I am familiar with the Bible . . . Not a scholar or anything but know enough to know that not ALL the stories are 100% true. Just think about it . . . almost the entire Bible is written by men so naturally the tales are a bit slanted. I mean REALLY ! Consider the "BOOK OF RUTH", Do you seriously think the Hebrews would allow a woman to contribute anything to their book? Women were treated like dirt to say the least so when this Ruth person shows up saying, "Hey guys, I've got this manuscript here that I would like you to add to your book", the men were all, " OH Sure Ruth, just leave it with us and we'll get right on that." Like hell they would. They probably read what she wrote and twisted it to their liking and then published it.
Sooooooo, when the whole Adam - Eve story got written I'm sure it was written by a man and he made it sound like God made Eve to keep Adam company and then she went and tempted him and the whole ensuing mess was all HER fault. I don't think this is the case at all. After careful consideration and much time spent in the company of Husband and Dwayne I KNOW for a FACT the whole creation story did not go down like it is written in the Bible. I rather think that God was hanging with the Boys up in Heaven and got bored making all these creatures on the Earth. He had made Spiders and Octopi first with 8 legs. They were fun for a while but then God figured he try something with 4 legs and he made horses and dogs and all those other animals. They too were fine for a while but God decided to get really wild and crazy so he created MAN. Now this was a really interesting experiment to create this creature that had to stand up in order to move. Sure enough it worked and there was man running all around with his finger in his nose just walking in circles not knowing what to do with himself. (Is this sounding familiar?) So here is Adam not making any progress in the way of evolving so God knew he had to do something or this creation of his would remain stagnant for the rest of eternity. God figured he needed to create something that would "inspire" man to DO SOMETHING with his life. He needed to put some one into the garden of Eden who would nudge this evolution thing in the right direction. Left on his own Man would still be standing there. Enter Eve and it all started to come together. Had Man been able to figure out on his own how to get food and provide shelter there would've been no need for Eve to go in search of everything. The fact that the snake was pissed off because God hadn't given it any legs led to the whole tempting thing. It was probably a male snake and it had nothing better to do than try to mess things up for Adam and Eve.
Friday, May 31, 2019
NOT EVEN THE PORPOISE
Have you ever been in a situation where you seriously thought you were going to die? That was me today when we were many miles out in the Prince William Sound and the swells were around 7 feet high and the boat we were in was smashing up and down as we sped toward my impending death.
All for the sake of a freaking fish !!
Back track to the macho man I have come to live with and his mountain man son. These guys are awesome and if I were ever to be stranded in the wilderness there is no one I would rather have with me. They could survive in just about any situation, unlike poor Get who got lost in a paper bag and couldn't fine the kitchen in his own house no less survive on his own in the wild.
But there is a price to pay when dealing with "macho" men. They MUST always seek the next adventure no matter if it be bear or moose hunting or fishing for Halibut in Alaska. Fishing does not seem nearly as dangerous as hunting a bear unless you decide to go after said fish in typhoon like conditions.
This whole trip to Alaska centers around the damn fish. We travel a week to get here in order to fish. I would be just as happy paying $42 a pound for a piece of Halibut in Publix but the men NEED to CATCH the fish themselves so they can brag about it for the following year. And so we traveled to Valdez with the plan that we would fish for 3 days with DJ on his boat that we trailered from Haines AK to Fairbanks two years ago. The boat is a decent size, 26 foot Osprey but it is NOT the QE2. I have come to realize that from this point on I will NOT sail any where on anything less than an ocean liner. Today totally did me in !!
Since we are only here 3 days the men MUST get out on the boat as much as possible, weather be damned. So today when the weather forecast was for high winds, rain and very high seas resulting in small craft warnings no second thought was given to NOT GOING out on the boat that is in fact A SMALL CRAFT!. We are here to fish and so we WILL fish even if we die in the effort.
The man was up at 4:30 this morning waiting for me to wake up. Rene came and picked us up at 5:30 and down to the harbor we went where we met DJ and off we went ready to sail God knows how far out into the sound to get to the "best" fishing spot for halibut. No matter that with each passing hour traveling West out of Valdez harbor the weather got worse and worse and worse. The seas bot bigger and the clouds got darker and the wind got stronger. It was noted that there were NO other boats out today . . . DUH . . . so lucky us would get ALL the fish. Well the reason there were no other boats out was because we were the only ones stupid enough to go out in these conditions.
I kept mentioning that we were out there alone, that the wind was getting stronger, that the waves were getting higher but all this fell on deaf ears. The men were focused on THE HUNT for the allusive fish. (The last time I went fishing with these 2 idiots we caught so many halibut we didn't have room to put them in the boat, These fish are huge !) So naturally the men thinK that this will happen every time regardless of weather.
We drove 3 hours west in rough seas but the closer we got to the end of land the rougher it got. By now I was almost on my knees praying that God would make my death quick and painless. Maybe I would be eaten by sharks before I drowned in this freezing cold water. I was praying non stop that some one would come to their senses and turn this freaking boat around when all of a sudden a school of porpoise came right up next to the boat and were swimming right along with us, crashing through the waves. I took them to be a sign from God because at that exact moment DJ decided we needed to turn back. As soon as we turned around the porpoises were gone and the seas got a little calmer.
We did stay out another agonizing 7 hours trying spot after spot and not catching a single halibut. I was the only one to catch anything besides as cold. I caught a "Yellow Eye" / Rock fish that was really cool but I think that just pissed the boys off more.
By the time we got back it was still raining like hell and foggy. I was wet and freezing and tired and fully determined that I WILL NEVER EVER get on that boat again.
All for the sake of a freaking fish !!
Back track to the macho man I have come to live with and his mountain man son. These guys are awesome and if I were ever to be stranded in the wilderness there is no one I would rather have with me. They could survive in just about any situation, unlike poor Get who got lost in a paper bag and couldn't fine the kitchen in his own house no less survive on his own in the wild.
