State two weeks ago.

“Maybe we could haul a trailer behind my old Sunfire. I think we’d make it,” she muses.

Karen gave her now sixteen year old car to her daughter Angie three years ago, after it wore out its welcome on my driveway.

“Not a great idea,” I offer. “Small cars like that aren’t made for hauling.”

“Well, what about driving someone else’s vehicle to California. You could advertise on Craigslist for me. Just post something like…. two seniors ready and willing to drive your car or truck to California.”

All of a sudden Karen’s moving dilemma was becoming my problem.

“Karen, I don’t think anyone is going to give you their vehicle for a three thousand mile trip. And besides, what if it broke down somewhere like South Dakota? Who’d pay for repairs? And do you really think you’d even be allowed across the border in a stranger’s car or truck?”

I felt like a state trooper trying to rein in geriatric Bonnie and Clyde.

“Karen, what about just boxing up a few items and flying back with them,” I suggested.

“Mike, maybe you could rent a U-Haul and drive back with us,” Karen replied, oblivious to my airplane suggestion.

“Or maybe we could buy a beater and sell it when we get back to California. That might work?” Karen enthused. “Your mechanic could check it over before we set off.”

I decided to duck that one all the while thinking that maybe I should give Bob Barker a call. After all, didn’t he help get Toka’s, Thika’s and Iringa’s trunks back to California.

Stay tuned to see how this one plays out. For now, I’m going to sit back and watch the show.