Day #36 - New Year's Eve

Sarasota FL

Here it is – New Year’s Eve.  Being newly retired, I’m feeling a bit untethered.  Usually, if I was lucky, I would take vacation at the end of the year.  I liked being out of the office from Christmas through the year’s end.  Then, I’d trudge back to work, with my head down and my blinders on, determined to work and slog my way through at least three months without a vacation or sick day.  It was my way of getting through the hardest part of the year.   It feels strange this year – no long vacation to anticipate, and now, no three months of slogging with my head down and shoulder to the wheel.  Also a bit weird to be in cold, rainy, icy Florida.

Pat invited us to the New Year’s Eve party at her senior center.  We got as dressed up as we could and went off to make her proud.  The senior center in Sarasota (http://www.friendshipcenters.org/) is a complex of buildings, housing many services for older citizens.  I thought the social center was beautiful.  The big French doors opened up to a welcoming area.  There was a wood dance floor, lots of small tables and chairs, plus a grand piano, some serious speakers, and space for a full band.  Hinged screens, housing the work of a local artist, made a partial wall between this public area and several pool tables.  This first floor area was open to the ceiling – large and grand, light and airy.  There were classrooms around the three outside walls.  Plus, the “loft” showed more classrooms. 

Everyone was dressed for the occasion.  One woman wore a beautiful black sequined dress with beaded fringe at the sleeves and hem.  It was obvious that everyone had pulled out their best formal wear for this dance.  A woman played piano and sang while a gentleman played the drums.  Their performance was proof that our musical talents only gain depth and richness as we age.  It was a joy to hear them perform and I could have listened to them all afternoon.  Many of us wore festive tiaras and carried noisemakers.  Pat introduced me as her daughter-in-law.  Kelly and I danced the last dance, a slow one, together.   Some of the staff were aghast, but the party-goers took it in stride.

The party ended around 3:00 PM.  We said our goodbyes and headed for Siesta Key to kayak.  Today was the first sunny warm day in ages, so we wanted to get on the water.  We encountered two problems that really stopped us in our tracks.  Everybody wanted to be on the water, so there were no parking places at the Siesta Key put-in spot.  Not a big deal – we just headed off to find another spot.  As soon as we got out of the truck, the wind hit us.  While we were looking for a spot to park and unload the boats, big dark clouds had rolled in and the wind had picked up.  It was no longer a nice day.  If we had had skirts and dry-shirts (high-tech waterproof/windproof shirts), I think we would have tried it.  But, it just wasn’t fun or safe in shorts and t-shirts.

Instead of kayaking, we drove around the area, researching viable spots for future trips.  The spots along salt water are pretty easy to find, but good ones in brackish or fresh water are a bit more challenging.  We have to find places where we can park legally, carry the boats only a short distance, and where Kelly won’t see an alligator.  Not much luck with this either, but we had a nice drive in the rain.

We stayed at the house that evening.  We played FarmVille with all our other home-body “neighbors”, watched Dick Clark do a great job in New York City, and were glad that, this year, we didn’t have to protect any animals from loud noises.

Day #34 - Beach Therapy

Sarasota, Florida

We are still trying to take charge of our lives while staying with my mom. The thing is, she isn’t asking for anything. It’s just that there is such a negative energy around her that we allow ourselves to get sucked into the drama. Today, to avoid the suckage, we ran away to the movies. We saw “Blind Side” starring Sandra Bullock. It was an awesome film and I recommend you see it – just don’t expect it to cure anything you were avoiding dealing with because it won’t. No, rest assured all that crap will be waiting for you when the movie is over.

One of the underlying things bugging us (Suzie mostly) is that we aren’t any closer to getting things organized and ready to put back in the trailer than the day we got here. She was pretty upset about all the time we are “wasting”. I didn’t realize we were on a schedule, and I was pretty hurt about the “wasting time” comment. We needed to talk, so we drove out to Bradenton Beach to eat at the Café and gaze at the Gulf.

It was a good plan. The food was pretty good and the view was awesome. We had a chance talk just vent about all the stuff bugging us. We left with a list of tasks we’d like to accomplish and some sense of each other’s expectations. I recommend therapy at the beach anytime.

Day #33 – Expenses and Mileage

Sarasota FL

In October 2009, we decided to track every penny we spent.  We started putting notes in a little notebook and accumulating a stack of receipts.  We knew there would be a lot of unknowns on this trip and money was one of the biggies - could we really afford to do this?  I had done some what-if analysis last winter, but neither of us was sure what this would really cost.  I started posting our expenses to a spreadsheet in November, but had gotten behind.

Today, I posted our expenses, up to today.  I split the month of December into two portions, showing the camping days separate from the days we’ve stayed at Pat’s house.  Kelly thought we’d save a lot of money by staying here, but it wasn’t the case.  It appeared the money we saved in camping we lost in eating out.  I also started a spreadsheet to log our mileage and gasoline costs.  Our mileage is clearly affected by geography and whether we’re towing. 

As soon as I figure out the technical issues, I’ll post these spreadsheets.  I’ve always held finances pretty close to my chest, but I’ll make this public so you can see what’s involved.  Several folks have said they intend to take a trip like ours and have wondered about the costs.  When I’m ready, I’ll dedicate a blog entry to a discussion of expenses.

Today, Kelly worked on transferring her family’s movies to DVD for archiving.  It’s a slow frustrating process.  Since it’s been hanging over our heads for years, I’ve asked her to finish the project before we go back on the road.

It was a slow day on the farm.  Kind of a bummer.  All our “neighbors” went back to work.  Either some of my retired friends need to start playing this game, or I need a new addiction.

Later, we had dinner with Gary.  I turned Gary and Kelly on to Torchwood.  The second season, where we began watching, starts with a bang, so they both enjoyed it.  Torchwood (http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/262/index.jsp) is a British science fiction TV show, a spin-off of the new Dr. Who series.  It takes place in Cardiff, where there’s a rift in time and space.  There are two women who really kick ass and some gay love happening, too.  The evening was filled with good food, good company, and two more dogs to love.

Day #32 – Christmas Dinner with Friends

Sarasota FL

Today was a quiet, relatively peaceful day.  Pat went to church in the morning and a dance in the afternoon.  I cooked the scallops Kelly had found at yesterday’s farmers’ market.  We both played too much FarmVille.  We went to Mary and Sue’s house for Christmas dinner – late because Mary had been ill.  The Steelers won; the food was wonderful; there were four dogs who needed lots of ear-rubs.  It was a good day.

Day #31 – Blog Goes Live

Sarasota FL

The very first time we came to Sarasota – I think it was in December 2003 – our friend Maureen took us to the Farmers’ Market.  It’s held every Saturday morning, in the downtown area.  It’s two or three blocks of local (some organic) produce, herbs, jams and jellies, cheese, snacks, and baked goods, along with music, art, handcrafted furniture, and crafts.  This week, Kelly took her mother.  I thought they needed some time alone together.  Plus, Pat had eaten most of the produce we’d bought the previous week, so I thought maybe she’d buy some for herself.

While they were off doing the mom/daughter thing, I managed Kelly’s and my farms in FarmVille.  I also sent out notices for our blog, letting you all know that it was finally live.  Now for you science fiction fans out there, you’ll notice that time has bent back on itself.  Yes, we’ve been writing in past tense.  We’re still playing catch-up.

It's important to remember that we don't always have Internet access.  And, sometimes there's something more fun to do than blog (who knew?!?).  So, from time to time, you'll see us post in chunks of days all at once.