But there is a price to pay when dealing with "macho" men. They MUST always seek the next adventure no matter if it be bear or moose hunting or fishing for Halibut in Alaska. Fishing does not seem nearly as dangerous as hunting a bear unless you decide to go after said fish in typhoon like conditions.
This whole trip to Alaska centers around the damn fish. We travel a week to get here in order to fish. I would be just as happy paying $42 a pound for a piece of Halibut in Publix but the men NEED to CATCH the fish themselves so they can brag about it for the following year. And so we traveled to Valdez with the plan that we would fish for 3 days with DJ on his boat that we trailered from Haines AK to Fairbanks two years ago. The boat is a decent size, 26 foot Osprey but it is NOT the QE2. I have come to realize that from this point on I will NOT sail any where on anything less than an ocean liner. Today totally did me in !!
Since we are only here 3 days the men MUST get out on the boat as much as possible, weather be damned. So today when the weather forecast was for high winds, rain and very high seas resulting in small craft warnings no second thought was given to NOT GOING out on the boat that is in fact A SMALL CRAFT!. We are here to fish and so we WILL fish even if we die in the effort.
The man was up at 4:30 this morning waiting for me to wake up. Rene came and picked us up at 5:30 and down to the harbor we went where we met DJ and off we went ready to sail God knows how far out into the sound to get to the "best" fishing spot for halibut. No matter that with each passing hour traveling West out of Valdez harbor the weather got worse and worse and worse. The seas bot bigger and the clouds got darker and the wind got stronger. It was noted that there were NO other boats out today . . . DUH . . . so lucky us would get ALL the fish. Well the reason there were no other boats out was because we were the only ones stupid enough to go out in these conditions.
I kept mentioning that we were out there alone, that the wind was getting stronger, that the waves were getting higher but all this fell on deaf ears. The men were focused on THE HUNT for the allusive fish. (The last time I went fishing with these 2 idiots we caught so many halibut we didn't have room to put them in the boat, These fish are huge !) So naturally the men thinK that this will happen every time regardless of weather.
We drove 3 hours west in rough seas but the closer we got to the end of land the rougher it got. By now I was almost on my knees praying that God would make my death quick and painless. Maybe I would be eaten by sharks before I drowned in this freezing cold water. I was praying non stop that some one would come to their senses and turn this freaking boat around when all of a sudden a school of porpoise came right up next to the boat and were swimming right along with us, crashing through the waves. I took them to be a sign from God because at that exact moment DJ decided we needed to turn back. As soon as we turned around the porpoises were gone and the seas got a little calmer.
We did stay out another agonizing 7 hours trying spot after spot and not catching a single halibut. I was the only one to catch anything besides as cold. I caught a "Yellow Eye" / Rock fish that was really cool but I think that just pissed the boys off more.
By the time we got back it was still raining like hell and foggy. I was wet and freezing and tired and fully determined that I WILL NEVER EVER get on that boat again.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE ??????
Everyone has their own idea of what the perfect world would be like. And everyone looks at things differently so I guess when someone says, "Another perfect day in paradise", the best answer is, "Absolutely!", even though it is 40 degrees and raining outside.
Living in South Florida we ALWAYS say, "Another perfect day in paradise", to anyone we meet. It is taken for granted that living in the sunshine state is the "perfect" place to be. Even when it is 900 degrees in August, the humidity is so high you can wash your clothes just by leaving them on the patio over night, or when a CAT 4 hurricane is headed our way, Florida is Paradise !
So I guess it stands to reason that folks living in Valdez, Alaska consider any day where the temperature is above Zero and there isn't 20 feet of snow on the ground with weather reports of another 14 inches on the way to be A PERFECT DAY IN PARADISE.
Yesterday D and I arrived here in the "quaint", scenic, cold town on the coast of Alaska. I have been here twice before and I DO love this place but believe me it is NOT PARADISE ! I don't know if the sun ever shines here because the town sits in a valley surrounded on 3 sides with a very very cold ocean on the forth side. The river that runs into this valley from the North East is a murky grey rushing glacial stream that is over flowing its banks right now with the melting snow from all the surrounding mountains. It is a breath taking ride from civilization, nearly 7 hours inland, down to the beginning of Prince William Sound which is where Valdez sits. It takes another 6 hours by boat to get to the open ocean. All there is here is water, mountains and snow. It is MAGNIFICENT but it sure isn't my idea of paradise.
The locals are a mix of fishermen and tree huggers. No offense intended to those of the human race who want to get back to nature but you sure as hell better be prepared for what nature has in store for you. I don't think I would make it a month here, beautiful as it is. There is one grocery store in town, a Safeway, that stocks EVERYTHING from food to winter hats, coats, gloves AND snowshoes. The food selection is minimal and caters to the "natural" life style of the townies. There is an abundance of Organic and "natural" food many of which I have never seen or heard of in my life. (I don't think there was a single Oreo cookie in the place.) I knew I was in trouble when I went to the produce department and there was a young mother selecting lettuce. (At least I think it was lettuce. It was something green.) The mom had her 3-4 year old daughter with her and was having the child SMELL the green stuff to determine which one was the freshest. They went through 3 different bunches before choosing one. I have never smelled a lettuce in my life nor do I ever plan on doing so. I wanted to scoop the child up and take her for ice cream except I don't think they have any here in town. They probably pour fish oil on snow as a treat.
It was as I was leaving the store that I overheard one shopper saying to another, "What a beautiful day it is. It's another perfect day in paradise". As I stepped out the door of Safeway and was blasted with an arctic wind the likes of which I have never experienced that I wondered if these folks could ever survive in Florida. I know they would hate it. They probably vacation in the antarctic.
Living in South Florida we ALWAYS say, "Another perfect day in paradise", to anyone we meet. It is taken for granted that living in the sunshine state is the "perfect" place to be. Even when it is 900 degrees in August, the humidity is so high you can wash your clothes just by leaving them on the patio over night, or when a CAT 4 hurricane is headed our way, Florida is Paradise !
