On The Road Again, 1 through 11

The Big Trip, Three Dogs and Two Women.   #1

The best laid plans of mice and men….. Monday was the hope for the start of our big trip but the hope diminished as the sun started going down and Jolynn was dancing on the top of the RV with her surfboard, singing a Beach Boys song. Yes, the TOP of the RV. Errands in McMinnville exhausted our already tired bodies and while eating Mexican food in a parking lot at 11pm, we realized we were too tired to start the trip.

Never Say Never – Waking up to the sound of traffic in the Walmart parking lot in McMinnville, I heard the little voice in my head remind me that I vowed never to shop in a Walmart, let alone sleep in the parking lot but at least we were rested. Good fortune had placed a coffee kiosk just yards away so Tuesday was looking promising. The morning sun danced off the teal tail of Jolynn’s surfboard that laid peacefully on the RV roof and we took off for a day’s worth of errands…..only 42 more things on the crumpled list left to do before we could hit I5 South.

Stopping at the house-on-the=market in Lake Oswego was supposed to be a quick stop. Watering the lawn, filling up the RV water tank, doing some weirdo job with the window wells (one of Jolynn’s many projects) all seemed fairly easy but then there was the snake. Jolynn came to me “for moral support” when she found a cute little surprised snake on the carpet in the basement and while contemplating how to catch her, we both instinctively got up on the bed and looked down at her, feeling safe that a snake couldn’t jump on the bed. With gentle care, Jolynn captured the scary little thing and let her loose across the street in a grassy, sunny spot. Now we could get on our way to our 6 weeks on the road, late in day on Monday afternoon in 92 degree weather.

Lots of discussion and phone calls as we rolled down I5 with big trucks zooming past us and after a lively (and somewhat loud) discussion of how far to keep going until we park for the night, we settled on a remote campsite just south of Ashland, Oregon. As dusk lowered in over our windshield, we were able to find a surprise spot to camp for our second night out. Lakefront with a sweet little tree outside the door and the sound of geese delighted us this morning . The crumpled list, the snake and Walmart is far far away now and today (Wednesday) we will get to California! As I type this, Jolynn is twisting my arm to take the dogs swimming in the lake before we leave here so I must say “ta ta” for now. What new adventures await us?? I’ll keep you posted. J

Jeannine

#2

Before leaving Lake Emigrant in Ashland, Jolynn took Rosie and Bear down to the water (Chipper, of course, stayed with me). Big lake in the hot sun and no one, not one person, was in the water. It was rather eerie. But then we found out why. We spent the next hour pulling monster burrs out of eight paws and then lathering up the dogs for a bath. The lake was infested with creepy, slimy, green stuff and the walk down to the lake was burr hell for little paws. We left Ashland later than we expected and headed into California, burr-free.

KD Lang sang to us and we were feeling good. We were headed to Vallejo California to pick up Katie and our plan was to spend the night in an RV park just north of Vallejo. Alas, the tide turned and the moons weren’t lined up or all of the chickens got out or some damned thing because all hell broke loose. Barreling down the California highway, our GPS stopped working while a few phone calls distracted both of us from focusing on our goal and after nearly ten years together, Jolynn and I found out that we still had things to learn about each other. We never made it to the RV park north of Vallejo and according to the internet, the only RV park in Vallejo was the center of a recent murder. A nice young man named Daniel is the assistant manager at the Vallejo Walmart and he said we could unofficially park in the lot even though the signs say “no overnight parking”. Two thirty am is when the Vallejo Walmart cleaning staff start up the leaf blowers in their parking lot. Three good dogs let that staff know they better not come near our little house on wheels. No shower in the morning and no breakfast as we headed into Vallejo at 7am to pick up our niece. The barking, leaf-blowing night still stinging, we finally started talking to each other somewhere on the blazing California highway but neither of us are admitting fault for the ordeal. And it was an ordeal. And now we know that we will NOT be staying in a Walmart parking lot ever again. Never say never…..

