These past few road trips, I’ve had all my gear piled in the front and back seats of my ’93 Ford Tempo because the trunk wouldn’t open. I thought the key might be worn out. Lock Lube did nothing. This car is my lifeline to society but it has certainly given me a few funny little problems.

I played Halifax and Moncton and on Friday I stayed with my parents in Saint John, NB.

My dad got out some kind of fancy graphite-based lock lubricant and after a few minutes of messing around with it we got the trunk working again.

He also pointed out that I had a taillight missing. A little easier to get at now that the trunk actually opens. I pulled out the bulb and squinted at it.

“I might have something down in the workshop that’ll fit,” my dad said. He disappeared into the house and came back with a ten-year-old taillight bulb that he happened to have lying around in his workshop.

We compared the product numbers, and it was a match. Lucky break. We were able to change the taillight right on the spot. One less thing for a cop to be hassling me about.

It gave me a good feeling when I got behind the wheel and pulled out of my parents’ driveway on Saturday, ready to head home to Chipman after a solid road trip.

On the road. I love driving. All I want to do is go on tour. The car’s body is not in such good shape, but it runs great and it’s going to take me all over the place this spring.

I got to the bottom of Park Hill Drive and pulled onto Golden Grove Road. The little red battery light on the dash started flickering off and on. Then the light came on and stayed on.

What’s going on? I know the battery is good because it’s pretty new. Alternator acting up? Aren’t those expensive?

The car started to lose power. I pulled off the road into the parking lot of the car wash across from the Three Mile Tavern.

The car stalled and died and would not start.

I sat there in the parking lot for a long, long time.