So I guess it stands to reason that folks living in Valdez, Alaska consider any day where the temperature is above Zero and there isn't 20 feet of snow on the ground with weather reports of another 14 inches on the way to be A PERFECT DAY IN PARADISE.
Yesterday D and I arrived here in the "quaint", scenic, cold town on the coast of Alaska. I have been here twice before and I DO love this place but believe me it is NOT PARADISE ! I don't know if the sun ever shines here because the town sits in a valley surrounded on 3 sides with a very very cold ocean on the forth side. The river that runs into this valley from the North East is a murky grey rushing glacial stream that is over flowing its banks right now with the melting snow from all the surrounding mountains. It is a breath taking ride from civilization, nearly 7 hours inland, down to the beginning of Prince William Sound which is where Valdez sits. It takes another 6 hours by boat to get to the open ocean. All there is here is water, mountains and snow. It is MAGNIFICENT but it sure isn't my idea of paradise.
The locals are a mix of fishermen and tree huggers. No offense intended to those of the human race who want to get back to nature but you sure as hell better be prepared for what nature has in store for you. I don't think I would make it a month here, beautiful as it is. There is one grocery store in town, a Safeway, that stocks EVERYTHING from food to winter hats, coats, gloves AND snowshoes. The food selection is minimal and caters to the "natural" life style of the townies. There is an abundance of Organic and "natural" food many of which I have never seen or heard of in my life. (I don't think there was a single Oreo cookie in the place.) I knew I was in trouble when I went to the produce department and there was a young mother selecting lettuce. (At least I think it was lettuce. It was something green.) The mom had her 3-4 year old daughter with her and was having the child SMELL the green stuff to determine which one was the freshest. They went through 3 different bunches before choosing one. I have never smelled a lettuce in my life nor do I ever plan on doing so. I wanted to scoop the child up and take her for ice cream except I don't think they have any here in town. They probably pour fish oil on snow as a treat.
It was as I was leaving the store that I overheard one shopper saying to another, "What a beautiful day it is. It's another perfect day in paradise". As I stepped out the door of Safeway and was blasted with an arctic wind the likes of which I have never experienced that I wondered if these folks could ever survive in Florida. I know they would hate it. They probably vacation in the antarctic.
Monday, May 27, 2019
ROLLING ROLLING ROLLING
We are really getting good at this camping stuff now that we have been gone a whole week. Haven't killed each other yet and so it get easier every day.
Yesterday we had a wonderful day at the hot springs. We were up around 5:45 AM after sleeping 9 hours. It is so funny how we are both adjusting to early nights and early mornings. (I know all who know me are in shock at the idea that I am up and functioning before noon.) But since the sun doesn't go down till 11 and comes up at 3 it really doesn't matter what time it says on the clock.
We had a FANTASTIC nights sleep thanks to D FINALLY not needing the heat to be at 200 degrees all night and the fact that I took some Advil PM, put on a sleep mask and had a couple of rum and cokes with dinner.
This morning we were on the road 7:00 AM on our way to Tok, Alaska. FINALLY back in the states!!
Canada is weird !! All Canadians must be midgets because EVERY toilet sits about a foot and a half off the floor. I nearly killed myself the first time I sat on one. You expect your butt to hit the seat at about the same level every time but these toilets are SO LOW you need to hang on to the wall to keep from hitting the floor. Trying to get off the bowl is a whole another adventure. Thank God for the knee replacement ! The sinks are no better as they are set so low you have to bend over to wash your hands.
Any way . . . . we are back in the USA even if it is 3,300 miles from where we started. We drove 7 hours today and arrived in Tok at around 2:00. Set up our site at an all inclusive site, water, electric and SEWER !! That means that tonight I do NOT have to run across the campground in my jammies to go take a shower or pee. WOOPIE !!!!!!!! HOT shower IN the camper, a toilet that I can flush and dishes I can wash in the sink. Life is GOOD !!!
The camp ground is called "Sourdough" and apparently they have sourdough tossing contests each night, (today's breakfast left overs?) . The winner gets a free breakfast tomorrow. It SMELLS delicious of hot baked pie so I may stay here forever.
Dinner will be shrimp that we brought frozen from Michigan that D"s son brought to him from Alaska a month ago. Nice we are returning the shrimp back to their native state. We will grill them in our magic frying pan with some spices and herbs and save the leftovers to make shrimp salad tomorrow.
We are headed to Valdez tomorrow to meet D's son DJ and Rene and get MORE shrimp. They have been down there on the boat for 3 days fishing and shrimping. We will stay in Valdez about 6 days and then move on to the Kenai Peninsula for a few days. It is starting to get fun !!!
Yesterday we had a wonderful day at the hot springs. We were up around 5:45 AM after sleeping 9 hours. It is so funny how we are both adjusting to early nights and early mornings. (I know all who know me are in shock at the idea that I am up and functioning before noon.) But since the sun doesn't go down till 11 and comes up at 3 it really doesn't matter what time it says on the clock.
We had a FANTASTIC nights sleep thanks to D FINALLY not needing the heat to be at 200 degrees all night and the fact that I took some Advil PM, put on a sleep mask and had a couple of rum and cokes with dinner.
This morning we were on the road 7:00 AM on our way to Tok, Alaska. FINALLY back in the states!!
Canada is weird !! All Canadians must be midgets because EVERY toilet sits about a foot and a half off the floor. I nearly killed myself the first time I sat on one. You expect your butt to hit the seat at about the same level every time but these toilets are SO LOW you need to hang on to the wall to keep from hitting the floor. Trying to get off the bowl is a whole another adventure. Thank God for the knee replacement ! The sinks are no better as they are set so low you have to bend over to wash your hands.
Any way . . . . we are back in the USA even if it is 3,300 miles from where we started. We drove 7 hours today and arrived in Tok at around 2:00. Set up our site at an all inclusive site, water, electric and SEWER !! That means that tonight I do NOT have to run across the campground in my jammies to go take a shower or pee. WOOPIE !!!!!!!! HOT shower IN the camper, a toilet that I can flush and dishes I can wash in the sink. Life is GOOD !!!