Every now and then, I manage to convince Kelly that we should take a nice walk along a beach at sunset.  Staying this close to water, it just doesn’t make sense to miss these opportunities.  She has an innate ability to get us to beaches that are facing east.  Since the Gulf Coast is known for its westward-facing sunsets, this puts us at a disadvantage.  Today was no different, except that today, Kelly won her race with the sun, getting us to Turtle Beach in plenty of time to see a beautiful sunset.  It was very cold and rain seemed imminent.  Yesterday’s storm had thrown a lot of shells onto the beach.  She picked up a nice assortment, all too heavy for the trailer.  Every time she threw one back, she was swarmed by gulls.  They were probably accustomed to people throwing bait or fish guts in a similar manner. Poor guys just didn’t get it.

We met up with some friends for dinner.  Kelly discovered most of them were cow eaters, so many enjoyed steak done right.  I wrapped my taste buds around some wonderful pasta.  One of the bakers in our little group, Sue,  gave us a plate of home-made Christmas cookies.  Yum.  After dinner, we went to Barb and Brenda’s for more visiting.  Their dog, Freddie (Frederika), enjoyed endless ear-rubs from Kelly and me.  We both miss being around pets and are shameless about it whenever possible.

Day #30 – Christmas Day

Sarasota, FL

Today we crawled out of bed, feeling our age. We are incredibly sore from all those steps we climbed at Myakka State Park! We are both surprised to be feeling this way, because in we did a lot of walking and bicycling at Disney recently. Apparently we used an entirely different set of muscles yesterday. Ouch!

Okay, it is Christmas Day and I’m supposed to be talking about trees and lights and family and all that. That’s just not my family. I’m visiting Mom and it is just another crazy day. We don’t really do anything special for Christmas. Suzie and I do. But Mom really doesn’t. So it is a bit strange for us to not be in our own space right now and having our celebrations. It has been a pleasant morning and we all exchanged a few gifts. I gave Mom a digital picture frame filled with old photos of her mom, dad, and siblings as well as our family too. She seemed to really like it, so I was pleased with that.

Suzie and I do have one Florida Christmas tradition: we go to St. Armands Circle and walk around looking at all the stores which are gussied up for the holidays. We always eat an excellent meal at the China Pavilion. This year it was especially heartwarming because a family with young children had lost their dog. The owner of the restaurant had found the dog and tied it up out front. It was a very moving Christmas moment when the kids discovered their pet was safe, sound and coming home.

Day #29 – Myakka State Park

Sarasota FL

This morning, we left the house early to meet our friend Gary.  Our plan was to hike in Myakka State Park (http://www.floridastateparks.org/MyakkaRiver/).  In particular, Kelly wanted to explore their Canopy Walk.  We expected to find a boardwalk high in the trees.  We should have been a bit more realistic.  We found several flights of steps that went up to a boardwalk, but it extended only about ½ block before ending at another flight of steps.  The boardwalk was high and a bit springy.  The steps at the far end went up many many flights to a small platform.  From there, we really were far above the canopy.  We could see for miles!

While in the park, we saw wild boars (pigs?), a pair of osprey, a couple alligators, and a Roseate Spoonbill.  I’m sure a lot more wildlife saw us, but we were too busy yakking to really keep an eye open for more.  We also managed to BOTH forget cameras, so no pictures.  We’ve agreed to return for pictures, but no promises.

Gary shared a funky little restaurant with us.  Millie’s Restaurant (http://millies-restaurant.com/).  It was in a cold office complex, but it was decorated floor to ceiling in country kitsch.  There were some Greek items on the menu – I had spanakopita; Kelly and Gary had reubens.  It was really good food.

Later, Kelly and I cooked a Christmas Eve dinner for Pat and her roommate Anthony.  Roasted turkey breast, roasted beets and sweet potatoes, home-made stuffing from my dad’s recipe, and salad.  It turned out nicely and I think everyone enjoyed it. 

Kelly joined FaceBook and now she is addicted to FarmVille.

Day #28 – Out and About in Sarasota

Sarasota FL

Today, we got up very early and left the house before Kelly’s mom went into crisis mode about being late for her morning events.  It’s easy to get sucked into Pat’s efforts to find lost keys, mend a skirt, find matching accessories, and so forth.  Leaving the house seems to be the best way to start our day with fresh hope.

We went to Lido beach, one of many very different beaches in Sarasota.  They say the sand on Lido beach is like powdered sugar, but I think it’s more like shortbread dough.  At the top of the beach, where it’s pretty dry, I think about fine flour, just waiting for butter and sugar.  Halfway down the beach, I start wondering what it would be like to mix up dough with my toes.  By the time I get near the water, the dough is perfect and ready to form up into cookies for the oven.

We took a nice long walk along the beach and blew all the cobwebs out of our heads.  We also started wishing we’d packed a bit of breakfast!

Since it was still too early to return to the house, we looked around for a bite to eat.  Instead, we found a kayak outfitter who was open early.  We walked up and down his aisles of kayaks, drooling over our favorites, breakfast forgotten.  I found a Perception sit-on-top with bulkheads for storage and flotation.  It was just the boat for Kelly to have for surfing.  Of course, we couldn’t afford it, but it was fun to daydream for a while.  I’ll be ready for a new, higher end kayak when we finish our trip, but we both agree we have the perfect boats for our current adventure.  Inside the shop, I found a product I’d never seen before – a cooling towel.  Even dry, it felt cool to the touch.  Wet, it would be downright cold.  The clerk told us it was for summer use.  Clearly, this man never had a hot flash.  Cooling towel in hand, we went on with our day.

We ended up at Borders because their café has free WiFi.  We set up “dueling laptops” and went to work on various online tasks, like getting this blog up to date.

After doing quite a bit of research, and talking with friends, I joined FaceBook.  I think it will be a dandy way to make short quick posts of our plans for a particular day, assuming we have Internet service.  Truth is, I joined because I wanted to play FarmVille.  It’s a simulation game wherein you build, plant, and manage a farm.  It permits quite a bit of interaction with other players and is scary addictive.

Day #26 - Visiting Our Trailer

Sarasota FL

Today, the folks at the RV shop called to say they didn’t really understand what more needed to be done to our trailer.  We saw this as an opportunity to meet the technician who was working on the trailer, plus a chance to learn more about our little box on wheels.  So, off to Port Charlotte we went!

The technician had already done quite a bit of work.  First, he replaced the fuse on the radio.  Because the fuse is buried behind the fridge, we didn’t know the radio had one.  The radio now works fine.  He told us they tend to blow with uneven power, so we're expecting to make friends with that fix. 

The non-working tail light was due to faulty wiring in the OTHER tail light - who knew they were connected!?! 

He confirmed Kelly had wired the battery correctly and it was fine. 

He told us many trailer thermostats tend to show high temps - don't know why - but it doesn't affect the proper working of the furnace.  Since it was nippy, he'd been running the furnace while working on the trailer.  So, we don't need a new thermostat, but we probably do need to fill the propane tank. 

He had an idea on how to fix ALL the clamps that hold the trailer in the closed position.  I kinda followed it, but I'll have to see what he did before I can explain it.  Apparently our tales of fixing gained us some respect with these guys and they were really helpful with telling us how to repair and maintain on our own in the future.  There will probably be lots more "who knew?!?" moments in our future, but at some point, a problem will get a "Oh, that again" response.

