Security or not I managed to get a good lie in, even sleeping on a raised platform in my minivan wouldn’t stop me from doing that. The back windows have privacy glass, which means they are quite dark, but not really dark enough. Maybe I would have to make some curtains… But later, I picked up a few things from Walmart (its so handy) and fired up the beast…. click… click… click… Uh oh. My battery was flat! Maybe I was charging something the night before and left it on a bit too long, but this wasn’t a good sign. I asked some helpful guy for a jump start, grateful for my foresight of parking away from the main entrance so he could get in near enough and left it charging up for a while. Maybe it was time for a new battery….? I had a look at what I had and went back in the store for a look. I came out with the largest one they had and a $2 adjustable spanner and proceeded to swap them out… Um, rather I stood there cursing as the bolt that locked the battery in refused to budge as it was rusted shut. I went back in and resisted the temptation to buy a $40 toolkit but opted for a can of WD40 and $4 set of cheap spanners. This was better but try as I might it still would not move, even after a good drenching of oil….

I really didn’t want to buy a big toolkit as it just wouldn’t get used. If my car really broke the mechanic would have everything and if there was no mechanic I toolkit wasn’t going to do me much good. I pulled and pulled on the spanner but I could barely get my hand it there, nevermind any leverage. Hmmm, a lever… I know, I got the wheel jack out and there was the tire iron, seemingly shaped for the job. I got it in and braced it against the battery and pulled… and pulled… until it slightly moved… nice! So I stood there like a loon for literally 30 minutes slowly undoing the nut that held my battery in. Everyone just looked at me like I was crazy but I refused to spend $40 :p I didn’t even get it all the way off it was so rusty. I loosened it up and then started pulling at the battery until it came out. Sweet. I then put in the new battery… and realised I had got one that was far too big!

Oh well, I couldn’t lock it in with the rusted nut anyway, I hooked it up, started the engine and thanked my various deities. I admit I had a moment of fear when I saw how much the battery was sticking out of the bonnet bay but these were dispelled when I pushed it down and it seemed to fit. Thank god for that! 2 hours messing around in a Walmart car park wasn’t what I signed up for, but it was the perfect palce for it to happen. I went back in, washed up and bought some curtain material and hooks. No pervy rent-a-cop will be watching me sleep in my underwear again!

Back on the coast road I cruised until I saw a nice beach with a carpark and most importantly, shower. I parked up nicely and even put a quarter in the meter. I was messing around getting ready for a while on the beach when the beach enforcement woman turned up checking the meters. She told me if I didn’t turn my car around I would get a ticket…. huh? There were about 20 spaces and 4 cars and since I backed into the spot I was in some violation of some stupid law. Talk about moronic jobs worths… Still, I wasn’t going to argue and moved it around and went for a swim and a sun bathe. When I got back she turned up again and ticketed some poor guy who was just looking at the sea. Land of the free indeed.

I was getting close to Miami now and although I was periodically checking into the couchsurfing site didn’t see anyone particulary interesting to ask to stay with so kind of decided by default to carry on down to Key West for the weekend. There is a CS Halloween party going on on Sunday which I might make. Would be nice to meet some people and maybe give someone a ride, might help make the mpg meter a bit more reasonable. I just kept rolling slowly on for the rest of the day, stopping every once in a hwile but mostly just taking my time and when I found a walmart in Florida City I gave up and set up my bed again. It rained all night.



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