We were 90 miles north of LA when Jolynn’s wonderful parents called with the shocking news that a power outage has hit the lower half of California and their advice was to GET OFF OF I5 immediately. The next exit was Magic Mountain and there was an RV opening so we snagged it. Swimming in the pool this evening, Katie, Jolynn and I reveled in the good luck of being in a wonderful pool and air conditioning in the RV. Jolynn topped off our night with summer squash, zucchini and chicken sausages. Bear, Rosie and Chipper will be dreaming about leftovers.

Tomorrow, after 3 days on the road, we WILL get to Jolynn’s parent’s house! But tonight, there’s a good, quiet rest without burrs, snakes and leaf blowers. What’s next?

I’ll keep you posted……..

Hugs, Jeannine

#3

Nine and a half laps in the refreshing pool at the Magic Mountain RV park before it officially opened was a delight but I left both contacts somewhere in the sparkling water. Did I think to pack extra contacts? Jolynn is getting to be a professional at hooking up and unhooking in RV parks and she was happily humming as she unplugged us for our day’s travel. We have plenty of opportunity to practice the hand signs our friends Diane & Tey taught us so the whole park doesn’t hear “STOP! Turn your wheels! OMG!” when it’s time to back out of our space. Jolynn showed me how she wants to see the signals and I’m getting really good at following directions but this morning we were in a pull-through so our exit was calm and kind. Our Goodwill cassettes came out of the cupboard and Stevie Nicks encouraged us to sing with her as we started out on the day's travel, refreshed and relaxed.

I5 South going into Los Angeles is not going to go down as one of our favorite places to drive the Beaver Marquis. From the passenger seat, it felt like we were driving the Empire State Building on a go-cart track with speed bumps. I think I felt the hair on the driver’s arms of the green trailer truck next to me as we cruised at 60 mpg…..I was sure we were going to slide up against someone. With cars passing on both sides, Jolynn complimented me on my bravery but I had to go back to the bedroom and breathe deeply until we got onto the newer, smoother, wider highway just south of LA. In his southern accent, Hank Williams tried to add humor to the experience and it worked. His “mind your own business” lyrics got us singing again. The only annoying, back seat driver words I eeked out were “they’re braking…they’re braking!” but Jolynn’s sign language coupled with a southern pronunciation of “quiet” subdued my tension on the bumpy, narrow highway.

Getting comfortable in the back, Rosie pushed Katie off of the sofa as this Golden Doodle has come to believe that that sofa is hers. Digressing for just a moment, a word about Rosie. About a year ago, a four year old boy at the apartment building was standing and looking eye to eye with our Rosie and after a few moments of looking into her eyes, he asked Jolynn "Is Rosie a person?" Rosie thinks she is a person, but Katie fought back and soon our 24 year old niece was napping on the sofa. I think the Linda Ronstadt cassette put her over the edge. Did you ever hear Linda’s song “I need you like a moth needs a flame”? Jolynn & I had a good time analyzing that song! Admiring the beautiful flower-lined highways parallel to the magnificent Pacific Ocean was soothing and we were excited to finally get to San Diego.

Within just minutes of arriving in the immaculate community where Jolynn’s parents live, we noticed a problem with the battery on the dashboard. As we drove down the perfectly manicured streets, we began to notice a foul smell. Was there a sewer line break in the area? Surely, OMG, surely the smell wasn’t come from OUR vehicle. Parking in front of their home, we jumped out of the RV to find out that, yes, in fact the sewer smell WAS coming from us! We’re Here! Three barking dogs and the sewermobil. Yup, we’ve arrived. Great.

Turns out, it was a battery issue, not the sewer line. Jolynn and her dad figured out how to fix the problem and now, at 7:30pm, the RV doesn’t stink anymore and we are safe and sound in San Diego as I write this on their beautiful patio in the cool California air. We are happy to be with Jolynn's parents. We are happy to be out of the RV for the time being. We are happy it doesn’t stink. We are happy that we didn’t have an accident and that we still love each other. And we are happy that I have an extra pair of contact lenses.