One thing we saw in our trailer that really bothered us was a very large clump of big black Pennsylvania ants.  They were dead.  They had come up into the trailer, under the dining room window.  The technician could not enlighten us on this, but we’re thinking the worst – carpenter ants eating away at the wooden infrastructure.  I’m sure we’ll have more stories to tell about this, but for now, let’s all be glad they’re dead.  Not that we’re happy for anything to be dead, but the little buggers were on our turf.

He still has more wiring work to do, and the parts guy, Bo, has taken up the challenge of finding us a new air conditioner.  Since we’ve searched high and low, I’ll be surprised if he is successful.  If he is unable to find one, the issue of cool air, along with the Rube Goldberg solutions we’ve dreamed up, will be the subject of its own blog entry.

As an aside, we had to walk through the repair bay to get to our rig.  One of the other techs caught me looking at a very big, very shiny bus-type RV.  He told me it was a rehab of the bus originally owned by Jefferson Starship, formerly known as The Jefferson Airplane.  So, I gently touched it with one index finger and said, "Wow.  Grace Slick slept here.  I'll never wash this finger again."  The tech was pleased with this reverent response and went on to tell me it had recently been purchased for $1.5 million.  Maybe I should have touched it with my whole hand.

Day #25 – Girly Get Together

Sarasota, FL

Today we met with our girlfriends at a new little restaurant in Sarasota called The Station (website: http://www.sierrastation.com). It is a 150 year old train station from Kneeland, Indiana that was painstakingly taken apart and reassembled here. It is a cute, quaint, and fun looking kind of place.

It has been several months since I last saw the girls (Brenda, Barb, Mary and Sue). I was working on the house over the summer and they all provided me mental and physical support. I missed them. It was great to get together and catch up.

On a larger scale, it is comforting to know that although we have sold our house, left our home state, miss our friends back home, and are ready to embark into unknown territory, we still have familiar supportive faces to visit across the country.

Day #24 – Farmer’s Market

Sarasota, FL

Every Saturday morning for roughly 30 years now, the downtown area of Sarasota has hosted a Farmer’s Market. This year-round event features fresh baked goods, artisan booths, an occasional musician or two, fine coffee and other munchables, and several vendors of fresh produce (some even locally or organically grown). It is a place for friends to meet and dogs to greet. Everyone has a smile on their face; it is just a warm, fuzzy kind of happening.

We took our time strolling through the booths and ended up choosing some fine root vegetables for roasting. Suzie got herself a warm cup of wake up, and I chose a nice ginger cookie with chunks of chewy and spicy. We sat down at a table and listened to a man playing Christmas carols on a steel drum. It was odd, and yet comforting to hear tropical sounding carols. We were both so happy to be here and not back in Pittsburgh, where our friends are freezing. It was a beautiful, sunny day – the kind you expect to have in Florida, even if it is December.

I really like the idea of going to the market and picking out food that somebody picked and is now sharing with me. It feels like I’m more involved with my meal, and I have a great time doing it. If you’d like to find out about the Sarasota Downtown Farmer’s Market, or a farmer’s market in your area, try visiting LocalHarvest.org at http://www.localharvest.org/.

Day #23 - Good Eats

Sarasota, FL

I like Sarasota. I like the weather, the tropical breezes, and the blue skies. I also like the diversity of this town. Today, Suzie and I found a wonderful Latin bakery and restaurant with cheap eats and tasty food. It looked more like a diner with its melamine topped tables and casual style-- just our kind of place! One wall held glass cases that were stuffed to the gills with fresh baked breads and pastries, and the meals we ordered were muy bueno! And the best part is that it is within walking distance of the house. It’s a good thing we drove, because we both had full, round, puppy bellies when we left.

Day #22 – Windshield Replacement

Sarasota, FL

SafeLite Auto showed up this morning and replaced our windshield. They did a great job! I was surprised how quick the guy did it, and he didn’t shatter the old one to take it out. For some reason I was really looking forward to the total annihilation of the old windshield. I was even hoping they would let me hit it with a hammer or something. But nope. They have special tools and me brandishing a mini-sledge is not part of their program.

Feeling unsatisfied, Suzie and I headed off for Target to buy copious amounts of chocolate and some short-sleeved shirts.

Day #21 – Searching for Warm Weather Clothes

Sarasota FL

This morning we headed out for a walk to the Sunrise Café.  This not-so-kosher deli has amazing breakfasts.  They actually include a serving of fresh fruit with every order.  Yum.  The café is about ½ mile from the house where we’re staying.  Maureen stopped us – she was driving to a near-by shopping center.  We chatted for a bit before continuing our walk.

After breakfast, we walked to a couple resale shops, hoping to find some short-sleeved shirts.  Clothes are a nasty subject for me right now.  For years, I haven’t bothered wearing clothes that look good on me.  I’m so fat, why bother?  I realize it’s a downward self-esteem spiral, but there I am.  I want clothes that are comfortable, make me look as good as possible, don’t cost a lot, while instantly portraying who I am – representing my true identity - so that strangers see “me”.  They also have to help me blend in so I don’t get called “sir” and we don’t get hassled for being more than “good friends”.   Oh, and they have to be able to survive both the washer and the dryer – no special treatment any more.  That’s a lot to expect from any clothes shop, let alone a resale shop.  Still, we had pretty good luck.  Kelly found an adorable girrly golf shirt and I found an orange open-weave I liked.  For some reason, I can wear those scary colors like yellow, olive green, and orange.  We trudged home with our new treasures.  By then, it was pretty hot and I had a blister.

Later, I had quite a conversation with Geico about the cracked windshield.  They sent someone out to look at it – it was less money to pay for the replacement than our deductible would have been.  So, we’ll be house-bound tomorrow, waiting for the glass people to come.  That’s a lot better than having to sit in a repair shop while they work on it.

Day #20 – Leaving Disney

Walt Disney World FL to Sarasota FL

Packing up after a longer stay is a new experience for us.  Thank heavens we started last night!  We’re starting to get a rhythm to this.  I pack up the bathroom and the bedroom.  Then, I go outside and do all the flushing and draining and disconnecting.  It’s a dirty job, but easier on me physically than all the heavy lifting stuff that Kelly does inside.  This time it was a bit more challenging than usual because we knew the trailer would have to be nearly empty when we delivered it to the dealer for service.  So, clothes came out of the wardrobe and drawer and into a suitcase while items we knew we wouldn’t need until we returned to the Open Road got packed away.

Our drive to Sarasota was pretty much like our other towing days.  It’s a lot easier to pull out of a parking space than it is to back into one!  Walt Disney World property, with its maze of roads, can get pretty confusing.  Maggie (our trusty GPS) can’t tell the difference between a public road and an access road.  So, we were happy we’d been driving around enough over the past week to get a pretty good mental map of where we had to go to get onto the highway.  Traffic was very heavy the whole way.  We stay in the far right lane, keeping it just under 60 miles per hour, which means we sometimes have truck issues.  We got stuck in a convoy – four big dump trucks hauling gravel.  Even though each bed was covered with tarps, stones were flying everywhere.  Naturally, a stone hit our windshield and cracked it.  It grew longer, giving us lively conversation for the rest of the trip.  How long would it get?  Would the windshield fall into my lap?  Would our insurance cover it?  What would happen next?  Clearly the universe has been quite creative so far.

I love Sarasota.  Driving into town felt like coming home.  Blue skies, a faint breeze, warm air.  There’s nothing like it.  Maureen saw us pull down the street and came over to greet us.  The folks next door came out, too.  We quickly unloaded our gear into the garage and took off for Port Charlotte and the RV repair shop.

