Monday, July 22, 2013

Just the Usual Travel Experience


FB status: "Arrived Beale AFB Fam Camp 12:13 a.m." 

No, as a matter of fact, we did NOT plan a 7.5 hour trip to arrive after midnight the day before reporting to duty. ::wink::  

HOW did a short jaunt down the road turn into this?????? 

We started with great hopes for a 3 - 5:00 p.m. arrival......The boys were happy to step into their new roles on Trailer Prep. 


We ran into a bit of a snafu with the Alaska DMV..."No, ma'am, we don't know someone who can just walk it in."  Since this was obviously taking more than the expected amount of time, I headed to the local Arco to fill up the big red van. 

S*T*I*C*K*E*R shock! Whooee.....and gas has only gotten more expensive the further south we've traveled. 

We finally left OR 2.5 hours after we'd planned...but still projected a 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. arrival. 

A word about "Google maps"....it obviously doesn't factor in  "towing vehicles" which  only go 55 mph,  not 70 mph, in CA.....and that towing vehicles really can't go much more than that anyway over those mountains. ::snort:: 

FB Status - "...wouldn't be a Gherkin trip without a blowout. Running late."

Shore nuff....Yuuki was riding at my feet....we heard a loud pop and a bit of swaying and she leaped to Arielle's side and seemed to give us the Gherkin scowl. She's been a GREAT travel dog.

 We were blessed this happen just a mile outside of the last Roseburg, OR exit.....and we were able to drive very, very slowly to the local Les Schwab. Three hours -  four new van tires later -  we headed down the road again.

 I am so thankful for this man. He's unflappable. We simply kept moving.....and at 12:46 a.m. we had a spot at Fam Camp and were setting up..... It was dark, but we think we drove through some pretty land on our way here. We discovered the gates the GPS selected are closed at night - finally happened upon an open gate.  We're hopeful it will be pretty here.

Somewhere in here we called our sponsor to let him know we'd arrived. We knew he'd be worried we were so late. He's already checked off the base. He hadn't been worrying about us up in Tahoe. ::snort:: Poor man. He DID tell Michael not to worry about showing up at 0715 in uniform.....and with that assurance we continued "setting up." 

We cleared a path, unloaded the beds, found the kids sleeping bags and they were set.  (YIKES someone grab that ipad!)

2013 is the year of the great vandal/mice party at the Gherkins trailer. Mom and Dad had overseen the repairs and mom had washed sleeping bags etc. Michael, Izaak and Nolan spent the good part of a day cleaning the trailer out. Last night I realized we needed sheets and the comforter for our bed was missing.... Michael threw out the foam topper for our bed as it was full of mice dooky.

It seemed simple to buy a 3in memory foam topper....and Bre and I picked up a "complete bed set" to throw on. The foam topper was smashed in a box.....and had to be zipped into a liner - which was NOT easy but WAS fun. ::snort::

Finally at 0200 our bed was MADE......and I KNOW it doesn't match the headboard and curtains...maybe I'll  make curtains and a headboard from the bed skirt and pillow shams we don't need....and maybe it simply doesn't bother me enough to warrant the work. ::snort::

I woke full of hope this morning (23 July). I remembered the orchards and fruit stands 20 miles away....surely it would be pretty....... I stepped out to enjoy the early a.m. cool and view before anyone else was up....
 
I believe I found the "Golden Hills of California." Looks a lot like San Angelo to me.   This cheery sign greeted me at the bathhouse....

Stacia and Zander woke up and immediately went for the fridge. I could have warned them....instead I watched. ::snort::

They looked at me, shocked. I couldn't help laughing and asked them, "When do you think food would have been purchased and stored?"

We've got a full day ahead of us..... the immediate challenge is finding the bag or box with clothes which can be worn for the day....and clearing some of this out by tonight.
I'm blogging from the end of this roll of carpet
Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...