What will tomorrow bring? I’ll keep you posted.

P.S. I think Rosie might actually be a person.

Jeannine

#4

Actually, we’re not really “on the road”; in fact, we are officially broken down. Yup, hard to admit, but true. The big Empire State Building is parked in front of Jolynn’s parent’s lovely home on a street so quiet you could not only eat off of but meditate on. At least the stinkmobil is currently without stink. Arriving on Friday, we immediately started researching the battery problem and as the hours went by, it was obvious that it was a bigger problem than we first realized. In between visiting with Jolynn’s adorable nephews and her kind sister and brother in law, and being chauffeured around San Diego by her patient parents, we’ve had to fit in the friendly mechanic visit. Battery cables and other assorted tool-like things scattered across the sidewalk in front of the RV and Jolynn’s parent’s home, the problem was being diagnosed yesterday (Sunday). The RV wouldn’t even start so we could take it to the garage.

Several hours of bright sunshine, sharing of stories with the affable mechanic and testing of every possible mechanical thing (sorry, my vocabulary goes bland when it comes to tools and mechanical stuff) produced the answer that the alternator was fried like a McDonald’s French fry. And during the sidewalk surgery, the automatic step that allows one to enter the Empire State Building suddenly stopped working. The mechanism that makes the step work is also toast. So, the RV won’t start and we can’t get into it without pulling out the ladder. Grateful that this didn’t happen in some remote state park, we are focusing on being positive.

San Elijo State Park is an amazing little park about 8 miles from Jolynn’s parent’s house situated directly on the Pacific Ocean. One has to book a spot in this park 6 months in advance. March 1^st at 7:59am I started calling the 800 number in an effort to be one of the first callers to reserve a spot in the San Elijo Park. Everyone has to go through “Reserve America” to snag a spot in the state parks and according to the blogs on the internet, this is an ugly process that leaves multitudes of people unhappy with the service. But, my persistence prevailed and I snagged site 017, beachfront, in the San Elijo State Park from 9/11 until 9/16. Jolynn’s parents drove us to site 017 yesterday and we enjoyed our 10 minute viewing of it, sitting there empty, waiting for us to fill it up with dogs and diesel. On the way home from our precious San Elijo campsite, we debated the idea of taking a tent to the site and spending the night there. By the time we arrived back at Jolynn’s parent’s home in the dusk, we had talked ourselves out of it. For me, it was the possible threat of ants sneaking their way into my personal space and for Jolynn it was dealing with me if the ants came marching in. Plus, the idea of packing up tons of items and having Jolynn’s parents drive us back over to the campgrounds in the dark was not especially appealing. So, instead, we settled for leather furniture and a big screen tv and a Sandra Bullock movie in Joanne and Bill’s living room. The dogs loved their walk in the moonlight after the movie and we pulled out the ladder and climbed into the RV where a comfortable queen bed with too many pillows awaited us.

Today the mechanic comes back with a new alternator. We picked up a new stair motor yesterday and Best Buy gave us a new GPS, honoring our insurance policy on the old one. The hummingbirds and the feeder in the backyard of Jolynn’s parent’s home is delightful and the time that we are spending with Jolynn’s parents, in the year of their 60^th anniversary, is priceless. It’s all good.

I wonder what today will bring. I’ll keep you posted.

Jeannine

#5

Oooookaaay! NOW we are on vacation!

By the time the mechanic left the pile of parts and tools on the sidewalk in front of Jolynn’s parent’s house last night it was too late to drive to the campground. Before I could get my contacts in this morning, Jolynn had unplugged us and we were rolling down the street toward Camping World to get a part for the RV. But Camping World in San Marcos didn’t have the part so Jolynn called the Beaver dealer in Bend Oregon and they are sending the part to her parent’s house, to be delivered on Thursday. So, the RV isn’t fixed yet but it did make it 8 miles to the campsite on Highway 101 just north of Cardiff By The Sea, where we have had a reservation since March.

