California Experiences

You say you want to know what has been happening since we’ve been in California? Oh you may be sorry you asked! The first order of business was to see the kids, check. Next item on our priority list was to get the car situation figured out. What a mess that was! It took us a few days to get the logistics worked out. We had to find out from the insurance company what the series of events were going to be. How long were repairs going to take. That sort of thing. Well was I just a Polly Anna thinking nut job. The car was seven years old, had over 100K miles on it and major damage. Oh yeah, they totaled it!!!! My poor car, that had been all over the country and had been on roads that no self respecting compact car would have ever dared! That car was a trouper and now it was totaled. So that meant we had to get a new car. Of course that opened up a whole can of worms, but in retrospect this might have been a blessing. Fixing the damage to the car would have taken weeks. 

So we find ourselves car shopping. We decide Tuesday is the drop dead day. We are going out in the morning and not coming home without a car. I contacted every Hyundai dealer in the area. I told them what I needed, hit me with your best deal. Our plan was to go to two dealers but we were going to end up at the third and buy the little red car he had. It was cute, it didn't have cruise control but they told me that wasn't an option with a manual transmission, bull shit!, but we were having a hell of a time even finding a stick shift.  I wasn't going to make that a deal buster. 

We cruised into the first place, we ask to see the guy we had been messaging, he is out. Someone else is going to help us, a a slight side step, but OK. He goes off to find the paperwork on the car and he is going to bring it around, GREAT. It’s an automatic!!! Helloooooo, I know nobody drives a stick anymore but I did think they knew the difference. Apparently NOT! That was the only stick shift they had, even though it wasn't a stick shift so we left. As we are walking out the door I can hear the guy say but I can find you one at another store. . .  So dude, you shot your wad and you blew it. Damn it, the next guy on the list was an ass and we didn't like his attitude. He was very smart mouthed. We decided to skip him and just go get the little red car. So I called the guy at that dealership and told him we were on our way. He was so confident, isn't that cute, he said he would bring the car around and be waiting for us. We weren't five minutes down the road and the phone rings. It was our little guy, I was so hopeful, I thought maybe he was going to tell us they were washing it or something, HAH!!!! He tells me it was hit, it was in their collision area. I had to have him repeat that. It just didn't make sense. He said a rental had hit it. WTF!!! Am I living under a dark cloud or something. I mean, come on people throw me a freaking bone here. 

There was a fourth option, we called them. I tell them we are about 30 minutes away. The guys says well the car isn’t actually there. It was at their sister store, my blood pressure by this time must have been off the charts. The guys says we can come in and look at the automatics and take a test drive in one of those while they bring it from the other store. I told him I didn't need to look at the car, I knew what the car was like, wanted to see the car I was going to be buying. Really is that so much to ask? So again, I'm on the phone calling a dealership to tell them I'm coming to look at a car, I'm not stupid. I went to the dealership that actually had the car. We got there and a very nice young man showed us the only manual transmission Elantra they had. It was very scaled down and black. Really the only color I didn't want. Whatever, at this point I wasn't holding out much hope. So he went to get the keys, we were going to take a drive. I was standing there waiting for him to come back and another two salesmen came up to me and were making small talk and I was telling them I wasn't thrilled by my options with the car, but they only had the one manual. The one guy says no we have another, if I want to consider the sport package. I told him we didn't want a two-door, he said that it was a four-door just a sport package of options. So we looked at it and fell in love. Looking back I have to wonder if they were really skilled salesmen, they show me a car that isn't much, then drop one that is another $6K in ours laps. Boy, they were good!! So anyway, we have a new car!! 

Now the much lauded and awaited event. Our little Maddox has come into the world and is a beautiful baby and a perfect gentleman. He is just the sweetest baby ever. Oh and Courtney is such a trouper! She came through a c-section with flying colors and no complaints. I envy this girl. She was so good about having to give up her car with her last few days to get things in order before another baby comes. She deserves a reward!! 