The camp ground is called "Sourdough" and apparently they have sourdough tossing contests each night, (today's breakfast left overs?) . The winner gets a free breakfast tomorrow. It SMELLS delicious of hot baked pie so I may stay here forever.
Dinner will be shrimp that we brought frozen from Michigan that D"s son brought to him from Alaska a month ago. Nice we are returning the shrimp back to their native state. We will grill them in our magic frying pan with some spices and herbs and save the leftovers to make shrimp salad tomorrow.
We are headed to Valdez tomorrow to meet D's son DJ and Rene and get MORE shrimp. They have been down there on the boat for 3 days fishing and shrimping. We will stay in Valdez about 6 days and then move on to the Kenai Peninsula for a few days. It is starting to get fun !!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
After last nights craziness of trying to get internet access and get dinner and get the RV set up I thought you would appreciate hearing how wonderful today was. It was just one of those perfect days that make up for all the insanity for the past week. The reason it was so perfect was that it was a late, relaxed morning, a short drive, an early set up and THEN . . . . I got to soak in the Takhini Hot Springs outside of Whitehorse, YT.
In spite of a few episodes of nearly killing Dwayne in his sleep the day turned out GREAT ! Last night was another story. As you gathered from yesterdays blog I was at my last straw. Once we filled up on the HUGE burgers and fries we called it a night and I got to walk over to the shower house where I managed to ignore the nasty floor in the shower stall, cool myself down physically and emotionally and go back to the RV to settle down for the night. (What is it with camping showers that they all look like they have been around since the early 1900's and never been cleaned? Just once I would like to get to a campground that had modern CLEAN showers.) In spite of having devoured at least a half pound of burger and probably about 4 whole potatoes I fell sound asleep right away. The RV was comfortably warm/cool at just the right temperature for sleeping. All that changed at around 2 AM when we both woke up "chilly". I was a little chilly so I grabbed the second blanket at the bottom of my bed and rolled over ready to go right back to sleep. NOT ! Just as I was getting comfy again a little voice from the other side of the camper spoke. "Would you turn the heater on?!" SHIT ! It's all down hill from here as far as my nights sleep goes. We are now about to go from a comfortable 68 degrees to melting steel furnace. It can NEVER be too warm for this man who insists on sleeping in only shorts. Well of course you're going to be cold! Put your freaking flannel PJ's on and let me get some sleep! From that point on the heater kicked on and off and on and off and on and off fluctuating between 60 and 200 degrees. At this point I have given up on all hope for a decent sleep because I have melted into a puddle of sweat. From that point on I was in and out of sleep planning on where I would catch a flight home and the first possible moment. I finally gave up on all hope of sleep around 5:30 when I quietly, ( I was very tempted to slam every drawer and door), got dressed and snuck out to go for an early morning walk in hopes of getting devoured by a bear. In stead I caught a beautiful sun rise over the lake and met some very nice people walking their dogs. By the time I got back to the RV D had folded up the beds and linens and was ready to have a quiet breakfast. It was a relaxing morning because we weren't traveling far so we had coffee and sweet rolls in the camper, packed up easily and I got my first hands on lesson on emptying the potty tank. Sometimes life just doesn't get any sweeter ! HA !!
Actually the longer we are out the easier it is all getting and the more the man is settling down.
We drove about 2 hours and arrived in Whitehorse, (don't you love these names!). We stopped in Wally World for some things and tried to get some fish sandwiches at Mac Donalds but they "Only sell them at the 'main" Mac Donalds. God knows where that is? Washington DC ? So chicken nuggets it was. From Wally World it was only a matter of 10 miles to the hot springs where we got a lovely BIG camp spot, set up and off I went to soak my weary bones while D took a nap at the RV. The springs have been a "tourist" attraction forever. D was there for the first time back in 1985. The water is green, the "pool" was cement and old and stained by the various minerals in the water gut OH MY it felt wonderful to soak in the 190 degree water. I found a super comfy lounge chair to relax and read in between soaks and had myself 3 !/2 hours to myself while the man took a nap in the RV.
HEAVEN !!! I returned to the RV to find Mr. Man relaxing in the sun having a couple of beers and all was right with the world !
Except for the fact that I couldn't access the internet (what's new) last night it was a fantastic day. !!!!
In spite of a few episodes of nearly killing Dwayne in his sleep the day turned out GREAT ! Last night was another story. As you gathered from yesterdays blog I was at my last straw. Once we filled up on the HUGE burgers and fries we called it a night and I got to walk over to the shower house where I managed to ignore the nasty floor in the shower stall, cool myself down physically and emotionally and go back to the RV to settle down for the night. (What is it with camping showers that they all look like they have been around since the early 1900's and never been cleaned? Just once I would like to get to a campground that had modern CLEAN showers.) In spite of having devoured at least a half pound of burger and probably about 4 whole potatoes I fell sound asleep right away. The RV was comfortably warm/cool at just the right temperature for sleeping. All that changed at around 2 AM when we both woke up "chilly". I was a little chilly so I grabbed the second blanket at the bottom of my bed and rolled over ready to go right back to sleep. NOT ! Just as I was getting comfy again a little voice from the other side of the camper spoke. "Would you turn the heater on?!" SHIT ! It's all down hill from here as far as my nights sleep goes. We are now about to go from a comfortable 68 degrees to melting steel furnace. It can NEVER be too warm for this man who insists on sleeping in only shorts. Well of course you're going to be cold! Put your freaking flannel PJ's on and let me get some sleep! From that point on the heater kicked on and off and on and off and on and off fluctuating between 60 and 200 degrees. At this point I have given up on all hope for a decent sleep because I have melted into a puddle of sweat. From that point on I was in and out of sleep planning on where I would catch a flight home and the first possible moment. I finally gave up on all hope of sleep around 5:30 when I quietly, ( I was very tempted to slam every drawer and door), got dressed and snuck out to go for an early morning walk in hopes of getting devoured by a bear. In stead I caught a beautiful sun rise over the lake and met some very nice people walking their dogs. By the time I got back to the RV D had folded up the beds and linens and was ready to have a quiet breakfast. It was a relaxing morning because we weren't traveling far so we had coffee and sweet rolls in the camper, packed up easily and I got my first hands on lesson on emptying the potty tank. Sometimes life just doesn't get any sweeter ! HA !!
