Home

As a friend said the other day, it is difficult to know what to call my spot in Mesa now as I have 'home' with me when I travel.  I am now back in Mesa for this week.  I will travel up to Payson next week where I'll spend most of the summer.  Since my storage unit is up there I have no reason to not work on clearing it out.

The drive home was not as easy as the drive over to Albuquerque.  I fought hard wind most of the way.  I get some grief from other full timers for having a schedule to get from point A to point B.  I did the drive in one go as that is how I tend to drive.  The wind will be a consideration for me from now on, though.  I had one hard stop that was a wake-up call to not trust stuff to stay in place on the floor.  I'm reconsidering my kitchen stuff now.

Mom is doing great and says she will drive me back to get my car when I move next week.  I will drive her car back here and then follow her back to Payson.  If there is any issue we will at least be together.  A month ago she needed a walker to get to the bathroom.  That ER Physician's Assistant saved her life.  Also a note to me to take my own thryoid medicine, it really is a necessary thing.

It was good

Worth the $6 anyway.  We came back to the park and ate at the picnic table between our rigs.  It would have been better immediately as it would have been hot.  This being NM it was served with the green chilies.

On the way back we drove through the Flying J so I know where the RV pumps are.  It will be my first time getting gas by myself, as I got here on 3/4 of the tank I got earlier when Jim taught me to drive this rig.

Tomorrow is fix the front grill ( I foresee plastic wire ties...) and clean the windshield.  I'm pondering whether to drive straight back or stop somewhere.  It is hot in the valley, but I want to get back to the car.  Getting a tow dolly is higher on the list now having spent the week without transportation.  I may stay the night at the Walmart in Payson, but probably not.

Caveman Burgers

FZ's husband got back and looked up a place to go get some burgers.  It turned out to be a food truck.  The buns look like saucers, and there is an entire salad on top of the meat.  Cars kept driving in while we waited.  I think it will be good.  I'm tired of eating healthy.  The cost was $6.  I'll update once I get it.

Weird Vegetable Challenge

Before heading over here I went to Ranch Market in Mesa and got a large (for me) selection of vegetables.  What with all the socializing I hadn't cooked any of them.  Today FZ and I decided to cook.  She took a couple of the yams and a large parsnip and I tackled the yellow squash.  We were each cooking something we had never cooked before.  Turns out she doesn't like the sweetness of yams and in Germany where she is from parsnips are eaten raw.  She  cubed and roasted them and did some kind of bassalmic vinigar (can't get close enough to the spelling for spell check to help me) spice simmer to cut the sweetness.  It was good, different taste profile from my usual.  I did my normal coconut oil, onion, garlic and whatever veggie I have goes into the skillet.  I had the sprouts I'd started last week and I had not figured out how to use them, so they went in as well.  Turned out ok.  At least I know I can toss sprouted lentils and small beans into a skillet of stuff and they will cook enough to eat.

Other than laundry I'm not doing anything else other than lounging around.  I haven't had the air-conditioning on since I got here.  Mom said it was supposed to top 100* back in the valley.  I'm due to be back there for a week before I move up to Payson.  We'll see if I make it that long.

Cat TV

There is a small tree just off the corner of the rig that has small songbirds flitting around among it's leaves.  Bosley has a new hobby.

Made it

I'm in an RV park in Albuquerque.  I got in around 5:30 yesterday.  Trip went well with almost no issues.  I heard something rattling the last hundred miles but thought it was  the passenger window.  Turns out my grill came loose and was just sitting in the front of the engine compartment.  I think that is the access to the batteries.  Today's project is to check into that.

I met some friends here.  We are going to just chill as we have no car for a few days until FZ's husband gets back from his needed trip, the reason for all this.  Our local friends will be in and out and FZ and I can hopefully help them make the transition into their own 5th wheel as they embark on fulltiming at the end of the month.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Not sure where I'm going, but I'm ony way.

Packing up

Everything from the patio and under the rig is packed up.  The tote will come inside to pack inside stuff into and the step stool is needed because I'm too short to put the awning up or down without it.

 Working on the inside now.  I'm thinking  I'll pack most of my dishes away and pad the glasses.  I need to get jugs of filtered water and groceries as I'm not taking the car with me.  Sort of a trial run for boondocking, but with full hookups.  Work with me here.

I bought tire covers yesterday, and both the Good Sam campground directory and Next Exit.  As such I know where the first Cracker Barrel and Pilot gas stations are located, as well as where the Walmarts are.  I'm sticking close to civilization this trip.  It is a process.

Bosley approves

While he has been enjoying the passenger chair while it is turned around facing the living room, I'm not counting  on his abilities as navigator.  He tends to hide under the couch when the engine is running and the coach is moving.

We leave on our first road trip on Sunday morning.  I'm driving over to NM to meet some friends.  When I get back it will be time to move back up to Payson to the same park I was in last summer.  I hope to have a few more road trips as the summer goes on.

For now, if you are on I-40 on Sunday, keep an eye out for a rookie Class A driver.

Back to my roots

Or, sprouts.  I'm re-earning my aging hippie card.  I ordered a huge selection of sprouting seeds over a year ago when life was less hectic and I was cooking and making progress on things.  Then this past year happened and I haven't had time to do much more than put on foot in front of the other.  Until last week.  I'm almost afraid to write it out loud, but most crisis situations seem to be favorably resolved.  I'm catching my breath.  And starting sprouts.  Meadow Lark (message board friend) it is your fault.  The sprouts that is.  The rest was me.