We couldn’t get settled in fast enough after we arrived in site 017 and soon we headed down to the beach with three very happy dogs, beach bag and umbrella. We found a sweet little spot on the beach and as soon as we laid out our towels, the dogs covered them with sand. We put out their water dish and the sand shrimp jumped in the bowl. The first order of business was to immerse the dogs in the ocean so, one by one, I took them on their leashes and walked into the cool, salty waves. At first they were reluctant but then they enjoyed the refreshing sea water on their hot bellies and, tails wagging, they waited as Jolynn and I took turns going into the wonderful Pacific Ocean. Laying on our towels in the sand with the dogs stretched out next to us, we soaked up the sound of the waves, the warm California air and the taste of salt in our mouths. Both of us had childhoods in California and we were flooded with memories as we relaxed on the beach. A short 4 minute walk back to our campsite and we were visited by Jolynn’s mom who brought cooked food for us.

Our colorful towels hanging on our clothes line drawn between two trees and our picnic table covered with a yellow tablecloth….yeah, our campsite looks adorable. After Jolynn’s mom left, we walked down to the camp store and bought a few necessities and as we were leaving the store, we noticed that a band was setting up on the deck overlooking the ocean at the taco place next door. The band was celebrating a band member’s birthday and he invited us to join them so we took our groceries home and went to the outdoor taco shop for dinner. The birthday boy’s favorite line was “Ooooo doggies!” and that alone was entertaining. The banjo, tuba, bass and drums played as we watched the sun set on the ocean. The water was dotted with surfers as they tried to catch the last waves of the evening and Jolynn enjoyed her gluten-free beer that we brought from Oregon as we choked back tears of joy. San Diego…….

The night air is a tad chilly and the waves are crashing softly as night falls in the San Elijo Campground. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. I’ll keep you posted.

Ooooooo doggie……………

Jeannine

#6

Reflections on Camping RV-Style; The Little Details

This morning, like all other mornings, the dogs woke us up at 7:01am. I found the cutest little coffee pot on a sale table in Safeway a few months ago and the thing delights me every morning on the RV kitchen counter. Jolynn puts my coffee in a “Life is Good” coffee mug with a peace sign on it and I swear, it just doesn’t get better than that. The Goodwill Store in McMinnville was happy to sell us a darling little cast iron frying pan that perfectly fits four scrambled eggs – it’s just so little and cute, we both love it. After heating up water for Jolynn’s Throat Coat tea and having a delicious breakfast accompanied by the sound of waves crashing, we settled in to take care of some business. Internet is a necessity – our kids are right. We prepared for this trip by buying a teeny, tiny little contraption called a hot spot, a wifi named Mifi. Virgin Mobil makes it and they have an unlimited data usage plan. Plug the little sucker in and bingo…..instant internet! It’s pretty cool and it allows us to stay current with friends, family and business issues while we relax in state parks. It has a battery too so we could be on the internet as we’re driving down the highway but I have to help Jolynn drive from the backseat so I don’t have time for surfing the net on the road.

People are nice when they are on vacation. Neighbors smile and say “good morning” when we pass them on our walk in the morning. They move slower, sitting in their lawn chairs with their coffee and newspapers, scuffling around their campsite in slippers they specifically brought with them for that purpose. Campsite attire is interesting. Older people wear pressed shirts with tan shorts and clean, white tennis shoes. Lots of hats, cowboy hats and visors and of course big straw hats on women and the camp store sells a variety of hats if you forgot yours. There are people in jeans and t-shirts; some people have clearly slept in those clothes. I have a tie-dye dress that fits in nicely with the laidback, camper look and my straw hat helps me fit into the whole scene….it’s important to fit in, even in a campground. J

Even more important than having clothes that fit in is having a campsite that keeps up with the latest in camping décor. Mostly everyone has a little outdoor carpet right outside their front door whether they have a tent, an RV or a camper van. (yes, we have one too) People build a border around their campsite with various “fences”. Some use their picnic table to wall out the neighbors. Some bring plastic fencing and then decorate it with Christmas lights. Some bring playpens for their dogs and children. Some people wall out their neighbors with clotheslines. Our neighbors are using their coolers to edge the area around their zone. I’m enjoying the irony of this crowded, public space with campers trying to own their very temporary little campsite by concealing the 12x12 lot they are renting for a handful of hours. We campers have a big urge to “nest” and while we’re at it, we want to look good too.

