Wausau, Wisconsin

This blog entry is from July 14. Severe t-storms knocked out the internet last night.

Total Km = 512

What a day we have had. We discovered last evening while checking on our credit card use that someone had used our card/number for internet gambling to the total of over $1,200 so have had it stopped and it is being investigated by HSBC fraud department with a new card being sent to us along with hopefully a credit for the stolen funds. All we had been using this for was accommodation and do know of two places where they manually take your number. Luckily we both have another credit card with us.

Next we decided we really needed to do something about Raindancer’s bumping along the road so first thing Doug went up to the Marquette, MI Honda dealers who were very helpful diagnosing the ailing rear differential but not in a position to fix it. We did find a BMW dealer 4 hours south of there near Green Bay, Wisconsin (go PACKERS!) so off we went as we knew we shouldn’t attempt to ride home with the way it was.

Luckily they had a used rear differential that the mechanic was able to install and get us on our way. He had taken it from a similar bike when the owner decided to turn his LT into a trike. The staff at Nick’s BMW were very friendly (the dealership is named after the owner’s 3 year old grandson who passed away awhile ago). Norma bought a couple of chocolate bars there to support the pediatric brain trauma foundation so we are assuming that was the cause. They had several foundation fund raising items there.

We then got caught in a bad storm - had been told there were T-storm and tornado warnings - so held up beside a vacant warehouse for quite some time until it slowed enough to get to accommodation and just in time before another bad storm hit. While riding we saw a news crew setting up cameras (from FOX TV) trying to film the storm. We suspect they were a tornado tracker team. There is evidence of some trees down and lots of huge puddles/flooded areas. We are sitting here wondering if/when we are going to loose power as if this were happening at home you can be sure the power would be out by now. The last big strike was so close and loud it rattled the eves on the motel outside our window. The puddle (pond?) on the lawn behind the motel has tripled in size in the last ½ hour.

With all these set backs we are a bit behind schedule but hope to be home in time for our return to work on Monday morning. The weather man says it should be sunny and warm tomorrow so we will see what time we can make.