Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Let's Put This Puppy To Bed
OK...I really want to get this trip finished before it's time to hit the trail again, so let's get busy people!
So day 36 finds us in the parking lot of "Americas Outdoor And RV Store", better known as Camping World. I should mention here that the trip thus far has been sans air conditioning. In one of those freak occurrences that sometimes freakishly occur, our unit went on hiatus just days before we left South Dakota. *sigh* After our generous outlay to the veterinarian and the cost of fuel to get down here...well let's put it like this, we weren't scraping it, but I could see it from here. No problem, I sez. Since it's going to be winter time, we won't need A/C until next year. That'll give us plenty of time to save up. WRONG. This part of Texas actually has decent weather right through the winter. Nice on the one hand...not so nice on the other. Here it was October for cripes sake and it's still in the 90's! I realized a major decision was at hand. While it was true we needed steps, we really needed an air conditioner. Me being the major decision maker that I am, I followed the only logical course of action.
A/C it was. Leaping from our entryway, we gained entrance to the repository of all things RV. We decided to browse a bit before biting the bullet, hoping to alleviate some of the sticker shock I knew we were headed for. There were a myriad of products that the RV'er in the know simply just couldn't do without. *ahem* Yes...well I'll try to get along without that one. SO, having meandered around the store, we could dillydally no longer. Having informed the young man behind the counter of our wants and needs, he informed us of what he wants and (k)needs. (See what I did there? Needs...knees...*sigh*). OK, so needless to say it was quite a bit more than we had planned. We took a brief time out to talk it over with one another and decided that if we cut back on what we ate...and only ate every other day, we could swing it.
To make matters worse, they couldn't get us in that day. We would have to get it done the next morning. So we took advantage of their parking lot for some of that "free camping". I figured we'd just be in a parking space along side the rigs of others waiting for work. But, lo and behold, we found a place to pull up where there was actually a picnic table...of sorts. It was the break area for the workers. But no workers tonight! So it was entirely for our perusal. And here's a secret...They have electric hookups, for a few people. I saw a 30 amp cord laying along side the building and checked it out to find it was plugged in! Hey, we were gonna have TV and microwave popcorn tonight without having to run our generator! Oh, how you learn to appreciate those little things.
That evening, while we enjoyed some postprandial libations, I studied the steps. Breaking out my large crescent wrench I began to bend them back into some semblance of what they once were. I thought if we were going to have to live with them for a while, I'd better try to make them serviceable. A couple of beverages later, I had those steps looking likenew something that could work...for a while...maybe. Anyway, they folded down and back up again, and that's something they wouldn't do previously. So it looked like things were starting to look up.
We arose to the sweet sounds of air tools removing tire lugs. Eating a quick breakfast, we made for the check-in desk in the service area. Surrendering the keys to our portative palace, we settled in the waiting area. Five minutes later we were bored. So we decided to check out the rigs in the "used" lot. Some were big, some were small. Some were nice, others not at all. (Apologies to the Doctor.) Anywho (See what I did there?), we finally were done and it was time to leave. All kidding aside, it was a good thing our destination was within reach of the tank of gas we had on board. And arrive we did. We chose a spot that seemingly no one else wanted and have loved it here. LeAnna went to work the very next week and we lived happily ever after.
Come back next time when I think of something entirely different to ramble on about...
Toodles...
So day 36 finds us in the parking lot of "Americas Outdoor And RV Store", better known as Camping World. I should mention here that the trip thus far has been sans air conditioning. In one of those freak occurrences that sometimes freakishly occur, our unit went on hiatus just days before we left South Dakota. *sigh* After our generous outlay to the veterinarian and the cost of fuel to get down here...well let's put it like this, we weren't scraping it, but I could see it from here. No problem, I sez. Since it's going to be winter time, we won't need A/C until next year. That'll give us plenty of time to save up. WRONG. This part of Texas actually has decent weather right through the winter. Nice on the one hand...not so nice on the other. Here it was October for cripes sake and it's still in the 90's! I realized a major decision was at hand. While it was true we needed steps, we really needed an air conditioner. Me being the major decision maker that I am, I followed the only logical course of action.
A/C it was. Leaping from our entryway, we gained entrance to the repository of all things RV. We decided to browse a bit before biting the bullet, hoping to alleviate some of the sticker shock I knew we were headed for. There were a myriad of products that the RV'er in the know simply just couldn't do without. *ahem* Yes...well I'll try to get along without that one. SO, having meandered around the store, we could dillydally no longer. Having informed the young man behind the counter of our wants and needs, he informed us of what he wants and (k)needs. (See what I did there? Needs...knees...*sigh*). OK, so needless to say it was quite a bit more than we had planned. We took a brief time out to talk it over with one another and decided that if we cut back on what we ate...and only ate every other day, we could swing it.
To make matters worse, they couldn't get us in that day. We would have to get it done the next morning. So we took advantage of their parking lot for some of that "free camping". I figured we'd just be in a parking space along side the rigs of others waiting for work. But, lo and behold, we found a place to pull up where there was actually a picnic table...of sorts. It was the break area for the workers. But no workers tonight! So it was entirely for our perusal. And here's a secret...They have electric hookups, for a few people. I saw a 30 amp cord laying along side the building and checked it out to find it was plugged in! Hey, we were gonna have TV and microwave popcorn tonight without having to run our generator! Oh, how you learn to appreciate those little things.
That evening, while we enjoyed some postprandial libations, I studied the steps. Breaking out my large crescent wrench I began to bend them back into some semblance of what they once were. I thought if we were going to have to live with them for a while, I'd better try to make them serviceable. A couple of beverages later, I had those steps looking like
We arose to the sweet sounds of air tools removing tire lugs. Eating a quick breakfast, we made for the check-in desk in the service area. Surrendering the keys to our portative palace, we settled in the waiting area. Five minutes later we were bored. So we decided to check out the rigs in the "used" lot. Some were big, some were small. Some were nice, others not at all. (Apologies to the Doctor.) Anywho (See what I did there?), we finally were done and it was time to leave. All kidding aside, it was a good thing our destination was within reach of the tank of gas we had on board. And arrive we did. We chose a spot that seemingly no one else wanted and have loved it here. LeAnna went to work the very next week and we lived happily ever after.
Come back next time when I think of something entirely different to ramble on about...
Toodles...
