My Knuckles Are Still White
My knuckles are still white and now my eyes have that thing where they think stationary objects are moving.
You know that thing that happens when you’ve been staring at a moving item (in my case the road, or that text crawl at the bottom of a tv screen) for a looooong time and then you stop staring at it and then the stationary objects around you suddenly look like they’re moving?
Yeah. I’ve got that.
And white knuckles.
Holy Dirty Diapers!
I know y’all think I’m brave, but I scared myself. Actually, the crappy condition of the LA freeways scared me. The roads (the 405, parts of the 101, and parts of the 5) were SO BAD I thought I had flat tires. Plural. Seriously.
And my RV is as wide as a semi. This means when passing an actual semi there are inches between us. You have to be very good at keeping your lane position. I’m working on it. A girlfriend who used to drive semis said it takes about three months to get used to it.
Three months of white-knuckled fear, and stationary objects that sometimes move. Oh, joy.
Someone asked if I got flipped off. No, I didn’t, but I might have flipped off a few folks myself could I have pried my white-knuckled fingers from the steering wheel.
Ok, the drive between Santa Barbara and San Diego gave me gray hairs. The SD KOA left much peace, quiet, and places free of dogs piss and doo to be desired. The staff at the KOA was very helpful, except when it came to keeping the neighbors pooping dog off my site. They couldn’t have cared less.
But the BlogHer conference was awesome! I met some wonderful people, and sat in on great video workshops (more of my awesome videos coming soon – lucky you!). I don’t think I’ve ever been fed so well! I didn’t get to meet many of the bloggers I read, including The Bloggess, but have found a few to add to the list.
My first test run was cut short right after the conference due to a plumbing issue (hole in fresh water tank, not related to the below-mentioned bollard incident). I returned to northern California in one day – via much better freeways.
The trip back took about twelve hours, the last two of which were traffic in my area. I made about five stops, mostly in a vain attempt to retrieve my cat from under the bed so she would eat. (She likes the RV when it’s stationary, not so much when it’s moving.) The rest of the trip was great because I avoided the 405 like the plague. (I took 805 to 5 to 43 to 58 to 5 to 46 to 101. The 43, 58 and 46 were great! I highly recommend them to fellow RVer’s.)
The dealership was great about it and patched the hole first thing the next morning. I’ll water test it in a few days to see if it holds.
All in all, I loved being on the open road. Especially if the road was smooth and didn’t have traffic. If the patch holds, and my knuckles and eyes have returned to normal, I hope to continue the rest of my first trip. I want to boondock at a beach for a week or so, if I find an opening…
And maybe a rich husband.
This is all a bit more expensive than I thought it would be… especially at about eight miles to the gallon. Plus, the RV camping parks are more costly than expected. Walmart, here I come! (They let you overnight for free.) Keep an eye out for pictures of me on People of Walmart.
Have I hit anything yet? Yes. A bollard (not a picture of the one I hit). I won. Just try doing that in a car.
so bummed i missed blogher this year and seeing you and your RV. but i know you’ll be back on the road soon and it’s only a matter of time until you’re on the east coast. you go girlilocks!
I’m bummed I didn’t get to meet you! I can’t wait to get back on the road, and see some new stuff. I love this area, but I want to see new places and things. It should get interesting soon – I just joined a single RVers group! *wicked grin*
Glad to hear that the maiden voyage of the RV was successful. By the way, does your RV have a name yet?
Yes, me too! No, I haven’t yet named her. I’m open to suggestions….
Was the fresh water leak related to the low pressure problem?
The low pressure problem was related to the BLOND HAIR issue. Ahem.
HOWEVER, with my usual blond-haired and fuzzy logic, I decided perhaps filling the fresh water tank to the top would fix the low pressure issue. That’s when I found there was a hole near the top of the tank.
If it wasn’t for the blond-haired thought process, I wouldn’t have known about the hole for a very long time.
BLOND HAIR POWER!
still so proud of your adventures… but I got your bollard right here. I once hit a CHURCH. With a 1988 Chevy Cavalier. And broke the church worse than the car.
DOH! Not so good. Do I smell a post?
Thanks for the kudos 🙂 I’m slowing starting to regain my courage. Tank passed water test with flying colors, and now I’m just looking for my next place to land. Hard to find a good spot at the beach…
DUDE! Go see Dear Sweet Mama in Jersey!
NJ is on the list! I was born there, and they happen to have a city/attraction called “Insectopolis” in NJ. How cool is that?!
I know what you mean about the knuckle thing. I remember long ago creeping home from a girlfriend’s house late at night after a long period of freezing rain that turned my twisty-turny road home into an ice rink.
I almost couldn’t get my hands off the wheel when I got home. And I think I put dents in the steering wheel.
Yikes! How long was your rig/caravan? Did you do much traveling in it?
Oh, it was no rig… just a little Honda Civic. Thank God it was 2 AM and there was almost no other traffic out. And I wasn’t drunk. Because every time another car would appear, I’d have to take it from 15 mph down to 5 mph and pray we didn’t slide into each other. Cuz, seriously, I was driving on a sheet of glassy-surfaced ice.
Sounds like ice skating in a Civic! LOL Good you made it!
I heard someone from California say “the” before a highway number. The only time I’d heard that before was from someone from NY. People in the south don’t use “the” with highway numbers.
That’s totally a West Coast thing. It was funny… during the last Die Hard movie, which was set in Baltimore and DC, Bruce Willis refers to the Beltway as “the six ninety-five.”
No one here EVER refers to I-695 that way.
That’s so weird, I didn’t even notice that. I would have thought that would jump out at me b/c I don’t think I have ever heard anyone refer to 695 as THE 695. Maybe “the fucking 695 traffic morass” but that’s different. 🙂
It’s funny but they only say “the” before the highway number in So Cal, not here in Nor Cal.
For some reason, I slip into the lingo when I’m down that way. It’s like there’s some invisible border that divides state between the “the” sayers and the rest of the US. And like a homing pigeon with a magnetic bead in it’s head, I slip in and out of the lingo when I cross that invisible border.
No, I’m not well.
That’s kinda like the dividing line in the middle of NY state heading west, where “soda” turns into “pop.”
My parents are from the east coast. I was born in NJ but moved to CA when I was about two. Growing up in CA with NY parents was a linguistic adventure… soda/pop, flea market/swap meet, dog/dawg, California/Californiar… LOL
Arghhh!!!! you wrote on my blog you’re in northern california right now. I’m in San Luis Obispo for a few days of vacation. Anywhere nearby for a wine meetup? I’d email my cell number if I could locate an email address. If I put it here all the weirdo’s would be stalking Mrs. Tuna. Email me, I leave at o’clock early on Tuesday back to Phoenix.
It was great to meet you in person! I had a blast hanging with you all, and dinner was fabulous! Thanks so much! 🙂
Glad you survived!
Me, too!
I want to send you an award for most helpful internet writer.