What I'm thinking

Final leg of maiden voyage.

Left Philipsburg and drove all day to Rimrock getting in about 5pm. I have my choice of places to park and decide to face away from the clubhouse this time. I was making a few attempts to get into the spot and two fellows came up and directed me in. This time I didn’t take out any hitching posts!

Boy was my throat getting worse…has to be strep so I look for a place to use my TriCare “insurance” for the first time. The closest place is an urgent care in Moses Lake so I head out the next morning, leaving the dogs in Roxie after a long walk around the area. After over an hour wait I am told that it is only a cold and to get some Benadryl to help me sleep through the night (and be able to breathe).

I drive back to Ephrata and stop at the Dollar Tree to pick up a few things and realize I have lost my phone. I go into the store and ask if they have a phone I can use but of course I don’t know the number of the clinic. It is in the phone! I’m standing at the cash register with the phone in hand and the clerk is trying to figure out how I can get the number when the lady checking out says “What clinic?” I tell her and she gives me the phone number…WOW. I can’t believe any one has any number other than their own memorized (and some struggle with that) these days.

Yes, my phone is there. Stop by the business desk to pick it up. SOOO, grab what I need there, turn around and drive back to Moses Lake to pick up my phone. The lady that handed it to me asked if my son had gotten hold of me. I said “No” and she said she had called him to tell him my phone was there. HOW did she do that? I remember when cell phones first came out there was an ICE (in case of emergency) that anyone could access but didn’t realize that still existed.

Relaxing (?) with Oscar

Get back in Simon and call Andrew to let him know I had the phone. He had sent me an email telling me where it was. Now back to Ephrata and Rimrock.

The rest of the time at RR was peaceful. Reading, resting and taking it easy. Taking the dogs on walks up the hill behind the clubhouse or over to the dog park. This was a very nice off leash area. Very large, covered in wood chips with doodie bags and trash can, and a large barrel for water that was yucky since it didn’t circulate. Only thing is some people didn’t clean up after their dogs and there were "land mines" around especially in the corners.

There were several wind storms over the days and I couldn’t keep the RV door open so I had to research how to do that. Another order to Amazon or Camping World is in order to buy a door catch and a screen door bar. Those are two other things I wonder why they aren’t part of the RV from the factory. I also discover a toggle that will open the screen door without having to open the plexiglass slide, got to get one of those! And I’ve decided that the vents need covers so I don’t have to remember to close them if it starts to rain (forgot that one time and had a wet bathroom). Shake down cruise so long punch list.

Ok, time to leave to get back to Portland to make a dental appointment on 3 July. Get up Monday morning to get hooked up and out early. Take the dogs for a walk, disconnect and close up everything, put the animals in Simon and turn the key. Nothing. NOTHING. Try my small jump starter that has always worked in the past. NOTHING. Go to the office to see if anyone there has jumpers. A guy getting ready to leave for the day said he did and came over to the site and NOTHING!

Back to the clubhouse to get a signal so I can call USAA roadside service. I get a call back from them saying about 90 minutes. Back to Simon. Take the dogs out and open all the windows so the cats have air flow. Settle down at the picnic table and waited.

Heard some birds making a fuss nearby and walked over to see what it was all about.

I find three little birds on the ground and mom and dad hovering over them going nuts if anyone came close. I figured they had been blown out of the nest in the wind storm the night before OR since they were pretty big had been kicked out of the nest and were being encouraged to fly. Where they were they could easily be stepped on, especially by the kids walking around that area or run over if a vehicle tried to get into the spot so I reached down to pick them up and move them. The one I was reaching for flew a little way off. I walked over and bent down again and he flew into the bed of the truck next to the site.

I went to another one picked it up and it flew into the bushes in the “island” I was trying to get them to. One parent went over there and the other stayed at the site. I didn’t try to get the other one at that point. About a half hour later I walked over and all three were back on the ground…OH well.

The caretakers of the park came over with their big truck and heavy-duty jumpers and tried to jump me. They said they heard a click and maybe it was the starter. One said if he knew where the starter was he’d hit it and maybe it would work. They leave and I go back to the table.

Waiting patiently for road side service.

It has now been over 2 hours since I called for roadside service. I went back to the clubhouse and call the company who tell me it is on it’s way and say I might need a tow. They have only sent a truck to try to jump me and the person on the way might be able to diagnose what was wrong and would decide if I needed a tow (another two hour wait!!!). Back to the table to wait.

As I read the local Penny Saver a gentleman walks over and says, “Won’t start.” I say “no we tried jumping and nothing.” He says, “Try it again.” I roll my eyes grab my keys, get in and turn the key. VAROOM. He says, “I’m magic.” Turns and walks away. OH MY.

A few seconds later he turns around and says it is probably the starter.

Three minutes later the roadside service guy arrives. He is an employee in his own truck telling me that they are slammed and all the service trucks were on other calls so he volunteered to take the drive out to service me.

I don’t turn Simon off. Put the dogs inside back up to the hitch and get out of dodge! Thought about leaving him running when I stopped for gas but at least I was in town and took the chance. No problem.

By this time, it is almost noon and I need to be in Portland by 2 the next day…stop somewhere or drive through? I push through. Lots of short stops on the way to stretch and walk the dogs.

About half way home the check engine light comes on, GREAT. I know that sometimes this is caused by the gas cap not being on securely so I check and sure enough it is loose. Keep going and let Bill (my mechanic) check it out.