We somehow managed to complete all these tasks before sunset.  We had supper at one of our favorite spots – Sharkey’s on the Pier (http://www.sharkysonthepier.com/).  Fresh hope for a new day comes easily after fish tacos and a sunset at Sharkey’s.

But wait: there’s more!  The day did not end here.  Our next stop was Wal-Mart for a TV.  After ten years with Kelly, I’ve learned when to just get out of the way.  No, I didn’t want a TV.  Yes, we got a TV.  Flat screen, slightly larger than an index card.  TV was one of the things I wanted to get away from on this journey, but more about that on another day.

Day #19 – Our Last Day at Disney

Walt Disney World, Florida

We were both pretty mopey this morning. Last day at Disney and we really aren’t ready to go. I mean who really wants the magic to end? We went to the shops in Downtown Disney to return some clothes for some smaller sizes, and treated ourselves to ice cream sundaes at Ghirardelli. Then we packed up some of the inside stuff in the trailer to prep ourselves for an early take-off in the morning.

After running around and exhausting ourselves, we had to remind ourselves that this IS the LAST day at Disney! We hopped a bus to the Magic Kingdom. It was a late pass night for hotel guests and the park wasn’t closing until Midnight.

We rode the Haunted Mansion, and Thunder Mountain, and then headed over to the big one – Splash Mountain. I’ve always liked Splash Mountain, because inside the mountain you float around singing about laughing places and watching the tale of Brer Rabbit unfold. Brer Rabbit stories have been one of my favorites since I was five. As you come out of a tunnel your log floats in a track that curves around edge of the ride, and you get to watch other riders in their logs plummet into the depths of the “Briar Patch”.

Right now, being our last night, we were in need of a laughing place. Well, we found it. Those folks heading for that Briar patch kick up a lot of water and from the front seat of our log boat we got to see it ALL, and wear it ALL. We looked like two drowned rats. At first Suzie was pretty steamed, but I just couldn’t quit laughing. I had been foolish enough to look up as the water was falling, so most of what hit me went down the inside of my raincoat, and the front of my shirt, and then it soaked my underpants. It didn’t take her long to find her laughing place too.

We got off the ride singing Zippity Do Dah and had a great evening.

Day #16 - We Rock!

Walt Disney World, Florida

We have a friend, Phyllis, who is the Ginger Rogers of handy-woman tasks.  Back in 1999, when Kelly was rehabbing an apartment, Phyllis used to come over after work, in full professional garb, to help.  We had gotten her some white coveralls from Home Depot.  She’d don one of them over the business suit, stockings, and pumps, and then tackle the nastiest jobs.  On jobs that would gag a skunk, she just laughed and jumped in.  Just like Ginger, she could accomplish seemingly impossible tasks while wearing heels.

This morning, we were hoping Phyllis was sending us good vibrations.  Kelly decided to take the toilet apart.  I decided to not eat breakfast.  Generally, pooh makes me gag.  Poor Kelly always had to deal with dog droppings because just the thought of it would send me yakking.  (Can’t believe I’m even writing this!)  Anyway, Kelly decided there’d be less mess to clean up if she did the dismantling.  She is the bravest woman I know. 

If you dare, think about what a recycling toilet does and how it works.  You put about three gallons of water in it prior to using it.  You add about a half cup of chemicals.  Then, you make your biological deposits into the toilet.  The “flush” button causes a motor to churn up the contents inside the toilet container.  There’s a gauge to tell you when you’ve made so many deposits that the toilet must be emptied into the campground’s sewer system.

Now, if you’re still feeling daring, think about what the toilet would be like after 13 years of use. By strangers.  Both of us wore disposable gloves.  I had dozens of disinfectant towels unwrapped.  The necessary tools were laid out with nearly surgical precision.  We were ready.

Kelly had quite a bit of trouble getting the upper part of the toilet unscrewed from the bottom part.  There were four obvious screws on the top of the unit, but who knew there were two screws hidden under the front lip?!?  Luckily, she found them before she broke the rim.  The gasket sealing the bottom and top parts together was indeed ready for replacement.   She removed it and handed it to me.  I wiped it and wiped it with disinfectant towels until it was clean.  Then, I put it in a zipper baggie.  Meanwhile, she cleaned the inside of that toilet until it gleamed…well, as much as any 13-year-old plastic toilet can gleam.

We disposed of our disposable gloves.  We washed our hands about 20 times.  Then, we high-fived each other and headed to the Camping Connection (9140 W. highway 192, Kissimmee FL 34747), an RV service store.

When we got there, we walked the aisles for a few minutes, trying to get a feel for the place.  We started by asking for a fuse for the battery.  The guy walked around the counter, went down an aisle we’d already visited, and brought the fuse back to us.  Then we placed a water valve on the counter and asked to purchase two more.  That got a raised eyebrow and a trip to the back of the store.  He put those on the counter for us.  Then, we put the baggie with the gasket on the counter and asked for a new one.  His jaw, plus those of the two other guys, dropped.  Visibly.  There’s nothing like sewer stuff to get you instant respect.  This part had to be ordered.

They gave us great customer service.  They found the drawings for our toilet in their online material and printed it out for us.  They put a rush on the order for the new gasket.  They talked with us for nearly an hour about our other problems and answered all our questions.

We returned to our trailer and Kelly reinstalled the old gasket in the toilet so we would have emergency “service” until the new part arrived.  I made a Christmas wreath for the trailer and hung some ornaments from our awning.  Kelly put a decal map of the United States on the back of the trailer so that fellow travelers would be able to see which states we’ve visited. 

That evening, we joined other campers at the nightly campfire and movie event.  We donated some marshmallows and sticks for roasting to some kids and watched The Jungle Book.

A day that started with uncertainty and worry ended with a stronger bond to the RV community, a stronger sense of our strength and ability, and a lot more self confidence.

Day #15 – Animal Kingdom

Thursday December 10, 2009
Walt Disney World, Florida

This morning it was raining and we had a choice to make – stay in our little box, or visit the parks. Hmm, that’s not really a hard one… off to the parks! I love going to the parks, but I like them even more when there is a slight drizzle, because most people don’t want to spend money, or passes on what they perceive to be a gloomy rainy day. Therefore, NO CROWDS! Love it.

We did the usual rainy day park stuff, Bug’s Life, the Dinosaur ride, and Nemo the Musical. It was all great fun. Then it cleared up a bit and we rode the Expedition Everest coaster several times because there was no line. Yeah!

We were getting hungry so we were trying to find a sit down restaurant, and stumbled upon Tusker House in the Harambe, Africa area of the park. What a find this was! The food was a little different than what you’d expect, because they have an African flair, but the flavors were absolutely amazing! They offer a child’s buffet with food kids expect to find, so I sampled that too. Suzie was happy to finally find a place that had vegetables, and I was thrilled with the meat carving station. After sampling a little of everything, we shared some scrumptious desserts. I was surprised it wasn’t more crowded. I would recommend this restaurant to everyone – carnivore, vegetarian, picky eater, or connoisseur. Yummo! You might need to make a reservation if it isn’t a rainy day.

After a great meal we got on board the Wildlife Express Train to Conservation Station. I have never been much interested in this in the past, because I thought it was a petting zoo. Boy was I wrong. Conservation Station is a beautifully designed indoor learning center, where you can view demonstrations, learn about the animals and our planet, play entertaining games, watch scientists at work, and learn all kinds of cool things accidentally while you’re having a great time.

