Time

In reading the blogs of folks who want to begin their RV travels full time, they all seem to be impatient and anxious for whatever has to happen - retire from the job, sell the house, health issues, and so on. In looking at my own experience, then and now, I would say to everyone - just try to live in and enjoy the present. The future gets here before we know it, and the time spent waiting and hoping and dreaming can never be regained. Day passes into day, and week into week, and while I would never want to go back, I wish I had spent more time enjoying the grandson hugs while waiting for my RV in New York, or the spectacular mountain views from my front deck in North Carolina--the list is endless.

I will fly into Sioux Falls, SD on the 24th of March and return the next evening. I phoned the DMV and made sure that they would be open and that I had the correct address to obtain my driver's license. Then I phoned the motel where I have reservations to see if they had an airport shuttle. DUH! No shuttle. I asked the clerk if she could give me an estimate of the taxi fare to the airport and she said "maybe 10, 15, 20 dollars". That sounds like she has no idea but figured she was in the ballpark. I was wishing I had reserved a rental car, but then remembered I will arrive and leave in the hours after dark. Do I want to drive a rental car in a city I've never been to? After dark? Naah, I'll just pay the cab fare.

I've had several people comment on the cost of my trip just to obtain a SD license. The plane/motel fare is offset by whatever surcharges the insurance company is planning on levying because my vehicle tags don't match the d/l, as well as the fact that there could be a problem for me if I were stopped for whatever reason - sometimes the police just set up a roadblock to check licenses & things like that. I could face a stiff fine. I have no desire to take the chance and will just do what I have to do, and I will no doubt exercise a little civil disobedience in some other way!

I had a real scare earlier today. I was on my way to a laundromat where I could wash the dog bed covers and towels, and stopped about a block from the park to mail a letter in the box. I am always leery about getting out of my car and leaving it running, so I hit the global unlock button and try not to close the door all the way as I'm terrified of locking myself out. I mailed the letter and sure enough, could not open the driver's side door. While I was mentally using my "sailor language" and wondering if I have a spare key back in the rig, I decided to try the passenger door. It opened! I hit the unlock button on the door and made sure my driver's side would open - then went back and securely shut the passenger side. There was a group of 3 people nearby and I thought how silly I must have looked, running around my vehicle, back, around again, etc. I carry an extra set of keys for both car & RV, but of course they are in a zipped pocket in my purse, which was inside the truck.

I feel the same way dumb when I'm hitching up to leave and have to constantly run around the rig, checking turn signals on both vehicles, emergency lights, and all the light systems except brakes, which I can't do by myself. At times like that I wish I had a husband I could send chasing around the vehicles, although it would probably still be me doing the chasing around.