Camping Behind the Shop

ME AND THE CAT, 

CAMPING BEHIND THE SHOP

I've been out having a life, but not blogging about it, for going on about a year now.  I came back from my Thailand trip with a bad case of thyroid disease, and never did have the energy to write it up with all the gorgeous pictures.  I replaced my 1985 Toyota Dolphin with a 1984 20-foot Lazy Daze mini-motorhome, "Brownie".  I've been on an epic RV trip up the Great River Road with my partner Steve, and I flew to visit my daughter in Seattle where I frugally camped rather than pay high hotel prices.  Boy, I've got some stories!  But they'll have to wait.  I'm going to tell you about today.

I'm trying to resume aspects of my life that fell by the wayside when fatigue set in so badly a year or so ago.  I have been able to maintain most aspects of my nomadic life.  Most months, I open my art gallery in Truth or Consequences for about four days during and surrounding our Second Saturday Art Hop, a citywide event (on both streets!).  When I don't have Sun Gallery open, I'm out looking for inventory, painting, or traveling. But I haven't had the energy for "extra" commitments, such as blogging.  I'm hoping that is over.

Sunset at Texas Canyon, a rest stop along I-10 in Cochise County, Arizona, where I spent a night on the way back to TorC

I just got back from a visit to our primitive campground in Why, Arizona, and now I'm keeping the gallery open for six weekends in a row to capitalize on the holiday shopping and high tourism season.  I drove in from Deming, my last stop on the way back to TorC, on Tuesday morning, had a coffee party in Brownie with a couple of dear friends, and then went into the gallery to work for a while.  

In the afternoon when I was ready to leave, Brownie didn't start!  I called Steve, and we ruled out the battery, because the headlights and various other lights work.  After a little research, we realized it has to be the ignition switch or starter or possibly the alternator.  So, Brownie needs a tow to my mechanic.  

Because I'm working all weekend at the gallery, I decided to put off the tow until Tuesday, the day my mechanic has time to deal with my rig.  So, in the meantime, I'm camped in downtown TorC.  

I was upset by being stuck here for a little while, because I'd envisioned camping at this bend in the Rio Grande that's a free Bureau of Reclamation site:

Instead, my view is this (which improves during weekday hours when the honey bucket trucks are out working):

So it goes.  I was kind of upset for a little while, but I got over it pretty quickly once I'd walked over to the Pelican Spa for a soak in the hot springs and then eaten a big bowl of green chili at Latitude 33.  Downtown living ain't bad, I remembered.  My gallery is actually just a few doors down from the apartment where Sonja, Steve and I once spent a winter, so this is all really familiar.  The cat is fearless about hanging out in the parking lot back here, so I have to watch her carefully.

I'm prepared for the possibility that Brownie might have to be at the mechanic's shop overnight.  If necessary, I can stay in the gallery.  More dear friends are coming to my rescue, lending me an inflatable bed and a dorm size fridge.  I already have small kitchen appliances to make it possible to make coffee and do a little cooking.  It's so funny--I remember the adjustments I had to make when I learned how to "do without" electricity and city water, and now I have to make adjustments in my life to go back to living with these things.   
 
I've kept the gallery open.  It's not profitable, but it almost pays for itself and it's a heck of a lot of fun.  During my recent time in Arizona, I made a couple of paintings, and this one has already sold:

You Are the Star, acrylic, 20 x 20 in.

And now for the gratuitous cat picture, so I can be draw this entry to a close:

Sonja Begonia, age 10, with 25,000+ miles of RVing on her

Art Show, Art Show, Art Show--Geshundheit!

 

 My "Fantasy Road Sign" Series (plus a few mandalas)

hung at the Remix show at Grapes Gallery

I get busy when I stay in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.  

Steve and I returned here early last month to try to sell my old Toyota Dolphin, the Guppy.  For the first couple of weeks, I agonized about putting it on Craigslist and talking to a bunch of strangers and risking getting scammed.  

Then someone on my women's RVing online group said, "Hey, nobody's posted lately; what is everybody up to?"  So I replied that I was about to try to sell my old rig.  And it turned out that one of our RV wannabe members had been looking for something like the Guppy!  

Kate makes guaranteed crap-free soaps, lip balms, salves, bath salts, etc., in Pennsylvania.  She sells in stores and at various fairs and events.  Having an RV will expand Kate's opportunities and will definitely suit her business model.  Did I tell you that her business is called The Vagabond Tabby?  She'll be out West later this month for an event in Colorado, so she'll swing down to get the Guppy first.  

