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Borrego Springs, CA

Sunday, October 23, 2011

An uneventful drive…NOT!

After buying three more bags of ice this morning, Emma and I pulled out of the Memphis South RV Park shortly after nine.  There was a 30% chance of showers for the journey, and we found ourselves in that 30% for a couple of hours.  Around noon, a rest area appeared so we pulled in.  As I took Emma out for a walk, I made the customary trip around the rig and toad checking to see that everything looked in order.  It did.  Back inside, as I had a piece of that pumpkin pie I bought yesterday, a bus load of tourists pulled in next to me.  It appeared to be a senior citizens group.  They began to mill around in the parking area, and several were pointing at my rig and chattering away.  Several even took pictures.  Curiosity got the better of me, so I leashed Emma, and we stepped outside.  I was hoping there wasn’t something terribly wrong that I hadn’t noticed. 

We barely got down the steps when one of the group came over to talk to me.  Turns out he was their tour leader, and they were all from Sweden.  None of them had seen a rig like this before, and they were all very curious.  First question was about what it costs to buy one of these rigs.  Next, the leader asked if some of them could take a peek inside.  I said okay, and that’s when the queue formed.  One at a time they came in to the top of the steps and oohed and aahed.   I tried to explain about the slide out, but wasn’t sure they understood.  They wanted to know if I slept on the couch, and if I drove this thing myself.  I suppose now, I’ll be known as the crazy woman in the United States that lives in a big bus.  Smile  As for Emma, she was thrilled with all of the attention.

As I exited I-55 for the Swinging Bridge RV Park in Byram, MS, I got a slightly queasy feeling in my stomach.  Things seemed too familiar.  Sure enough, I’ve stayed here before, and the entrance road is a doozy.  You have to drive through a strip mall with several big speed bumps, and someone decided to park their car making the left hand turn into the campground almost impossible.  I really had no choice but to have the rig’s rear driver’s side tire go up and over a curb so I wouldn’t hit the car.  Well, for the first time ever, two cabinet doors flew open and all my dishes came flying out.  I don’t have a lot of glass things, but much of what I do have ended up crashing into a million pieces.  What a racket that made!  Ugh!  Before I could let Emma out of her crate after setting up, I spent a half hour sweeping up glass shards.

Then there was the mystery of the missing shoes.  After putting the slides out, I could only find one of the four shoes I had on a shelf back by the bedroom.  I looked everywhere.  I even checked to see if they had been sucked outside when I put the slide out.  I figured they got knocked off of the shelf when I did the curb thing, but where could they have gone?  It wasn’t until some time later that I figured it out.  With the up and down of the curb, apparently a drawer flew open, and the flying shoes landed inside just before the drawer slammed shut again.  I had to chuckle over that one.  Who finds three shoes mixed in with their undies??

With any luck, I’ll finally make it to Premiere RV in Scott, LA, tomorrow in a dignified and uneventful way…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

29 comments:

  1. What a surprise, I had the fridge door come open one time while we were going down the road and a couple of my beloved Millers hit the floor.Other than getting warm there was no breakage.We have been lucky with the one set of china we do carry with us, we usually use paper or plastic plates and glasses, I keep a couple mugs in the freezer for my beer. Be safe out there and keep heading south. Sam & Donna.

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  2. I'm sorry, Judy..but I did chuckle at your shoe in your underwear...Geez O Pete...you have endured more than the average human spirit should...But...it was only dishes...no peeps were injured (or dogs)..I, for one, will be glad when you hit Scott, LA...Please pop the cork on some good smooth Red and think of us ...You are "one of a kind"...:-))))

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  3. Judy, I'm starting to think of you as the Lucille Ball of Blog World...you tell the funniest stories. Landing the shoes in your underwear is something that only happens once in a lifetime...actually, all of our lifetimes! Love to Emma.

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  4. Perhaps you should consider writing a book. Dave Barry was able to take everyday happenings and make them interesting. You have a lot more fodder than that! Perhaps you should have charged admission for the "tours" and used that $$ to purchase new dishes. Sure hope tomorrow goes smoother for you.

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  5. Oh my goodness, what next???? On top of writing a blog you should write a book, but then I don't think anyone would believe all that's happened to you of late. Keep the faith!!!

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  6. Good lord! what next? lol

    I bet Emma has lots of tales to tell at a dog park!

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  7. You are starting to scare me. If this is the "fun" I can look forward to when I full time, maybe I need to change my mind and put a "For Sale" sign on our motorhome. ;c)

    Naw, the "For Sale" sign looks better on the house.