We stayed for hours. We saw a demonstration with a screech owl and one on tarantulas. There were these sound booths where you sat in the dark and listened to the sounds of the jungle in crisp, clear stereo sound. It was truly amazing. The hair stood up on the back of my neck as a tiger prowled around behind us in the dark, and when it growled we both wanted to run out of there! Very cool and very realistic.

We had a pretty fun-filled morning and afternoon and felt a little rejuvenated in spirit, so we decided to leave the park and search for some internet connections somewhere to research our trailer problems and figure out how to do a blog. Disney does not offer free internet anywhere, so we plugged Panera Bread into the GPS and headed offsite.

Suzie was researching all the different blog options, and I was connected to the TrailManor Owner’s Forum trying to figure out what to do about brown ick. Both of us were successful. She found Google’s Blogger, and I found out about toilet gaskets. I also wrote down the address and phone number of a RV place that promised to carry most parts for most things.

Tomorrow actually is bringing fresh, new hope.

Day #13 – Another Leaky Valve

Tuesday December 8, 2009 – Day #13
Walt Disney World

We have another leaky valve!  How exciting is that!  Unlike some RV owners with leaky valves, we have a replacement tucked away for just such a day.  I teased Kelly: at this rate, we’d soon be tossing out all our belongings and carrying only a TV (yet to be purchased) and a spare for every part on this beloved trailer.  She thought that might just be a good idea.

Kelly has always insisted that nothing bad every happens at Disney.  Maybe that’s why she likes it here so much.  But, this litany of broken stuff is beginning to add up:
•    Leaky drain valve for the city (fresh) water line
•    Leaky toilet gasket
•    New clamp that was supposed to hold the trailer closed – pops open on the first bump
•    Old clamp on the same end pops open when the new one pops open
•    Tail light doesn’t work on one side
•    Backup light doesn’t work on one side
•    Furnace doesn’t work
•    Radio doesn’t work
•    Thermostat seems to think it’s 90F inside

I got pretty down about all this.  We weren’t keeping up with chores and we weren’t having enough fun.  It seemed as though the repairs were ruling our lives.  I was worried that we wouldn’t have enough money each month to take care of ourselves, plus keep the trailer running.  I didn’t want to stop, but the romance was quickly evaporating.  Each evening, I was chanting, “Each new day gives me fresh hope.”  This trip to Disney was anything but a vacation.

Somewhere along the line, I got my stubborn going.  I love this little trailer with the cushions from Carolyn, Kelly’s beautiful floor, and our home made curtains.  Despite the yuk, we’re dealing with most of the problems quite nicely.  And, if I trust the universe, maybe the money will work itself out.

We’re handling the mechanical problems pretty well, but the electricity has us stumped.  We're still in denial about the krapp leaking from our toilet.  We talked about finding a dealer in the Sarasota area and headed to a roller coaster.

Day #12 – Discovery of Serious Yuk

Monday December 7, 2009 – Day #12
Walt Disney World, Florida

There is nothing as exciting as waking up in Disney. Everything is here is perfect or as near to perfect as one can get. The sky is blue, the birds are singing, and there is a bus that leaves every 15 minutes to take you someplace wonderful. Nothing bad ever happens at Disney. Until today.

Today there is brown goo oozing out of the top seam of our recirculating toilet. I’m not going to pretend that I don’t know what it is, because I do know. I know exactly what that crap is and it isn’t pretty. Instead I’m going to pretend that it isn’t happening. This is not happening. I am at Disney and bad shit does NOT happen here.

After wiping down the offending piece of equipment with disinfecting wipes, we vow to use the restrooms provided by the campground. We will only use our toilet for piddle emergencies only. Paper in the trash and nobody flushes. We are in denial and we are going to have fun dammit. WE ARE AT DISNEY!

Off to the Magic Kingdom!

Day #11 – Off to Disney World

Sunday December 6, 2009 – Day #11
Saint Mary’s Island GA to Walt Disney World FL

We are getting much better and tearing down and packing up. Had we not taken a bathroom break, we would have actually left on time! But due to all the excitement of camping at Disney today, one really must take the potty break!

No incidents to report. Really! It’s a magical morning.

We get to the park and proceed to check in. We have a reservation, but apparently they don’t have a campsite. The park is full. We are upgraded to a better site at no extra charge. Amazing customer service. Dare I say it? Yes. Magical. Supercalifragilistic even.

Suzie and I have been planning this particular stop for about a year. This whole journey really began with visiting this campground in 2002. We had stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and had come to the campground for a dinner show. We arrived early and spent the afternoon riding around in a rented golf cart. The trailers in the park came in all shapes and sizes and were all gussied up for Christmas. Disney patrons take their celebrations VERY seriously. Looking at how much fun the campers were having, and how beautiful the campground was made us want to do it someday.

But the one thing that stuck in my mind the most about that day was not the lights. It was not the beautiful shiny rigs, and the happy campers. It was one Dad. One Dad who was trying to back his trailer up into his campsite and had missed. Missed the driveway and was stuck in a very deep ditch. One dad who now had several dads trying to help him and one woman trying to kill him. And now I was here with our trailer and no clue how to back it up.

Up to this point all the campsites we have stayed in have been pull through. Well, except at Tuck in the Woods, but I had help there…and there wasn’t a moat around the parking pad. I steeled myself (and Suzie steeled herself, I’m sure) and we proceeded. It wasn’t working out very well. Think about Driver’s Ed. and learning to drive a stick shift. I was making these little short, jerky movements that were not getting anywhere close to the parking pad. Back up. Pull Forward. Back up... Finally, I gave up and took the drive of shame around the campsite loop to line up for another go at it.

While I was preparing for this second attempt. Suzie got help. Bless her. The camper at the site across from us came over and explained the whole concept to me. Basically you pass the site. Swing a little wide so you can see the back of your trailer, and then slowly follow your trailer back into the site. I know, it sounds easy. Actually, it was fairly simple. But try it. It is still intimidating.

After parking, we high fived, enjoyed our magical moment, and took ourselves to the Magic Kingdom.

Day #10 – A Day of Fun

Saturday December 5, 2009 – Day #10
Saint Mary’s Island GA

We awoke to a gray drizzlie day.  Kelly went off to the laundry room with a load of darks and a load of lights – just about all the clothes we own – and I worked on general tasks.  One of these days, I’ll blog about what it takes to keep this trailer clean and tidy.  You’d think that a small space would practically take care of itself, but it’s been the opposite so far.

We drove into the town of Saint Mary’s and visited the “shore-side” visitors’ center for the Cumberland Island National Seashore (http://www.nps.gov/cuis/index.htm).  Even though it was once the summer playground for the Carnegies (who knew?!), I was more interested in birds and maritime forests.  Since we managed to miss the last ferry of the day (that’ll teach us to start the day with laundry), we watched the video, examined the exhibits, and walked along the shore on the land-side.

The town was throwing a holiday party for themselves that morning, down by the docks.  Santa was there with his wife and elves, plus a couple reindeer.  There were all kinds of fun games for the kids to play.  Elves were painting any tiny face that would sit for a couple minutes.  There was live music and free cookies.  Even the homeless folks seemed to be welcome.

Next, we drove off in search of Ft. Frederica National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/fofr/index.htm) on Saint Simons Island.  This is mainly an archeological site, but we had lots of fun trying to find it.

