Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville

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Riding the Montreal Métro

I’ve always loved riding the Montréal subway. It’s called the Métro. When I was in cégep and had a few hours to kill, I would take the Métro in Longueuil and ride it all over Montreal just to look at the different stations.

The Métro has four lines: yellow, orange, green, and blue. Yellow links the South Shore at Longueuil to the Island with a stop in Jean-Drapeau Park where La ronde, a Six Flags amusement park, is located. Orange has a U-shape, running north-south in both the east and west of the city, connected at the south. Green runs east-west in the south of the city. Blue runs east-west and connects the east and west branches of orange in the north.

Montreal got its Métro for Expo ’67, a big shinding that celebrated Canada’s centennial. My mother remembers visiting the Métro when it was under construction. When she told me what station I would be taking today, I replied that it was on the blue line. She argued that it was on orange and that the blue was a recent new addition.

I thought that was weird, so when she pulled a map of the system out, I pointed to the station, saying that while she is correct and it is on the orange line, I was also correct as it is a blue line connector. And then I understood something. Even though the blue line has existed all my life since I started taking the Métro, for her it’s still the new line and therefore that the station is also on the blue line isn’t a fact she has absorbed yet. It’s really rather funny. I’ve never had a reason to ride the blue line, but I used to ride it for fun because it has the prettiest stations. But I digress.

 

Riding the Métro is easy. First, look for one of these signs at street level:

And make a note of the station:

You will descend at least one very steep staircase:

Now, you can either plan your route immediately by consulting one of the many maps of the system available, or you can buy your ticket and figure out your route within the system. I did not need to consult a map, so I bought my ticket immediately.

This is the only place where I noticed a difference from the last time I used the Métro. You used to buy a little cardboard ticket that the operator would slide to you. You then had to return it to him through another slot and he would manually open the gate to let you in. Now, he gives you a card that you have to put into an automated turnstile that will open when you take your ticket back, which you can then use as a transfer if you need to take bus. This eliminates the old system where you had to remember to get a transfer from an automated machine inside the Métro.

Once you are in the Métro system, you can go around and around in any direction for as long as you want as long as you do not take the yellow line and/or do not exit through the turnstiles.

Inside the Métro, I pretended that I did need to look at a map so that I could explain to you fine folks how to figure out where you want to to go.

On the big map above, locate where you are. In my case, I was at Jean Talon, which is a junction of the blue and orange lines on the east side. I wanted to take a bus to Chambly, which meant going to Bonaventure station, on the part of the orange line running east-west. My options were to take the blue line across to the west orange line and transfer, or to just take the orange line around to Bonaventure. The latter was definitely the quickest.

So I had to take the orange line from Jean Talon to Bonaventure. To make sure I got on the right orange train, that is the one going south then west towards Bonaventure rather than the orange train going north to Laval (a new extension to the line), I had to look for the terminus of the line in the direction I wanted, which was Côte-Vértu.

Now, the Métro is super user friendly, so they have another, clearer, way of showing you where you are and where you want to go once you determine what colour line you need to be on. They show the line in a linear fashion:

So now it was just a matter of finding my platform by looking for the orange Côte-Vertu signs:

On the platform, you will always find a map of the station:

And one of the neighbourhood around the station so you know what exit to take, where you’re going to end up above ground, and what buses are available (there is also a full bus map available showing all the routes in the city):

The stations all look pretty much alike, but some have pretty brickwork or mosaics. Jean Talon is ho-hum:

When you feel the rumble, the train is coming!

When the chime rings, the doors close and you’re whisked away.

I had 10 stations to travel and didn’t make a note of the time, but it took less than 15 minutes to get to Bonaventure station.

At your destination, look for the red sortie signs to make your way to the surface:

Bonaventure was aptly named for me tonight as it means good adventure. And a good adventure it was to find the bus terminal for Chambly. This town has always been a bit of the black sheep of the South Shore and the public transportation, and signage to it, has always been horrible. There were few buses on a Sunday night, one at 5:30, one at 7:30, and the last one at 11:30, so I gave myself ample time to find the right gate.

Getting off the Métro at Bonaventure, I exited the system through the turnstile, then used a combination of inadequate signage and memories of 15 years ago to make my way underground to the 1000 de la Gauchetière building, from which I knew I would find my way.