Evelyn is actually dealing with her mother being away better than expected. She is loving to her little brother and even gives him little kisses. It is adorable to watch. Aiden has been brave and has held Maddox. The poor kid is so stiff, he is trying so hard to hold the baby in just the right position. Of course all of this is only when they can pry him from my clutches. Hey, great grand-mom gets priority!

What a crazy time we have had since getting to California. It has been wonderful spending time with Curtis, Courtney, Aiden, Evelyn and now Maddox. More will be coming soon. Oh and did I mention the brush fire that broke out not far from our campground? We thought we might be evacuated, but nothing much came of it. Thank God!! And what is up with the traffic, oh my GOD! Oh well, see you all soon. . . 

  

We Are In California

Ok so here is the up to the minute update. . . 

Yesterday we ARRIVED safe and sound!! We were first greeted by wonderful people in the campground office. Helpful, sweet, welcoming, friendly; I just can't say enough. We are in a great site. We were able to just pull right in and there is plenty of room, even some shade. It is however, very dusty here. All the work we did washing the RV was a waist of time and energy. It is filthy, between sitting on the side of the road in Arizona and then the campground we stayed at in Arizona and now this, oh Lord it’s bad.

Not long after our arrival Curtis called, he was bringing the kids over. Aiden is a wonderful young man. He was so very polite and a good looking boy. Evelyn was wonderful. She talks up a storm the only problem is only she knows what she's saying. We spent a nice afternoon with the kids and thank God Curtis was here to give steve a hand with the car. 

Steve called Progressive and got the ball rolling with repairs on the car. It was taken by a tow truck to a collision center. Hopefully it will be a quick turnaround. For the time being we are a huge burden on Curtis and Courtney, when the purpose of our trip out here was to help. Oh well!!

Courtney came over after her doctor apt and monitoring session. It was so wonderful to see her, happy, healthy, and looking gorgeous. Our little Maddox is doing just fine. Courtney is doing a great job. 

This morning I was able to walk again. The campground we’re at is really hilly! I'm going to be a mountain goat by the time we get home. The air is so very dry here too. I don't know how people don't turn into raisins. The highlight of my walk was the wildlife I saw. I saw a lizard which isn't very special, we have them in Florida. I did however see an abundance of bunnies, and I think I saw a roadrunner bird, thank God no coyote was chasing him. Then there was a little rodent type thing that I didn't get a good enough glimpse of. I'm not sure if it was a weasel or ferret or what but it had a long bushy tail and just before it scurried into a drainage pipe it grabbed hold of the top of it and watched me sort of like a prairie dog. 

We are going to have a great time while we are here in California. Now I just hope the heat breaks so that we can enjoy the outside more. 

Trouble on the Road

Ok, when I tell you we have been going through Hell I am not kidding!! It has been so very hot, and we are traveling through the desert southwest. You know, when you talk to people and they say “it’s not so bad, it's a ‘dry’ heat”, their idiots. Let's see, a “dry heat”, what can that be likened to? Oh I don't know, AN OVEN! People it is horrible!!! Just horrible I tell you. 

When we got to Las Cruces, New Mexico yesterday at 2:30pm, it was already over 100°. We have been getting on the road early, really early, but knowing the expected highs for today we were on the road by 6:00, in the A.M. Now I don't do that often, oh Hell who am I kidding, I don't do that at all. When the outside temperatures are that high the RV A/C units can't keep up. We were at 80° until after 7:00pm. That's a little too warm for my liking. 

Because of this weather issue our plans have changed. We were going to take a break from the road for a few days at a nice campground in Arizona and arrive refreshed and ready for all the fun and excitement that awaits us in California. Instead we are going to just overnight in Arizona and head out tomorrow morning for California. Tonopah, Arizona is expecting temperatures around 120° by Wednesday. Hell NO!!! I have no desire to watch Satan walk unabashed down the streets of town, nope not doing it. 

Well dear friends, don't let anybody tell you traveling isn't an adventure, cause I'm here to tell you it is. We thought we were the shit. We were on the road before light this morning. We are traveling along, no traffic to speak of, two happy little clams, then don't you know, out of nowhere, TROUBLE!! Isn't that always the way? 