Our next stop was the Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation Historic Site (http://georgiaparks.org/info/hofwyl/), where we hoped to learn how rice was grown in the 19th century.  As is our pattern, we arrived a couple minutes before the stated closing time.  Since we’d driven all afternoon and really wanted to learn about rice, we decided to be bold.  It wasn’t necessary.  They were getting ready for an evening Christmas program and we were just in time!  They turned on the movies for us so we could learn about rice production before the Civil War.

In the 1700s, the plantation was built.  Slaves from western Africa were used because they had grown rice in Africa and because they were genetically immune to Yellow Fever.  Swamps were drained and fields were built.  Rice was grown through the end of the slavery period in this area.  After emancipation, it was no longer economically possible for the rice plantations to survive.  Growing rice required more people and harder labor than other types of farming.  We found it interesting that, until the link between mosquitoes and Yellow Fever was made, the white families left the plantations in the summer months.  I’ve wondered whether this independence from the slave masters helped build and sustain the Gullah culture.

There were quite a lot of holiday festivities at the plantation that night.  A choir sang in the visitors’ center auditorium.  The parking attendant was in period dress, but spoke modern English.  Hundreds of luminaries lined a path across a large field, leading from the visitors’ center to the main house.  Once at the house, we found docents in period dress, explaining the contents and purpose of each room.

There was lots going on outside the main house as well.  We were treated to wassail and a sneak peak at Santa in the back yard.  In the front yard, we visited a Confederate encampment and watched the Good ‘Ole Boys shoot their muskets and cannon.  The cannon was very loud and scared everybody, including the Boys.  On our way back to the parking lot, the Milky Way was so big and so bright we could hardly pick out constellations.

We stopped for dinner at a BBQ joint on the way home.  Easily the worst BBQ I’d ever had in my life.  They had their TV going in the dining room – a Medium rerun.  Both of us were plastered to that set like flies on bad BBQ.

We arrived home to find our furnace wouldn’t work.  Lows in the 30s were expected.  So, we fired up the electric heater and cuddled under all our blankets.

Day #9 – Broken Tail Light and Clip

Friday December 4, 2009 – Day #9
Saint Helena’s Island SC to Saint Mary’s Island GA

We are starting to get a routine together for getting ourselves on the road. Kelly works on the inside of the trailer, packing and stowing, while Suzie works on getting all the hoses and electrical connections unconnected, cleaned up, and put away. Things this morning were going particularly well so we folded our trailer down and tightly secured the latches that hold it closed. We then connected the trailer to the truck and tested the lights, brakes, and signals. Crap! We discovered that the passenger side tail light wasn’t working. We decided there wasn’t much we could do about it and planned to look for an auto store when we got to our next location so we could buy a new bulb. We left Tuck in the Woods Campground on time and we were feeling pretty good about our start. We were off! Whoo Hoo!

There was a light rain in the morning but nothing too crazy. Arriving at the Georgia border welcome center we were singing “Georgia, Georgia… the whole day through…” and after unplugging the rig, we went in, collected a few maps, and went back to the truck. That’s when we noticed it. One of the latches we so carefully and tightly connected was gone! It was totally blown off the rig. Oh and that light rain. It was gone too. It was now a heavy storm.

Now cursing the weather, we headed on. We managed to find an Auto Zone store and went in to get a bulb, and to see if they had any latch-type thingies. They didn’t. But they gave us directions to a nearby RV store. Feeling like our luck was about to change, we purchased the new light bulb, removed the cover of the tail light, installed it and PRESTO…. Nothing. Twisted and turned the thing and still nothing. Crap. Still feeling slightly hopeful, we went on the RV store, and guess what? First, they knew what a TrailManor was! Second, they had latches AND valves! Oh yeah, Baby! The staff was quite helpful and had the correct type of valve IN STOCK and latches too! We bought two latches and two valves – one each for the immediate need and one each for a spare – you know, just in case.

The rain had eased up and we were feeling much better about things in general. We continued on to our campsite at the Country Oaks Campground in Kingsland, which is located just a few miles from the Georgia/Florida border. We arrived without further incident, and were cheerfully greeted and directed to our campsite. We quickly hopped out of our truck and begin to set up camp with Kelly inside unstowing and unpacking and Suzie outside connecting anything that needs it. Just when things were feeling brighter and sunnier, the skies opened up and showered Suzie with lots of love. She looked like one of those photos you see of a kitten climbing out of the goldfish bowl. She even had the same expression on her face.

Well, as the saying goes, tomorrow gives us fresh new hope.

Day #8 – Paula Deen & New Friends

Thursday, December 3, 2009 – Day #8
St Helena’s Island, SC

Today didn’t go quite as planned, but then, that’s what this trip is all about.
 

We started out by stopping at an old church (Chapel of Ease - http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/beaufort/S10817707045/index.htm) we’d passed several times going back and forth to the campground.  The church was built in 1740 and was burned by a forest fire in 1886.  The walls were built of "tabby" - a type of concrete that used sea shells instead of gravel in the mix.  The roof had been destroyed long ago – nothing was left but the walls and spaces where things used to be.  You could see the shape of the windows.  There were regularly spaced notches in the walls where pews had been anchored.  You could see where the pulpit had been.  Outside, graves were still visible.   Moss and lichen had grown over most of the tombstones, but we could still read some dates.  It seemed that many children had died in a very short time period.  We found out later that Yellow Fever had ravaged the island during that time.  We thought sadly of all those lives lost and the impact it had had on the families.



When I walk through a graveyard, I wonder what happens when we die.  If some part of us lives on, does something happen when that spark is thought of or remembered?  Do the dead continue to exist as long as they are remembered or thought about?

We drove on to Savannah, intent on eating lunch at Paula Deen’s restaurant, The Lady and Sons.  It was fun, but I gotta tell you, it was a disappointment.  While we could have ordered from a menu, we opted for the buffet.  All the food was at room temperature – not what I expect for fried chicken, greens, macaroni and cheese, and so forth.  Kelly however, continued perfecting the art of small souvenirs.  Today she found a jar opener to replace our old one and some tiny silicone finger mitts to use when pulling hot bowls out of the microwave.  Both are Paula-approved and trailer-friendly.

We walked through the Cotton District, down by the river.  We had a horrible experience with a caricature artist.  I’d rather not dwell on it other than to say we don’t look anything like what he drew.  He had to put our names on the sketch so that we could even identify ourselves.  You won’t be seeing that in any of our photo albums!

By the time we finished our walk, it was late afternoon.  I had wanted to hike around Tybee Island for a full day, so you can imagine how happy I was to have just a couple hours.  But, off we went!

First stop on the island was Fort Pulaski National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/fopu/index.htm).  This was one of the most beautiful forts I’d ever seen.  Robert E. Lee worked on the design and building of this fort, mostly the drainage system.  Since it sits right on the ocean, built on sand, and is huge, there were quite a few architectural issues.  One of the exhibits in the visitors’ center showed a cut-away model of the fort.  The drainage system was amazing.  Did you know that Lee graduated from West Point and was a member of the US Army Corp of Engineers? 

Construction started in 1829 with the pilings – 75 feet in length – to support the proposed 25 million-brick structure.  The fort was expected to be one of 300 built to protect our eastern coast from invaders.  Construction of these forts was slow, so only 30 were built by the time the Civil War began.  The Union’s weapon technology had improved to the point that the fort could not withstand the cannon bombardment and no more forts were built.

We walked to the fort, crossed the moat (yes, alligators live in the moat), and wandered around in tunnels that were carved underneath, then entered the main structure.  We climbed up lots of steps to walk along the top, then climbed down a narrow circular staircase to get back down.  There were many of these circular staircases – I felt like I was in a 3-D version of Chutes and Ladders.