The morning fog and pounding surf has lured Jolynn and the pups into a morning nap. I’m going to tidy up the “house” and pack for the beach while they are snoozing. I have to get outside and sweep the carpet in front of our door – what will the neighbors think if there’s sand on our outdoor carpet? And a towel has fallen off of our clothesline so I must secure our border. One more cup of coffee and I’ll turn off that cute little coffee pot for the day. Yes, life is good…..

And you know I’ll keep you posted…..

Jeannine

#7

A picture is worth a thousand words so I'm going to send 3 pictures to you in place of my run on sentences this evening!

Jolynn went surfing today. The dogs missed her. Carole King is soothing my sunburned skin and Laura's squash is cooking in the cast iron pan.

Could this vacation get any better? I'll keep you posted.

Hugs,

Jeannine

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "5034758015@mms.att.net" <5034758015@mms.att.net>
To: commonwind@yahoo.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 5:38 PM
Subject:

Jo on the roof

#7

Thanks for asking about the dogs, Bev. Here they are! Chipper, our 10 year old dachshund; Cocoa Bear, our 2 year old chocolate poodle and Rosie, our 4 year old golden doodle. More about them later. I promise.

ooooooooooo doggies!

Jeannine

#8

Dogs, Tools and Sharks

Bear is a skinny little poodle, unbelievably lovable, with an unyielding urge to protect. We love him to pieces and yet I’m ready to offer him up to the Great White that’s been spotted on this very beach within the past week. Okay, not really. But he is passionate about the bark. Because of that passion, he and the other canines were stationed in the RV this morning while Jolynn and I headed to the beach with the big yellow surfboard. The surfboard, by the way, is on loan from Ken and we are taking very good care of it. In fact, the waxy long board had a place of honor in the living room last night so that it wouldn’t tempt thieves and Jolynn touched up the dings with a product called Shark Skin. I have come to the conclusion that the state of California is not dog-friendly. The “dog beach” that we are next to here in San Elijo is merely a small stretch of sand where dogs are allowed to be if they are leashed up. Our dogs are not used to being leashed up so Bear has to bark about it every chance he gets. We left them to their pouty solitude this morning and hit the beach in the morning fog.

Paddling out on the chilly ocean waves, Jolynn looked impressive and adorable as she joined the group of surfers who have uncanny resemblances to seals. Not just seals, but seals who work out at gyms with big muscles and slim, sleek bodies. Beaming with pride and love for my surfer girl, I slowly waded into the surprisingly cold waves, wishing the sun would come out. But the fog prevailed and the goose bumps on my freckly, tanned arms convinced me to throw in the towel. Back on the beach, I wrapped a big towel around my shivering body and squinted as I peered out at the surfer seals, looking for my surfer seal. I had taken my contacts out, expecting to go swimming (already lost one pair of contacts while swimming on this trip) and I put my reading glasses on to try to find Jolynn among the surfers, to keep an eye on her in lieu of the recent shark warnings. But the surf was calm, too calm. Surfers were having trouble finding big waves to take in. Still no sun peaking through and pretty soon Jolynn was paddling in with her big, wonderful smile. She pointed to a little, lone white bird with long skinny legs walking along the water’s edge. We’re not sure what kind of bird it was but it looked like a Snowy Egret wannabe….smaller than a Snowy Egret but similar. Walking up the 135 wooden steps to our campsite, we were grateful for an hour on the beach with a bird and no barking. We were even more grateful to come back to the loving greeting of our three happy dogs.