First we got a toot from a car going by. Steve thought she was worried that we didn't see her because we were going to change lanes, so we paid no attention. Then just a bit further a guy honks, pretty insistently and signals for us to pull over. Well don't you know, here comes the trouble I was talking about. A very nice man comes up to the RV to let us know we have a flat on the car. He was understating that by a million. The tire was gone, just shredded. We were riding on the rim and didn’t even realize it in the motorhome!  No indication whatsoever.  It did some damage too; tore out a major wiring harness, popped the hood, ripped electrical connectors from under the dash, and dented the fender. Oh for the love of God, aren't the temperatures enough to deal with? Well I guess not! So as I am writing this we are sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck to see if he can get the tire changed. The scissor jack that comes with the car would not raise even the bare rim off of the ground so that we could put on the donut spare.  From here who's know what, but fear not, I will keep you posted. 

Well to all our friends and loved ones, I'll let you decide into which category you fall, the tow truck driver finally arrived. It only took twice as long as they said. Oh his incident cost us over 4 1/2 hours in the heat!  The good news is he was able to get the tire changed  and he was able to suggest a U-Haul location in Tucson. They had a tow dolly and they even helped us push the car onto it in 100°+. There are several people in the Tucson area that we will be indebted to forever. Thanks guys! 

We have made it to the campground in Tonopah and the temperature isn’t as high as the surface of the sun, it’s just unGodly, so we are making progress. Tomorrow will be better because we will be in California. So I will update you later with all our excitement and pictures. 

Day 2

I will tell you what. . . We got on the road about five minutes from one heck of a storm this morning. We could hear the thunder rumbling in the distance and we beat feet to get going. It poured with lightning and thunder until we hit the Alabama line then it cleared right up. The Alabama Chamber of Commerce has it going on. That was a nice welcome to our state. 

We will be stopping in Texas tonight and tomorrow night. Texas is a BIG state! Tomorrow and Saturday for a large chunk of those days we won't have cell service. The campground we’ll be staying at on Friday night there is no cell service, no wifi, no cable, and people say I don't do primitive camping. Tsk, tsk!! What more could a girl be expected to give up, I mean come on people. 

We are at our campground for the night. It's going to be an early night so that we can get on the road and go tomorrow morning.

🎵 Cal-a-forn-ya 🎶 here 🎶 we 🎶 come 🎵

Well we are off again!!!! It is always so difficult to say goodbye to all our friends, even though it is only for a few months and in spite of the fact that we are going to see our great-grandchildren. So shaking off the melancholy we are looking forward. 

We had quite a few hiccups getting ready for this trip and don't you know every darn day it rained, or at least that’s how it seemed. First was the issue of just finding a place to stay in California. I called campgrounds that had waiting lists, one went out two years. Can you imagine? Then this little thing happened and that, but we are on the road so all is good!!

Today, and for the next five days, it will be nothing but driving. Driving, driving and more driving. Hell, just going through Texas will take us two and a half days. This is a long trip, but God willing we will have no issues on the road and we can just concentrate on our destination. 

We are taking the same route we took the last time when we went out to see the west coast Bakers. There is something to be said for familiarity. It worries me though, we will be traveling west, in the summer, by the southern most route. We may be really hot some days. Oh and going through Louisiana is a nightmare. Their section of I10 is just horrible, but it beats air travel any day of the week. 

Curtis and Courtney have been so good about keeping Evelyn familiar with us. She always reacts with a huge smile when she hears our voices on video chat. I just can't wait to see what kind of a greeting we get in person. I love to imagine what goes on in the head of little ones. She doesn't remember when we were there before I’m sure. All she knows is we are a voice and video on daddy’s phone and then we are going to show up on the door step. Is Sponge Bob going to be next, or maybe Peppa Pig? It is really crazy when you think about it!! Poor child she has got a lot of weird things that are going to be happening in the coming weeks. 

So stay tuned my loyal followers, you will travel on this journey with us, through all the twists and turns and this isn't even a reality show. 

🎵 Cal-a-forn-ya 🎶 here 🎶 we 🎶 come 🎵