There was a plaque outside the fort that said, "On April 13, 1862, following the Union capture of Ft. Pulaski during the Civil War, Maj. Gen. David Hunter issued General Orders No. 7 freeing those enslaved at the fort and on Cockspur Island.  Hunter, an abolitionist advocating the enlistment of black soldiers in the Union Army,  ordered the freedmen subject to military service.  Not yet committed to a comprehensive plan of emancipation, President Abraham Lincoln overturned the orders.  However, Hunter's orders were a precursor to Lincoln's own Emancipation Proclamation, formally issued January 1, 1863, and to the establishment of the Bureau of Colored Troops on May 22, 1863.  Local African-American units included the 103rd Regiment USCT, which served at Ft. Pulaski 1865-1866."

Near dusk, they kicked us out of the fort, so we headed on to the main portion of the island.  I needn’t have been peeved at missing wildlife – Tybee Island is all about tourists.  It’s Little Tybee Island that is wild and natural.  In our search for a sunset, we got hopelessly lost.  We picked a road and followed it, trusting logic that we’d find the ocean. We lucked out – the road we chose ended at the beach.  Would you believe it – we had to pay for parking!  No sooner had we pulled in, than another vehicle with Pennsylvania plates, and sporting two high-end touring kayaks, parked next to us.  Steve, a kayak buddy of Linda’s, and his girlfriend, hopped out to meet us.  We laughed about coincidences and had supper together at the local crab shack.  They were on their second day of a week of coastal and surf kayaking around the two islands.  They had driven down through the gale and were glad to see better weather.  Linda had told us the two would be in the area, and told the two of them that we would be there, too, but none of us ever imagined we’d meet.

The drive back home was a long one, but we had a beautiful moon to keep us company.

Day #7 - NOAA Warnings

Wednesday, December 2, 2009 – Day #7

St Helena’s Island, SC

This morning, NOAA warned us a gale was heading our way and that tornadoes might come with it.  Like the true Pittsburghers we are, we headed to the grocery store for bread and milk.  The search for staples, in the face of impending doom, may be hardwired into all of us because the supermarket was very busy.

Kelly decided we needed garlic.  In the garlic section, she met Miss Mazyck who gave her the following recipe for a sore throat remedy:

•    Smashed up garlic

•    Honey

•    Black strap molasses

When I asked Miss Mazyck about lemon, she though it wouldn’t hurt.  And yes, folks, you eat it.  You do not rub it on your throat – you eat it.  Think about it awhile or even mix up a batch and I bet your sore throat will clear right up.  Actually, it makes sense: both garlic and honey have antibiotic properties.  Plus, honey is soothing on the throat.  I’m not sure about the molasses.

I couldn’t decide what to do about this weather.  I thought we should, at the very least, collapse the trailer so that it might better withstand high winds.  There wasn’t much point in trying to out-run the storm because there really wasn’t anywhere safer we could get to before the storm arrived.  We decided to sit tight.

I put together an emergency bag.  It contained some extra clothes, the polartec sleeping bags, water, food, flashlights, the first aid kit, and a bottle of wine.  Thanks to Nina and Carolyn for helping us pick the appropriate wine for surviving a tornado.  Our basic plan was to keep NOAA on alert status and run for the concrete bath house if necessary.

The whole town was in an uproar over the weather forecast.  The school closed early and many businesses shut down.  Luckily, the Gullah Grub restaurant stayed open through lunch.  We feasted (think last meal before dying or being swept away to Oz) on BBQ chicken, collard greens, corn bread, squash casserole, red rice, lima beans, and sweet potato pie.  What a way to go!

It rained hard that night.  Kelly wanted to go to bed, but I made her stay up and play cards with me.  By midnight, the rain eased.  The wind never howled or roared like a freight train.  No trees fell.  We were not swept off to Oz.

In the morning, I quietly unpacked our emergency bag and cooked us some breakfast.  Kelly managed to not laugh at me.  I let Carolyn and Nina know that we survived the night – they didn’t laugh either.

Day #6 - Our First Week Ends Well

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 – Day #6

Lexington SC to St Helena’s Island, SC

high 65; cloudy, then rain

Our patches held up to morning ablutions and breakfast dishes! We’re still holding our breath, but it was a good start.

Kelly went to Wal-Mart to return a large unneeded storage box, drop some stuff off at Goodwill, and put gas in the truck. Suzie did laundry and started the packing.

Our 125-mile trip to Tuck in the Woods Campground on St Helena’s Island was an easy one. Kelly was quite stressed about our RV battery. It was completely dead, so we were running the fridge on either propane or the truck battery. Using the truck battery puts a strain on the alternator, but we weren’t sure how bad it would be. Every time Kelly walked past the trailer, she was sure she could smell burning electrical. Suzie smelled nothing. Kelly was sure the trailer would burn to the ground. Suzie reminded her that we had a Plan B and that she couldn’t get out of the trip that easily.

St Helena’s island is reached via a narrow two-lane drawbridge. While it was very pretty, it caused us to both grip various parts of the truck quite tightly and hold our breath. We arrived without incident and set up without any problems.

A side story – Kelly has been working to learn how to roll her kayak. One of the first steps in this process is to hang upside down in the water, without falling out of the kayak, for at least ten seconds before beginning the rolling steps. Kelly tends to count to ten in about two seconds. I teased her that, given how well she’d been holding her breath while towing through mountain passes, across narrow bridges, and so forth, she should have no more problems with that 10 count. At which point she suggested that I count the number of fingers she was holding in the air.

Back to our day – Kelly checked our repairs after dinner and announced that both were continuing to hold. Yippee!

The Tuck in the Woods campground was quiet with large spots for RVs and lots of trees.  Everything was clean and tidy.  There was a pond with a boardwalk.  Even though there were signs warning of alligators, we saw none.

We got the TV working on Kelly’s laptop and were able to watch the end of President Obama’s speech and a bit of Biggest Loser. When the rain started, it was so loud on the roof of the trailer that we couldn’t hear the TV.

This first week is wrapping up to be a good one. We were able to solve the problems we encountered and we developed more self confidence. We also learned some new skills. We can hitch the trailer to the truck pretty quickly. In most conditions, Kelly can tow the trailer easily. Suzie learned how to hook up and clean out the sewage system. We still need to learn about electricity. Our backing-up-the-trailer-into-a-spot skills need some work. And, one of these days, Suzie is going to tow it!

Day #5 - Holding Tank Repair

Monday, November 30, 2009 – Day #5

Lexington SC

high 65; sunny, then rain

Today we decided on a solution to our problems. All we had to do was push some mesh through the hole in the tank, then pull it back towards us so that it neatly covered the hole from the inside. Then we’d put a bit of goo or epoxy or something on the outside to hold the mesh in place. Easy to picture; hard to do. The hole was the size of a thumbnail. As for the leaky valve, well we were sure we could find a replacement. If not, Suzie wanted to just push lots of the same goo or epoxy or whatever around the valve. What’s good for one plumbing problem would surely be good for another – right?

First stop Camping World, which is a super store and service center for all things RV. No valves to fit and no materials for a repair. They advised that we should replace the holding tank, which would take a few weeks. Clearly these folks were not used to dealing with creative women on a tight budget traveling in a 13-year old trailer. We did however, find some dandy junk that we could not live without. Onward!