There is now a big skating rink in the atrium there:

In case you have any doubt which country I’m in right now:

Warning: Zamboni crossing

I was an hour early for my bus, so I checked my email as there is free wifi in the atrium, then I went downstairs to the bus terminal because the pounding music of the skating rink was making me feel queasy. Downstairs, I found the correct gate, which was easy since it’s still the same one! I remembered, correctly, that you can’t eat on the buses and when I realised I wouldn’t be home until 6:30 and I had more time to kill, I decided to brave the music to go grab a Subways sandwich upstairs.

The bus arrived on time and cost $7.75, which isn’t much more than I remember it being way back yonder. On paper, the 45 minute drive that passed through the Longueuil terminal and the Promenades St-Bruno seemed long, but it went super quickly. Before I knew it, I was dropped off just two blocks from home.

I wouldn’t want to ride the Chambly bus on a regular basis ever again, but getting back home from Montreal by foot, Métro, and bus Sunday night was fun!

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Feeling Rather Electrically and Automotively Competent

Today was the first really nice day we’ve had in a while and it was time to tackle two troubleshoots that have been keeping me up at night.

The first was in regards to my battery bank. I thought it was working fine, but I missed one not-so-minor test when I set up everything and I discovered this during a power outage the other day. We lost shore power and I lost all power. Uh, what?! My first thought was that the battery disconnect was still on, but nope. So I went into the compartment, traced the wiring, and, I-can’t-believe-I-did-that, I had missed a wire! And to add insult to injury, I didn’t have enough space left on the fuse bolt for this wire!

I was going to do like a couple of other folks and run a cable from the fuse to a longer conductive bolt, but something told me to consult my mother. She informed me that you can buy bolt extenders, which are essentially long nuts (imagine 10 or so nuts stacked on top of each other as a solid piece). So I made arrangements to borrow my mother’s car to go buy the the right size extender for the fuse bolt.

The extender screws onto the existing bolt and then you screw a new, longer, bolt into the extender. I got a bolt with a head, so I inserted the new bolt into the lugs for all my positive wires, screwed the extender into the fuse, and then screwed the new bolt into the extender. Mission accomplished!

I wish I had a picture of the set up, but they came out blurry. This should be better than nothing:

The second problem was in regards to my truck, as hinted to by the fact that I had to borrow my mother’s car. Coming home from Saint-Bruno the other day, my truck started to make an odd noise in the engine compartment. When I got in, nothing was smoking, but the compartment felt hotter than it should. I conceded that there was something really wrong with my truck and decided to stop driving it until I can take it in to a mechanic.

A lot of my troubleshooting happens during lucid dreams and I woke up this morning with a DOH. The last time I had trouble with the truck, she was fine after adding oil. I checked the oil level this afternoon and, sure enough, it was super low.  Carquest Auto Parts is right across the street from the home store, so I went there after and picked up oil as well as a headlight lamp for the driver’s side of the truck as those things really do go out in pairs!

The manual for my Ford Ranger says it needs 5W30 oil, so I thought I’d be in and out, but there was a dizzying amount of 5W30s available! I decided to ask for help and the nice older gentleman at the cash told me I was holding the correct oil, but that their ‘house brand’ was cheaper by a couple of bucks. Whenever someone tries to sell me something cheaper than what I’ve picked, I’m led to believe that the salesperson is looking out for my best interests. Don’t burst my bubble! 😀 I also remembered to pick up a funnel!

I came home, did the electrical modification, then got the hood of the truck open. I started by replacing the lamp and it was more difficult than doing the passenger side as there were a few things in the way, but I got it done. Then, I added oil, a little at a time, until there was enough. While I was elbow-deep in the engine compartment with my hands filthy, I caught the eye of a little old lady walking her dog and she grinned at me. I guess she doesn’t see that many gals (much less ones in skirts) working on their trucks!

The engine started a little roughly, but that’s not worrisome as the truck has been sitting and, as per Ken, is coming on due for a tune up. I let her run for a bit, then took her around the block. No odd noises!!! I still need to get that tune up done and have the front bearings looked at, but it looks like disaster was averted.