Actually the longer we are out the easier it is all getting and the more the man is settling down.
We drove about 2 hours and arrived in Whitehorse, (don't you love these names!). We stopped in Wally World for some things and tried to get some fish sandwiches at Mac Donalds but they "Only sell them at the 'main" Mac Donalds. God knows where that is? Washington DC ? So chicken nuggets it was. From Wally World it was only a matter of 10 miles to the hot springs where we got a lovely BIG camp spot, set up and off I went to soak my weary bones while D took a nap at the RV. The springs have been a "tourist" attraction forever. D was there for the first time back in 1985. The water is green, the "pool" was cement and old and stained by the various minerals in the water gut OH MY it felt wonderful to soak in the 190 degree water. I found a super comfy lounge chair to relax and read in between soaks and had myself 3 !/2 hours to myself while the man took a nap in the RV.
HEAVEN !!! I returned to the RV to find Mr. Man relaxing in the sun having a couple of beers and all was right with the world !
Except for the fact that I couldn't access the internet (what's new) last night it was a fantastic day. !!!!
Saturday, May 25, 2019
ARRRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH
It is coming to my attention that I am bitch that needs to live on a mountain top alone as long as I have internet access.
I have just had to walk across the camp ground to order dinner because the electric connection for the RV is glitchy and D is not handling that well. Thus I can not turn on the microwave or any other appliance in the RV for fear of loosing all electric.NO PROBLEM. I'll just walk over to the restaurant that is in the camp ground, order a couple of burgers and write a quick blog about today's adventures.
It just took me 15 (I kid you not) fifteen minutes to get on to the internet. I am not cut out for this. I want to return to civilization !
We did have a lovely day today (Note sarcasm being used here) driving what seemed like thousands of miles. It was ONLY 400 something. At one point when the man was doing 70 around curves in a mountain road I brought up the fact that I thought we were going to "TAKE OUR TIME" on this journey. "We have the RV so we can stop ANYWHERE. We can shower and use the potty in the RV if we need too." So I questioned the mad rush to drive this distance only to sit in a camp ground that is about as ugly as the NY City sewers. The showers are NASTY but we can't use theRV showers because then we would have to empty the tank. It just does not compute in my brain but at least the man slowed down to 55 and we managed not to go off the edge of the cliff and into the ice covered lake below.
The days are actually enjoyable and we laugh a lot but when we stop for the afternoon we are both tired and at our ropes end. Some things never change. This was EXACTLY what would happen with G and I. I guess it is me ! OR . . . . could it be a MAN THING ?? What ever it is I am trying my damndest to remain calm and kind. It is getting harder each evening.
Hopefully once again a good meal (not cold pizza tonight) and a shower(?) will improve my state of mind.
Got to go. My internet connection is about to expire. I would have had more time except it took me so damn long to get this connected. And dinner is almost ready for me to carry back across the camp ground to his royal highness.
(D is a great guy . . . I'm just venting. I can only imagine what he would write if he had a blog.)
I have just had to walk across the camp ground to order dinner because the electric connection for the RV is glitchy and D is not handling that well. Thus I can not turn on the microwave or any other appliance in the RV for fear of loosing all electric.NO PROBLEM. I'll just walk over to the restaurant that is in the camp ground, order a couple of burgers and write a quick blog about today's adventures.
It just took me 15 (I kid you not) fifteen minutes to get on to the internet. I am not cut out for this. I want to return to civilization !
We did have a lovely day today (Note sarcasm being used here) driving what seemed like thousands of miles. It was ONLY 400 something. At one point when the man was doing 70 around curves in a mountain road I brought up the fact that I thought we were going to "TAKE OUR TIME" on this journey. "We have the RV so we can stop ANYWHERE. We can shower and use the potty in the RV if we need too." So I questioned the mad rush to drive this distance only to sit in a camp ground that is about as ugly as the NY City sewers. The showers are NASTY but we can't use theRV showers because then we would have to empty the tank. It just does not compute in my brain but at least the man slowed down to 55 and we managed not to go off the edge of the cliff and into the ice covered lake below.
The days are actually enjoyable and we laugh a lot but when we stop for the afternoon we are both tired and at our ropes end. Some things never change. This was EXACTLY what would happen with G and I. I guess it is me ! OR . . . . could it be a MAN THING ?? What ever it is I am trying my damndest to remain calm and kind. It is getting harder each evening.
Hopefully once again a good meal (not cold pizza tonight) and a shower(?) will improve my state of mind.
Got to go. My internet connection is about to expire. I would have had more time except it took me so damn long to get this connected. And dinner is almost ready for me to carry back across the camp ground to his royal highness.
(D is a great guy . . . I'm just venting. I can only imagine what he would write if he had a blog.)
Friday, May 24, 2019
PIZZA AND BEER
It doesn't get much better than this. A warm motel room, a comfy bed, a TV, pizza delivery for dinner and beer. It is crazy how tired you get when just riding in a RV. Maybe because I am the one jumping, (well not really jumping, more like crawling), in and out of the front seat to get the man a drink of water, make a sandwich, "run" into Walmart to pick up a dozen or so things, and pump the gas every time we stop. But why should I be tired. I told D today it was a good thing he is traveling with a young woman instead of an old lady. I find it ironic that I used to complain ALL the time that Ger was so needy. This isn't a case of needy so much as unable to physically manage these things, sort of. I am beginning to wonder !
