Just getting back in from almost a week at an RV Park in South Arlington. Wanted a central locale where I could play and have people over and run and grab camper supplies as needed. It was a really fun week, for sure.
Finally settling in with the camper - and really getting to know her - inside and out. Feeling like she's mine now - and that the bubble won't burst and somebody won't come knock on the door and take her away for some dumb reason (like Punk'd - but different.)
Got to sleep in her a few nights by myself - and got to have my folks each stay over a night. All in all - it was a really great week. Keep thinking up all sorts of new ways to use her to gather people, or help pets, or give back in some way. And getting more confident with it all, day by day.
The icing on the cake is this: this morning I got up, tidied her up, packed up all my gear, broke the camper down, dumped the tanks, hooked up the truck and trailer, drove to Mesquite from South Arlington, unhitched at the service department, pulled off the big heavy hitch and threw it into the back of my big ol' truck, got home and got all the gear out of the bed of the truck (thanks tailgate step). ALL BY MYSELF!
(In full disclosure: Damon was sweet enough to come out and supervise my trailer and truck hitching, just to be sure I had it. Because he has been doing so much of that stuff - while I got the hang of other stuff. But he watched only - and I DID IT!!)
That felt so incredibly liberating to know I understand it all - can physically do it - and was pretty darn calm through the whole process. Yay! The next breezy, cool day we get I'm gonna tackle backing up practice in a big empty ghost of a Walmart or Kmart parking lot. That's the only thing now that is standing between me and the more remote and picturesque state and national park campsites that I want to do some Fall and Winter camping in. RV Parks are nice for the convenience, but I am ready for some remoteness, a running mountain stream, a hammock and nothing but time to relax.
Random Thoughts from the Week:
* Men from Idaho that look like Salvador Dali are often not as interesting as the facial hair indicates. Their wives - even more bleh. And they appear to not understand hints in Idaho. You simply have to turn around and walk away from them to make them realize your ice cream is melting and you have to go.
* 8 people can easily hang out in the camper at one time and drink beer and be serenaded nicely by an accomplished singing and ukelele-playing friend.
* Other Airstream campers always come over to say hello.
* A large size Papa Murphy's pizza DOES fit in the oven after all - and the oven is not as hard to light as the book indicates. As long as you can sorta stand on your head, push and turn a stove button with your left hand and operate a child proof fire lighter with your right - all at the same time - while laughing.
* Coffee tastes better in the camper than it does at home.
* RV Sites with little shade are not the ideal spot for a very large silver thing. Stuff starts to smell.
Came home to four very happy doggies and a HUGE box of birthday stuff from my folks - from Camping World, of course. And you know you have gone over the edge when you are just thrilled to pieces to be getting: an aluminum platform step, a folding camp table, a level for the trailer, a new/more hygienic tank dumping system, a locking wall mount for the RV flat screen, fridge and freezer door stays, a silver wall-mounted weather station and a folding camping sink. I am officially a camping dork. And that's just fine by me :)