Soon after our hot showers and my housecleaning with the teeny tiny little vacuum (everything is teeny tiny in RV living), Jolynn’s parents called to announce that the solenoid arrived from Bend, Oregon. I don’t really know what a solenoid is but I know I don’t like them very much. I am blaming them, all of them, for the mechanical issues we have with the RV. However, I will try to be grateful for this particular solenoid that came in the UPS box today. Jolynn’s parents brought the part over here to the campground and she and her dad worked together harmoniously to replace the part. Jolynn’s mom and I exchanged stories and we walked down to the camp store to get cold drinks for everyone. Rootbeer and Lays potato chips make a lovely snack in a campground. Chipper stayed by my side as he always does and Rosie and Bear, tied up behind the RV, focused intently on the smell of squirrel. Campsite squirrels are very bold and the ones stationed around our 12x12 lot thoroughly enjoyed teasing Rosie and Bear. We could hear them chattering from their very close hiding places, snickering at the leashed up dogs. After Jolynn’s parents left, all three dogs desperately wanted to get back into the RV and get their comforting hugs and treats. As I write this, they are all snoozed out on the sofa, content , safe and quiet. There will be no feeding the great white tonight unless the big shark eats solenoids…

Alas, the solenoid-dead battery-spill-over-stink-power issue is not yet over. We have to check out of our campsite tomorrow morning as our reservation here ends at noon. If the RV starts in the morning, our plan is to drive it to a battery store and have our batteries checked and that’s how we will find out if the new Oregon solenoid is doing it’s job. Jolynn’s parents have invited us to park in front of their home tomorrow night. Turns out, they really miss the dogs. Well, truth be known, they really miss the skinny little loveable poodle. Of course they do. Our three dogs remind us every day of how much we love them. California might not love them but we do.

Will the RV start tomorrow morning? Will the Grand Solenoid do the trick? Will Jolynn get out her bird book and look up that mysterious bird? Will we stop at the Camp Store on the way out and get that ice cream sandwich I wanted for dessert tonight? Will Bear snuggle against my pillow all night long?

I’ll keep you posted.

Jeannine

#9

OH NO OMG

Snuggled up against my pillow, Bear kissed my face to bring in the new beautiful day. Jolynn and I took an hour to go over our route and plan out next week as we prepare to head east. Lots to do on check out day! Good thing we got started early because it took us longer than expected to disconnect , unplug and check out by noon. At the gate of San Elijo State Park, we were a little sad to put the windshield sticker in the bucket as the final step to checking out. We had waited six months for this reservation, we got a late start checking in and the days went by quickly. But, the RV started so we were happy about that milestone as we heaved a big sigh going out onto I5 South. I programmed our new GPS to take us to the battery store so we could test the batteries since the installation of the new solenoid. Didn’t stop for the ice cream sandwich. Didn’t pull out the Bird Book. Didn’t look back as we listened intently for directions to the American Battery store in Esccondido.

AGAIN…… OH NO OMG

As I sat in the leather passenger seat, becoming reacquainted with being a worried passenger I noticed an ANT on my arm! A creepy, scary, fast-moving, despicable little creature that tops my insect fear list! I slapped it and just as Jolynn was telling me how she has been trying to conceal the fact that, yes, there are a few ants in the RV, I noticed a WHOLE STREAM OF ANTS on my passenger window! Okay, this was too much for me, just totally freaky. I walked to the back of the RV to get a paper towel and noticed that the dish of dog food was COVERED with ants! OMG! Had we brought every single ant from the campground with us? Were they in my hair? Itchy and irritated, I took a seat behind Jolynn because it looked ant-free for the moment. I was revving up for a rant, an ant rant when suddenly a puff of smoke billowed out of the dashboard above Jolynn’s head! The smell of burnt wires instantly filled the front of the coach. Before we could finish a complete gasp, a second, bigger poof of smoke shot out of the overhead dash and that’s when Jolynn just stopped the RV in it’s tracks, on Manchester Boulevard, eight minutes from San Elijo campground, two miles from the on ramp to I5, directly in front of the San Elijo Wildlife Lagoon, on a very busy two lane highway, on a curve with a bike lane on a beautiful California day. Stopped. Smoke. Emergency Flashers. Silence.