I know I probably sound like an idiot because checking oil levels is so basic, but I’ve never, in my 10 years of vehicle ownership, of which eight were with brand new cars, had to worry about such things. Now, I know, and I’ll add it to my routine. Moya and I are still just starting to get to know each other and once we get the kinks worked out, everything will be just fine. I love driving my truck! 🙂

What’s next after doing a little electricity and automotive work? I’m thinking of cooking myself a nice dinner. Guys, I’m a catch and I’m available! 😀

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Visit With An Old Friend

One of my best friends from high school now lives in Australia. We just happened to be in the same time zone and a short distance apart this month! This is a gal I go way back with. We have so many inside jokes and war stories and travel history that our friendship is the kind that can pick up at any time. It took a while for us to piece together the last time we saw each other, disbelieving that it was during our trip to Colorado in ’96. No, it was more recently than that, and definitely post 9/11 as I remember her breaking the news to me that one of our former classmates died in the attacks.

We met for lunch at the Boston Pizza in Saint-Bruno simply because the mall is about equi-distance for both of us and BP is the only sit down restaurant there.  We spent the afternoon together, trying to cram into four hours all those years apart. Needless to say, we failed.

Of all my friends from high school, she is the one I relate to the most. We’re both single gals in our early 30s who are dedicated travelers. We’re far from our families and are trying to reconcile the dreams we have for our lives with the expectations society has for us.

Her schedule is really tight for this trip, but we hope to squeeze in a coffee date next week. Otherwise, I just may have to go visit her in Australia myself!

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Inverter Treasure Hunt

On a whim this afternoon, I decided to check out the inverter selection at Canadian Tire. The first thing that popped up was a 1000W pure wave model down from $299.99 to $199.99!!! I don’t know about the prices for inverters in the US, but I knew this was a crazy good deal in Canada! I immediately hopped in the truck to go pick one up at the store in Saint-Bruno.

There, I decided to go into the mall for dinner first figuring that there was no way that three inverters would be gone between the time I found the sale online and the time I actually got to the store.

Ha ha ha ha ha. They sold the last one 10 minutes before I got there!!!! The clerk made a few calls and finally found one in Greenfield Park, where they agreed to hold one for me for 45 minutes only, just enough time to get there.

If that isn’t proof that this was a good deal, I don’t know what is! The Saint-Bruno clerk couldn’t figure out why people wanted that one and not the much cheaper modified wave model. Without going into all the gobbledigook, I explained that a pure sine wave inverter is better for running electronics like TVs and computers.

I made it to Greenfield Park in time and opened the box to see if I needed anything else. Yup, wiring. I went to the automotive counter and asked where to find such a thing, which turned out to be right behind where I was standing in line for 10 minutes, but way down near the floor. Now that I’m home, I realise that I was sold the wrong stuff even though the lady seemed to know what she was talking about as it does not have both positive and negative cables in it.  *sighs*

But, hey, all is not lost! The last time I priced pure sine wave inverters they were so far out of my price range I couldn’t imagine ever getting one. Now, I not only have one, but it’s a 1000W model, so I should be able to run my office and the crock pot at the same time.

Now, I’m off to research batteries because there might have been some changes in the last four years, at least based on some of the comments I’ve been getting in the last couple of days. If I haven’t responded to your comment about batteries, it’s only because I’m doing my own research. I’ll do a post about batteries once I’m satisfied that I know what I need to know.

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Running Around and Not Getting Much Done

I went out this morning to look for a tailgate handle for my Ranger. The scrap yard could have had a used one for me in a couple of days for $35 plus tax. The Ford dealership in Richelieu could have had a new one in the same amount of time for $75 plus tax. I bought a new handle on eBay from a surplus supplier for $19.75 including shipping and taxes. It’ll be a few more days, but why spend the extra money?

The dealership also did not have touch up paint but directed me to a place that could get me some. I decided to wait for that.

The post title says ‘much done’ implying that I did have some success with my errands today. I had casually mentioned the other day that I have been wanting to get a good pepper mill for ages but they are way out of my price range. Well, my step-mother learned that the kitchen supply store Ares is having an amazing deal on Peugeot mills (THE name in pepper mills) this week, $40 down from $70. Too good a deal to pass up so I got one this morning!