Here we have a man who has COPD . . .. fact is it is a debilitating disease, I get that. BUT the man has the government paying for him to go to PULMONARY REHAB twice a week so he can build up his strength and lungs. He calls me at night and tells me how he walked a mile UP HILL, on the treadmill at rehab. He is so proud of himself ! But yesterday when we pulled into a camp ground I got to hook up the electric and water. How difficult is it to hook a hose to a spigot and put an electric cord into a socket ??? And that is just the beginning, . . Today I got to empty the "Grey Water" from the camper. Let me tell you what a treat that was! It is only dirty water from the sinks in the RV but it is just the build up to when we stop at the next camp ground and I will get to empty the NASTY tank into a sewer. I know the this will be my chore because as we drove 380 miles today I got a blow by blow lesson on how to perform this wonderful task. Good thing I'm not squeamish or a dainty little prissy girl. This is one tough lady here and I'm up for anything just as long every so often I get a night in a nice warm motel with pizza and beer. This man is NOT stupid. He knows how to keep me happy!
Here we have a man who has COPD . . .. fact is it is a debilitating disease, I get that. BUT the man has the government paying for him to go to PULMONARY REHAB twice a week so he can build up his strength and lungs. He calls me at night and tells me how he walked a mile UP HILL, on the treadmill at rehab. He is so proud of himself ! But yesterday when we pulled into a camp ground I got to hook up the electric and water. How difficult is it to hook a hose to a spigot and put an electric cord into a socket ??? And that is just the beginning, . . Today I got to empty the "Grey Water" from the camper. Let me tell you what a treat that was! It is only dirty water from the sinks in the RV but it is just the build up to when we stop at the next camp ground and I will get to empty the NASTY tank into a sewer. I know the this will be my chore because as we drove 380 miles today I got a blow by blow lesson on how to perform this wonderful task. Good thing I'm not squeamish or a dainty little prissy girl. This is one tough lady here and I'm up for anything just as long every so often I get a night in a nice warm motel with pizza and beer. This man is NOT stupid. He knows how to keep me happy!
Thursday, May 23, 2019
A NIGHT OUT
We have stopped for the night at a nice little camp ground in the MIDDLE of a city. You just never know what you are going to find when you are on the road and ready to stop. 2 nights ago we couldn't find a place and tonight we are in the middle of Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada.
Canada is an interesting place to say the least. Coming across from North Dakota we were in flat, flat, flat land. Today we got into some nice hills and forests. We saw an elk, a wolf and some deer all just off the road. Then we crested a hill and the land was flat as a pancake again. Here sits the city of Grande Prairie like a turd in the middle of the street. This is about the ugliest town I have ever seen. It has ZERO personality and is just blagh to look at. And yet right off the main road sits this tiny little camp ground with showers and laundry down a little hill so you don't see or hear the traffic that is only about 100 feet away.
This should do very nicely for the night if I don't melt because the man has all the windows and doors locked up tight to stay warm. It is 60 degrees outside and I am warmer than warm. Hopefully I will cool down on the walk up and down the hill to the laundry.
Why is it men can not think on their feet ?? When we were driving here today D asked me to find us a camp ground in this area. This one came up and because it had a laundry we decided to stay here. Now I had to call the camp ground to see if they had anything available for the night. The phone is on speaker, D is driving and the girl from the camp ground is asking all sorts of questions that the man can not focus on and drive at the same time. SO I get to make the decisions and answer the questions and you always know the isn't a good thing because I am NEVER going to get it right. Do we want a spot up top near the showers OR do we want a spot down the bottom that is a pull through ? There hangs the question as the girl on the other end of the phone is impatiently tapping her fingers. I say one near the showers for the sake of the man who can not walk that far. I figure he is a pro at backing this thing in and out but he says NO to that plan so here we are at the bottom of the hill where I get to walk up and down with a load of laundry.
Will I ever stop complaining.??
Canada is an interesting place to say the least. Coming across from North Dakota we were in flat, flat, flat land. Today we got into some nice hills and forests. We saw an elk, a wolf and some deer all just off the road. Then we crested a hill and the land was flat as a pancake again. Here sits the city of Grande Prairie like a turd in the middle of the street. This is about the ugliest town I have ever seen. It has ZERO personality and is just blagh to look at. And yet right off the main road sits this tiny little camp ground with showers and laundry down a little hill so you don't see or hear the traffic that is only about 100 feet away.
This should do very nicely for the night if I don't melt because the man has all the windows and doors locked up tight to stay warm. It is 60 degrees outside and I am warmer than warm. Hopefully I will cool down on the walk up and down the hill to the laundry.
Why is it men can not think on their feet ?? When we were driving here today D asked me to find us a camp ground in this area. This one came up and because it had a laundry we decided to stay here. Now I had to call the camp ground to see if they had anything available for the night. The phone is on speaker, D is driving and the girl from the camp ground is asking all sorts of questions that the man can not focus on and drive at the same time. SO I get to make the decisions and answer the questions and you always know the isn't a good thing because I am NEVER going to get it right. Do we want a spot up top near the showers OR do we want a spot down the bottom that is a pull through ? There hangs the question as the girl on the other end of the phone is impatiently tapping her fingers. I say one near the showers for the sake of the man who can not walk that far. I figure he is a pro at backing this thing in and out but he says NO to that plan so here we are at the bottom of the hill where I get to walk up and down with a load of laundry.
Will I ever stop complaining.??
I TAKE IT ALL BACK
Amazing what a good nights sleep will do for a person. Yesterday I was feeling so tired and yucky from my stomach issues on the night before and God Bless this man, he realized I was at the end of my rope. As we got going yesterday D made the suggestion that we stop in this town for the night at a Days Inn so we could get a nice room, shower, and sleep in a real bed after having a real dinner.
11 hours of sleep later I am feeling like a new person and ready to continue this journey.
D has even dangled a carrot in front of me in the form of a stop down the road at a camp ground with a HOT SPRING where we will actually stay 2 (TWO) nights!