Second stop lunch. After all that shopping and repair angst, we needed to refuel. Oatmeal and bananas get these girls only so far.

After lunch, the stops blur a bit. There was a pool supply place. At a hobby store, we found plastic mesh that we thought would work. A study of all their glue products led us to the conclusion that we’d need a glue that would work on wet things. We settled on a product that we’d used earlier…even though it wasn’t rated for plastic or wet areas. We managed to leave the hobby shop with just the mesh even though Suzie found some knitting yarn that she thought would make cheerful chemo caps.

At the auto parts store, we found a repair kit that was pretty much what we’d already cobbled together, but with better components. The mesh was fiberglass and the glue was designed to work on wet plastic. The only difference – they recommended patching from the outside. Sounded great to us. We never did find replacement valves for the leaky water drain hose. Everyone agreed that a marine store would be the most likely source for that.

The repair went without a hitch. First, we formed a pancake-shaped patch with the epoxy – about ¼ inch thick – and pressed it over the hole. Second, we pushed a piece of mesh into the pancake. After it set for 15 minutes, we pressed another thinner, but larger, pancake over it all, thus making a mesh sandwich. We pushed the leftover epoxy around the leaky valve. Then we dashed to clean up before the thunderstorms arrived. We agreed to not test our work until morning. Because of the rain, we wanted to give our repairs extra time to set.

After dinner, we decided to connect a laptop to the cable TV provided by the campground. We both have adapters in our computers that allow us to plug in a TV cable. As a separate solution, we also have a digital antenna that can pull a TV signal in to a computer. We had tested both of these items in Pittsburgh and they worked just fine. We expected to have TV when we wanted it without having the extra baggage of an actual television.

We fussed for a couple hours with our cable adapter and then went to bed, defeated. While we had both agreed to cut back on TV, neither of us ever agreed to cut it out completely. It never occurred to us that we couldn’t have TV when we wanted it. Given our level of crankiness over this failure, it appears we’re more addicted than we thought. Suzie thinks it’s better for us if we can’t get the blasted thing to work. Kelly has already found a small flat-screen TV with a DVD player that she plans to purchase.

Day #4 - We Have Leaks

Sunday, November 29, 2009 – Day #4

Lexington SC

high 73; sunny

Suzie woke up cranky, which should have been a portent of things to come. She blamed her mood on a sore throat and runny nose – little did she know.

Our gray water holding tank – holds dirty water from the kitchen and bathroom sinks and the shower – had a hole in it. The problem wasn’t apparent until we had about ten gallons in the tank. Suzie thought the hole was about ¼ inch in diameter; Kelly thought it was the size of her thumb. Either way, yuk. In addition, one of our fresh water drain valves had sprung a leak and was dripping like crazy under the trailer. While these two leaks helped explain why the trailer seemed to have gone off level, we sure weren’t happy with the reason.

Instead of the romantic RV notion of hiking, bird watching, and playing cards, we faced the reality of trying to find solutions on a Sunday in a state with strong Blue Laws.

We succeeded in reorganizing our stuff and finding better ways to store it. We also thought through some solutions to the leak problems and some work-arounds to make life a bit easier in the water-less interim.

We also returned the heater and bought a different brand. We found boxes at Staples that fit perfectly in the cupboards under the bed and the storage area in the back of the trailer. They are called “Really Useful Box” and they really are!

Day #3 - Congaree National Park

Saturday, November 28, 2009 – Day #3

Lexington SC

High 50s; sunny

Woke warm and toasty under our fleece blanket (thanks, Tina), our Polartec sleeping bags, and one Mountain Hardware 40/25 Flip. Although we haven’t set up the thermometer yet, we’re guessing low 40s or upper 30s. Bright sunny skies; a Pine Siskin in the tree outside our dining room window. We agreed to hike first and peel another layer off our Onion of Clutter later today.

We ran into horrendous football traffic on our way to Congaree National Park. According to all the eye candy on the SUVs, cars, and vans, little orange kitty paws would soon be fighting angry chickens. (Thanks, Debbie, for telling us it was Clemson and USC.) While there was no road rage, nobody was driving nicely either – not letting folks in the way we do in the ‘Burgh.

Entering Congaree National Park (http://www.nps.gov/cosw) was like entering a different world. Trees grew high along the road, nearly touching over us, like a tunnel. This is a relatively new park and there was quite a bit of Tree Hugger vs. Logger fighting prior to its designation as a national park. We walked along 2 ½ miles of boardwalk.

The trees in CNP average over 130 feet high. It is said that the forest canopy formed by the trees is taller than any deciduous forest on earth. We saw a Loblolly Pine that is the tallest in the state. Another, which had fallen during Hurricane Hugo, was over 200 years old. American Beech, Bald Cypress, and Tupelo also grow in this swamp. Often, after one of these trees dies – usually due to lightning – it gradually becomes hollow. Bats nest in the hollow trees, sometimes as many as a thousand in each one.

Wildlife seen in the park:

• Squirrels

• Eastern Wood-Peewee

• Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers

• Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

• Pileated Woodpecker

• Red-Bellied Woodpecker

• Granola girl nature photographer on an unsuccessful quest for tree frogs

We drove back to our trailer in the same football traffic. Many roads were closed. We took the detour suggested by our GPS; it took us right by the stadium. Maggie (our nickname for our GPS) Magellan has a sick sense of humor. Even though the Kitty Paws lost, their fans were the only ones smiling. Go figure.

Day #2 - Our First Campground

Friday, November 27, 2009 – Day #2

Wytheville VA to Lexington SC

Came out of the motel to find snow on the trailer. Okay, so it was only a one-foot stripe across the front and barely an inch deep, but it WAS snow. Can’t wait to get south. Today we descend 3010 feet, from 3295 in Wytheville to 285 in Columbia, to the coastal plain. We are expecting to be white-knuckled for the next few hours.

Came through the mountains without any problems. It was a very gradual slope and the views were gorgeous. The North Carolina welcome center was one of the prettiest with lots of stone work outside and a wonderful mosaic of wildlife inside. At the South Carolina welcome center, we were greeted by Baptists bearing Little Debbie Cakes. Christmas Little Debbie Cakes and small vessels of Deer Park water bearing a label that said, “This water is free just as the love of Christ is a free gift to you. Blessing on your journey.” Actually it was quite kind and a welcome sentiment. Thank you.

Snacked in the truck on PB&J, jerky, Little Debbie cakes, and other various junk. Arrived in Lexington SC cranky. Wonder why. Knew we weren’t hungry so we set up the trailer at the Barnyard Campground. Joanne had advised us to always have a nourishing snack before attempting trailer set-up. Instead, we made a promise to each other to be kind and gentle, and we were.

Went to local Mexican restaurant (San Jose) famished and cranky. Scarrfed down copious amounts of chips, thus ensuring we could bring half our main courses home for the next day. This is a Good Thing because it was some of the best Mexican food we have eaten. We recommend the chicken ranchero and the pork carnitas.

After dinner, we drove down the main drag looking for some excitement. Found a Piggley Wiggley and a Wal-Mart. Didn’t go to either….yet.

We arrived back to our little home and were confronted by all our stuff. Just two days ago, we were so pleased and happy to have stowed all our belongings in this tiny space. Now, we can’t wait to pare down some more. It felt like towers leaning over to engulf us. Go figure.

We plugged in the electric heater and started to work on it. After the heater blew out (probably a short developed during travel), we turned on the furnace.  Sure were glad we filled the propane tanks and had warm sleeping bags.