In the past 9 and a half years, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jolynn so upset. Yelling, crying, flailing her arms along the side of the RV and along the public path of the Lagoon’s nature walk, the dogs and I sat silent in the Beaver Marquis. Traffic whizzed past, causing the RV to rock with gusts of wind and I watched the ants on the counter in silence as Jolynn melted down on the sidewalk. I know enough not to bother her until she wants support so I sat quietly thinking about how to write the Craigslist ad for the RV so we could sell it and fly home. Opening up the windows to let the smell of smoke out was futile. Ten minutes went by and then suddenly we had a visitor. A ranger from the Lagoon walked up to Jolynn and asked her if something was wrong. OMG. Don’t ask her that question! Jolynn cried as she told the female ranger that yes, something is wrong and that she has called her dad to come help. The ranger left us sitting there and then Jolynn came into the RV and sat at the oak table with me. We talked about solutions and Jolynn started calling RV mechanics in San Diego and in Oregon. An hour went by as Jolynn told the repair story to at least 4 different service managers. The emergency blinkers getting weaker and weaker and the traffic zipping around us, I remembered that we hadn’t eaten breakfast so I made lunch right there on Manchester Boulevard, quietly noticing the butterflies outside the screen door on the Lagoon bushes.

The best possible solution surfaced and it looked like we had no choice but to have the rig towed to an RV shop an hour away but this solution made Jolynn very unhappy. The service manager refused to even look at our problem until Monday….Monday, the day we were going to head East. Two hours passed and we knew we had to make a decision quickly on this Friday afternoon. Jolynn wanted to try one more avenue so she got the number of an old friend from childhood who had visited us in Oregon a few years ago. Calling Ramsey was comforting and when she hung up she just cried. Ramsey said he’d be over in an hour and that he would get us going. In the meantime, Jolynn’s parents arrived and parked their car behind us. A phone call on Jolynn’s mother’s phone brought more bad news as we solemnly sat in the RV. A family member discovered head lice. The possibility of Jolynn’s parents being infected with head lice and our RV being infected with head lice was bubbling to the surface.

Head lice, ants and a broken down RV. We were not having fun.

Ramsey arrived and parked in front of us. Now there were 3 vehicles on Manchester Boulevard, on the curve, in front of the Lagoon. My very favorite cartoon when I was a child was Mighty Mouse and on this California day, on this boulevard, Mighty Mouse was real. In amazing speed, Ramsey buzzed around from one engine area to the next, trying one test after the next, discovering and fixing as we went along. In a huge AHA moment, our own Mighty Mouse Ramsey discovered that the problem with the RV all along was not the solenoid and not the batteries. The “isolator” or “inverter” or something like that was the culprit and after he disconnected the coach batteries, all of the scary digital readings on the dashboard went back to normal. He switched some things around, tested this and that and before we knew it, the Beaver Marquis was purring like a big diesel kitten and not one puff of smoke could be detected! In 45 minutes, our own Mighty Mouse saved the day! I love Ramsey.

On the way to Souplantation for dinner with Jolynn’s parents and Ramsey and his wife, Jan, Jolynn and I discussed where we will buy the new part we need for the RV. In the meantime, the RV is running well. It’s not sitting in some RV repair lot waiting until Monday when the shop would start running the expense meter at $120/hour. It’s not sitting on Manchester Boulevard. It’s not listed on Craigslist, for sale as is. It’s not sitting in a junk yard because it was smashed from traffic on the curve. It’s sitting in the lovely San Marcos neighborhood, in front of Jolynn’s parent’s home, safe and sound and well again. Jolynn is asleep next to me as I write this and I hope she’s dreaming of birds and butterflies and surfing. It’s Saturday morning and our plan is to leave on Monday , headed East.