If they also have internet I may stay there forever.
I'll keep you posted when I have the opportunity !
11 hours of sleep later I am feeling like a new person and ready to continue this journey.
D has even dangled a carrot in front of me in the form of a stop down the road at a camp ground with a HOT SPRING where we will actually stay 2 (TWO) nights!
If they also have internet I may stay there forever.
I'll keep you posted when I have the opportunity !
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP ME ???
I am too old for this . . . As loyal friends and family what the hell were you all thinking when I told you I was driving to Alaska in an RV ????? Did none of you say, "ARE YOU CRAZY!!??" or perhaps you could have delicately mentioned that camping as a 34 year old is MUCH different than camping as a 74 year old ! I know I would not have listened but at least you could have provided me with food for thought.
Now here I am a couple of thousand miles away from home and ready to jump a freight train just to get out of here. (And by the way, I have seen more freight trains in the past 2 days than I have seen all my life. It seems that train is the major form of transporting goods up in the wilds of northern US and Canada.)
As for the whole RV experiment / experience let me just say DON'T DO IT !! I am way over this shit of cooking on a one burner stove, freezing my ass off all night, being attacked by killer flies, and tracking across a field to get to the bathroom, even though there IS a bathroom in the RV.
Wait, I think I have just figured out the problem with this camping shit . . . I am not doing it ALONE! Once again my companion is a man and we all know how that can screw up any experience. If I were alone with this neat little RV I would travel a couple of hours, stopping here and there to see all sorts of interesting stuff, (like the worlds biggest glob of ear wax). I would stop at a campground early in the afternoon, get the entire package of hook-ups, (sewer, water and electric), connect everything to the RV, grab a drink, sit in my travel lawn chair and enjoy a good book. Sounds pretty good right? But I am not alone ! THE MAN is in charge, as all men feel the need to be, and although we have a FULL bathroom with toilet, sink and shower, heat AND AC, comfortable fold out beds and all the time in the world, we are racing down the road to hell at a record rate of speed. Only stopping for gas and to sleep at night. I am making sandwiches in the back of the RV as we hurl down that highway to hell. Carry all the food up to the front seats where I have smashed my forehead EVERY time as I try to maneuver around the 3 (YES THREE) oxygen machines that are all sitting behind the driver's seat. (I get it, really I do. If I couldn't breathe I would most defiantly want back ups but must they ALL be stacked up in the same place where I get to fall over them ALL the time?)
When we stop for the night it gets even more interesting because we are only paying for electric hook up. (Sewer and water take too much TIME to connect and one of us doesn't want to be bothered, SO when I have to pee and want to take I shower I walk to the bath house. Now, this is the man that bought the RV because it would be soooooooo much easier for him to have the toilet and shower right there in the RV so he doesn't have to walk far. (He is really in rough shape when it comes to walking any distance.)
Last night it got so cold but Mr. Stubborn took all his crap and one of the oxygen machines and went to the showers. By the time he came back he was exhausted AND freezing AND had dropped his dirty underwear and shirt on the floor of the mens shower. Guess who had to go back and get them for him? I finally got to shower and came back to the RV to freeze because we can only use the little tiny space heater and NOT the heater in the camper that runs off propane gas. Don't ask me why he bought this RV if we aren't taking full advantage of its features.
But I had my revenge last night. I woke up at 10:30, (we had gone to bed at 8:30) and I was so sick to my stomach. I knew I wouldn't make it to the bath house so I used the RV toilet for what God and man intended a toilet to be used for. I was damned it I cared that I was filling up our septic tank and not only that but I will laugh my fool head off when you know who has to empty the damn thing.
I was up all night every hour on the hour and freezing freezing freezing. I had put on my heavy hoodie and sweat pants with wool socks and I was still cold. Finally at 5 AM this morning the man decided to give the propane heater a try for my sake and it was FABULOUS.
It isn't Dwayne, it is ALL men. They have grandiose ideas but when you get down to it they just dip shit though life until we whop them upside their heads !
I see a BIG whooping in Dwayne's future !!
Now here I am a couple of thousand miles away from home and ready to jump a freight train just to get out of here. (And by the way, I have seen more freight trains in the past 2 days than I have seen all my life. It seems that train is the major form of transporting goods up in the wilds of northern US and Canada.)
As for the whole RV experiment / experience let me just say DON'T DO IT !! I am way over this shit of cooking on a one burner stove, freezing my ass off all night, being attacked by killer flies, and tracking across a field to get to the bathroom, even though there IS a bathroom in the RV.
Wait, I think I have just figured out the problem with this camping shit . . . I am not doing it ALONE! Once again my companion is a man and we all know how that can screw up any experience. If I were alone with this neat little RV I would travel a couple of hours, stopping here and there to see all sorts of interesting stuff, (like the worlds biggest glob of ear wax). I would stop at a campground early in the afternoon, get the entire package of hook-ups, (sewer, water and electric), connect everything to the RV, grab a drink, sit in my travel lawn chair and enjoy a good book. Sounds pretty good right? But I am not alone ! THE MAN is in charge, as all men feel the need to be, and although we have a FULL bathroom with toilet, sink and shower, heat AND AC, comfortable fold out beds and all the time in the world, we are racing down the road to hell at a record rate of speed. Only stopping for gas and to sleep at night. I am making sandwiches in the back of the RV as we hurl down that highway to hell. Carry all the food up to the front seats where I have smashed my forehead EVERY time as I try to maneuver around the 3 (YES THREE) oxygen machines that are all sitting behind the driver's seat. (I get it, really I do. If I couldn't breathe I would most defiantly want back ups but must they ALL be stacked up in the same place where I get to fall over them ALL the time?)
When we stop for the night it gets even more interesting because we are only paying for electric hook up. (Sewer and water take too much TIME to connect and one of us doesn't want to be bothered, SO when I have to pee and want to take I shower I walk to the bath house. Now, this is the man that bought the RV because it would be soooooooo much easier for him to have the toilet and shower right there in the RV so he doesn't have to walk far. (He is really in rough shape when it comes to walking any distance.)