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  8. Yes, you lead quite the adventurous life, Judy. And now you will even be famous in Sweden. Good thing you weren't sweeping up glass during THAT part of the tour.

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  9. Did you say were taking pictures too? I agree with Donna, you needed to charge admission. Wonder what they would have paid with? BTW, what is the currency of Sweden?

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  10. always an adventure!..love the story of the Swedish tourists coming in for a tour!..I seem to remember Paul and Mary having some German tourists doing the same thing!..
    sorry to hear about all the broken dishes!..we had that happen too..what a mess!!!..no shoes going missing though?

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  11. And here I thought MY life was interesting . . . :)

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  12. Certainly never a dull moment, hey? I'm thinking when you finally get to your next destination, it may be time to stay put for a while :)

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  13. OMG what a story! Wonder what the Sweds would have thought if they had witnessed the curb jumping and the shoes ending up with the undies. Yep, you make a great "Lucy".

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  14. I am so glad my life is so dull. Your excitement is plenty for all of us. The Swedes cracked me up. But the shoes in your undie drawer. Now that is priceless. You are definitely the Lucy of our blogland.

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  15. Oh my God, I cannot believe the things that happen to you!! Enough already!!! I hope this is the end now.

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  16. Its never boring at your blog. Hopefully tomorrow goes uneventful. Love the way you make the best of anything thrown your way!!

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  17. I agree with some of the others -- you NEED to write a book...then you'll be famous & rich too because some producer will want to make a movie as well -- I say GO FOR IT!!

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  18. It is really sad that all your woes are so wonderfully entertaining. I am sorry, Judy, really I am. Reminds me of those stupid funniest videos where everyone laughs at others crazy goo-fups that actually hurt. My intentions are good, but I still laugh, and hopefully it is only because your stories indicate that you are laughing as well, in spite of yourself.

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  19. Well, I suppose finding finding shoes in your underware drawer would be less embarrassing than finding underware in your shoes:))

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  20. Very interesting story of the missing shoe. Just think of the celebrity you are becoming in the US and now in Sweden.

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  21. I am beginning to think you may need some kind of exorcist to come and scare the demons out of the coach:)

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  22. Last weekend at Moss Landing our neighbors were a couple from Denmark who were on a month tour in a rented RV. The spaces were quite close and they were just settling in as we dumped and disconnected. We smile and said hello and then they asked if they could ask us a question about US coins.

    Then they asked about the RV and of course we were delighted to tell them about it and take them inside. The slide was already in, but Craig put it out to show them how it was from the inside.

    Just as you shared your rig, we enjoyed sharing this bit of American life that is different than European.

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  23. Just caught up with your refer problem. We have a 16 month old Norcold that gave us fits for the last two months.

    We got very good at placing ice in the refer compartment to keep a minumum of stuff cool. I had seriously considered replacing it with a Samsung residential unit that would fit.

    Very upset that Norcold only gives a 1 year warranty now. But last week, finally bit the bullet, used our extended service contract, and replaced the cooling unit. Now 6 full days of having 36 and -4 temps, it has been great.

    Best of luck, getting your refer problem resolved.

    Journey39n

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  24. A book is a good idea as long as it does not take away from your great blog. Here is a tip we got from fellow full-timers, buy some of the child proof cabinet locks at Wal-Mart and secure the cabinet doors where your dishes are. We also use them on the overhead cabinet doors, the island doors and the doors below the entertainment centers. A few times over rough roads and curbs and the doors were open but secured with the locks.

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  25. We also use the child proof cabinet locks after our wine glasses bit the dust. In addition we put the wine glasses in socks and put pillows in the wine cabinet.

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  26. Howdy Judy & Emma,
    You have been bitten by the 'trubble-bug', gal!!!
    EASE over curbs, NOT JUMP them; then the dishes don't fall out!! I read where you don't know ENCHILADAS??? Thatz like a Chicagoan not knowing sauerkraut on a hot-dog!!! Enchiladas are the epitome of TEX-MEX foods; like tamales, they come in all flavors, but the mas bueno are the ones with shredded chicken, sour cream, caramelized onions&garlic, SHARP cheddar cheese, chopped jalapenos, wrapped in a flour tortillo, covered with a RICH peppery CHILI sauce.. Sprinkled with more shredded SHARP cheddar cheese!!! THATZ GOOD EATING!! And you've
    to Texas before!! Get that ranger at Anahuac to
    take you and get you some ENCHILADAS!!!!!!

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  27. I love hearing about the tourists taking a look at your RV. Travel fun!

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  28. Hi Emma,
    Do you have any idea how it is that your posts are linking to my blog posts? I can't figure it out for the life of me. levonnegaddy@hotmail.com

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