But first, we have to disinfect the entire RV and our heads and bodies with the head lice treatment we bought last night. And I’d like to see all of the ants perish but I’ll try to lay low on this request as I think we’ve had enough to worry about without my ant rant. Later today we will try to find a part for the RV but for now, I want Jolynn to sleep and rest. I want to thank Ramsey a thousand times….there’s nothing like good friends coming to the rescue and Ramsey, you are our hero!

Jolynn's parents are our rock and we are so grateful for them.

The birds are singing and chirping. Someone is cooking bacon. The three sweet dogs are sleeping next to Jolynn. My coffee, in my green Life is Good mug is delicious. I wonder what will happen today.

I’ll keep you posted.

Ramsey, this journal entry is dedicated to you. Thank you Mighty Mouse.

Jeannine

#10

The Good News:

The RV has been disinfected. The dogs have been scrubbed. Jolynn and I don’t have head lice. The ants are gone for the moment. It’s foggy and overcast so we don’t feel compelled to be at the beach today.

The Bad News:

We couldn’t get the isolator for the batteries yesterday. The inverter is also not working. We’re exhausted.

The Plan:

Get the isolator tomorrow morning. Say goodbye to Jolynn’s parents, family and San Diego. Head for Flagstaff Arizona. Regain our sense of humor. Keep you posted.

Jeannine

Stunning mounds of earth just bursting with rocks of all sizes along Highway 8 East, heading into Arizona from Southern California silenced our chit chat. Really….we were completely stunned as we zoomed past incredible rock mountains. The urge to stop and just feel the rocks and take pictures was brimming up for both of us but the reminder that we were in rattlesnake country simmered our urge. Besides that, the bumpy, high-wind area wasn’t conducive for pullovers so we snapped pictures from our comfy leather seats.

Yes, we left California today. We left several hours later than we planned but that’s okay. We had a wonderful visit with Jolynn’s sister Jan and her family yesterday and today we hung out with Jolynn’s parents and niece, Katie. We both teared up as we said goodbye this afternoon but as we were leaving the San Marcos neighborhood, we celebrated the fact the RV started up and was running WELL!

Ah, but the gas tank was on empty so we spent a little time in El Cajon, California getting diesel, finding an auto store to get oil and grabbing a terrific apple chicken salad from Wendy’s with especially delicious lemonade. We were on the road again.

We set our sights on Flagstaff Arizona but leaving San Diego late in the afternoon meant that it was getting dark by the time we hit Yuma, Arizona. Apparently many RV parks in Arizona don’t open their doors to visitors until mid October (who knew?) but we found a park that let us check in. Note to self, always carry cash. Apparently, many RV parks in Arizona also don’t take credit cards. Riding around the streets of Yuma was interesting as we hunted down a Wells Fargo bank and a grocery store. We are 22 miles from Mexico. It’s hot here – really hot. The cold water coming out of our pipes is warm water and the heat in the night air nearly pushed me over when I came out of the grocery store with food for dinner and breakfast.

Speaking of dinner, Jolynn just finished cooking a delicious meal and the air conditioning in the RV is making everyone happy, especially the 3 pooches. Make that 3 CLEAN pooches. Each of them had a bath yesterday and now hugging on them is even more enjoyable.

Tomorrow we will get up early and put some mileage on this big rig, heading East.

Lots of people have written to us to express gratitude to Ramsey so here’s another shout out to you, Mighty Mouse! And thank you to everyone for your humorous and kind responses! We are enjoying hearing from YOU!

And ants, ick, yeah, thanks for asking. They are still here with us but I think they will be disappearing…at least that’s what the Raid package promises. Fighting back!

No fighting tonight, just a calm, hot night in Arizona with a candle on the dinner table and spinach on the Corelle plates. I’m looking forward to keeping you posted.

Jeannine