Last night it got so cold but Mr. Stubborn took all his crap and one of the oxygen machines and went to the showers. By the time he came back he was exhausted AND freezing AND had dropped his dirty underwear and shirt on the floor of the mens shower. Guess who had to go back and get them for him? I finally got to shower and came back to the RV to freeze because we can only use the little tiny space heater and NOT the heater in the camper that runs off propane gas. Don't ask me why he bought this RV if we aren't taking full advantage of its features.
But I had my revenge last night. I woke up at 10:30, (we had gone to bed at 8:30) and I was so sick to my stomach. I knew I wouldn't make it to the bath house so I used the RV toilet for what God and man intended a toilet to be used for. I was damned it I cared that I was filling up our septic tank and not only that but I will laugh my fool head off when you know who has to empty the damn thing.
I was up all night every hour on the hour and freezing freezing freezing. I had put on my heavy hoodie and sweat pants with wool socks and I was still cold. Finally at 5 AM this morning the man decided to give the propane heater a try for my sake and it was FABULOUS.
It isn't Dwayne, it is ALL men. They have grandiose ideas but when you get down to it they just dip shit though life until we whop them upside their heads !
I see a BIG whooping in Dwayne's future !!
Saturday, May 18, 2019
SLOWER THAN SLOW
If you think I am talking about myself you are wrong. I am a marathon runner compared to the speed of the internet up here in Northern Michigan. It is slower than molasses in Michigan in January. If I had to live up here for any length of time I undoubtedly would shoot myself or move into Mac Donalds permanently just for their WIFI . I can't even use Starbucks because the closest one is about 60 miles away. Talk about being out in the country !!
I do love visiting up here but every time I come I am reminded that I am a New Yorker at heart and basically want things done in hyper speed not at the speed of a three legged turtle on Zanax. It is impossible not to get frustrated that it takes 20 minutes to down load my mail and 40 minutes to read through it because every time there is a change of screen it all has to start over from the beginning. I am used to tapping a key and INSTANTLY seeing the next screen. Up here I can take a 30 minute nap end not miss a thing.
And that isn't even mentioning the fact that the computer/phone first has to spend an hour searching for a signal. Freaking shoot me now !!!!!!
I have no idea if once this blog is written it will ever see the light of day. I may get to the end of this, hit the "publish" button and find this still here two days from now. None of this bothers Dwayne because he does not use his computer and does not have an I phone. The man still has the phone that was one step up from a flip phone. His is the type that has a little key board that slides out from under the phone. It takes him 2 hours to text "O.K." in response to any messages he receives. And speaking of messages, the man has 96 messages sitting in his phone. I offered to delete them for him yesterday and it was as if I had suggested I murder his first born child. What the hell is it with men and cell phones ?? God forbid you delete anything. As if that 8 month old text from the drug store saying his prescription is ready really needs to remain in the phone. I don't get it !
And if I may continue with my complaints of life is the northern regions of the country. . . . Could some one please find a way to get the water back to normal. It seems that well water is NOT as wonderful as you would think. It has a funky sulphur smell to it and when I take a shower I never feel like I have gotten all the soap off because my skin feels "slimy". I have read all sorts of information on this phenomenon and supposedly this water is GOOD because it doesn't strip all the oils off your skin and this slimy feeling is actually a good thing. Well let me tell you that after 74 years of bathing in "normal" water that makes me feel squeaky clean this stuff just makes me feel like I need to keep rinsing and rinsing till I get all the soap off. But that creates another problem. The more water that I am using to wash, .the quicker the septic tank is filling up. Who the hell has septic tanks in this day and age?
I really don't think I am cut out for this country living after all. And I am now about to embark on a new adventure where I will be living in an RV for the next month. What was I thinking ????
I do love visiting up here but every time I come I am reminded that I am a New Yorker at heart and basically want things done in hyper speed not at the speed of a three legged turtle on Zanax. It is impossible not to get frustrated that it takes 20 minutes to down load my mail and 40 minutes to read through it because every time there is a change of screen it all has to start over from the beginning. I am used to tapping a key and INSTANTLY seeing the next screen. Up here I can take a 30 minute nap end not miss a thing.
And that isn't even mentioning the fact that the computer/phone first has to spend an hour searching for a signal. Freaking shoot me now !!!!!!
I have no idea if once this blog is written it will ever see the light of day. I may get to the end of this, hit the "publish" button and find this still here two days from now. None of this bothers Dwayne because he does not use his computer and does not have an I phone. The man still has the phone that was one step up from a flip phone. His is the type that has a little key board that slides out from under the phone. It takes him 2 hours to text "O.K." in response to any messages he receives. And speaking of messages, the man has 96 messages sitting in his phone. I offered to delete them for him yesterday and it was as if I had suggested I murder his first born child. What the hell is it with men and cell phones ?? God forbid you delete anything. As if that 8 month old text from the drug store saying his prescription is ready really needs to remain in the phone. I don't get it !
And if I may continue with my complaints of life is the northern regions of the country. . . . Could some one please find a way to get the water back to normal. It seems that well water is NOT as wonderful as you would think. It has a funky sulphur smell to it and when I take a shower I never feel like I have gotten all the soap off because my skin feels "slimy". I have read all sorts of information on this phenomenon and supposedly this water is GOOD because it doesn't strip all the oils off your skin and this slimy feeling is actually a good thing. Well let me tell you that after 74 years of bathing in "normal" water that makes me feel squeaky clean this stuff just makes me feel like I need to keep rinsing and rinsing till I get all the soap off. But that creates another problem. The more water that I am using to wash, .the quicker the septic tank is filling up. Who the hell has septic tanks in this day and age?
I really don't think I am cut out for this country living after all. And I am now about to embark on a new adventure where I will be living in an RV for the next month. What was I thinking ????
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)