Kate was concerned about not having quite enough money to buy my rig, but then she mentioned that she'd be selling her Saturn wagon.  Oh, my!  Just the sort of car I was thinking about, to tow behind my Class A, the Beluga.  So we made a deal that should work well for both of us.  She'll leave the Saturn with me, and drive off in the Guppy.  I have no idea how we do the paperwork on that sort of transaction, but we have time to figure that out.

 Grapes Gallery on Main Street in TorC

Another great reason for coming back to TorC was that I was invited to continue showing artwork at Grapes Gallery for another two months.  We're having a "Remix" show.  I took down a bunch of pieces that I'd hung there in May, and put up my new Fantasy Road Sign series that I'd painted while we were staying in northern Arizona.  This series has been very well-received and three of the pieces were sold before the show even started!  Wow!  I've had requests that I make cards and T-shirts from these paintings, and I will. 

 

 The most recent Fantasy Road Sign painting.  "Icy Conditions May Exist."

If you look closely at the mountain, you'll see that other things may exist, too.

July's Second Saturday Art Hop was super duper fun.  I spent time at Grapes, of course, because that's where my artwork was hanging.  People wanted to talk to me about my work while they looked at it.  I also visited a couple of other galleries and it looks like I'll have a couple of solo shows coming up in Spring and Fall of 2014. 

 Here's what our local theater looked like on Art Hop night.

I went to see "The Lone Ranger" the following night and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Critics are stupid.

I already had one solo show scheduled for November at the Happy Belly Deli.  I'm working on a new series of mixed media pieces, all done on various types of serving trays.  The theme of my show is women and food.  Women are nurturers who provide nourishment for others in so many ways, and women also have lots of issues with food.  So I have many ideas for paintings and collages.  My first piece is called "Make Peace with Food," shown below.

My friend Janice and I are also going to be coordinating a group show at the Happy Belly Deli for December.  It's an annual Postcard Show, and a Call to Artists will be going out for 4x6 inch pieces in any media, priced at no more than $50.  

Make Peace with Food  

Mixed media on 11-inch tin tray

Yesterday, I had a craving for a bagel, so Steve and I went to the Happy Belly Deli in the morning.  I admired their newly repainted blank walls and asked Miranda, the owner, what artwork was going up next.  She said she didn't have an August artist, and Art Hop is coming up this Saturday.  So I volunteered to do another show.  Fortunately I have about 16 pieces ready to hang.  They are "Mostly Mandalas," which seems like a great name for a solo show.  

 

 My friend Janice in her new red car

Art isn't the only thing that keeps me busy when I'm here in Truth or Consequences.  I've also been listing a lot of scarves on eBay and taking some antiques to January's to sell on consignment.  I'm subbing for January in her shops when she needs a few hours off here and there.  And my social life is always busy here.  I get to have coffee at Passion Pie Cafe with my friend Janice at least once a week, and sometimes we get together to play Scrabble or to share a meal or run errands or whatever. 

 

 My friend Jia, one of the co-owners of the glorious

Passion Pie Cafe

 

 My friend Virginia, who invited me over for coffee

and to meet her new puppy Gus.

Ruby Sue is on the right.

Virginia is in school to be a dog trainer.

Look how well her dogs behave!

We are still staying at the Artesian Bath House and Trailer Court, and it looks like I'll be here through early December, although Steve will probably leave for his place in Why, Arizona, in September.  I'll join him there for some part of the winter, when I'll take a break from showing artwork for a few months.  (Here, anyway--I plan to participate in "The Red Show" in Ajo, Arizona, in February.)  We had a site here at the Artesian that was close to the bath house, but we just moved to a larger site on the perimeter of the property which feels more peaceful.

   

 A view of Turtleback Mountain, taken from the Artesian,

on one of our rainy July monsoon nights

Since we're back at the Artesian, where I have lived off and on for over two years, I'm letting Sonja go back outside.  She was an indoor cat for almost two months while we traveled in Arizona, and she did okay with that, but needed much more interaction with us than she does when she can go outside.  Needy kitty!  Now she goes outside and has adventures.  

 Obligatory cat picture.  What is a blog without them?

A Week of Relaxation in St. Johns, Arizona

 A castle-shaped rock formation on the Zuni Reservation

It's been two weeks since we left Truth or Consequences, and I just checked Mapquest--we are 257 miles from TorC.  Of course, we've driven more miles than that, because we went a little ways up north in New Mexico to visit our friends on the Ramah Navajo Reservation.  But after we left their house, we headed across the border into Arizona and then started south on Hwy 191, which follows the Arizona-New Mexico border and puts us closer to where we started.

 Red and yellow striped rock mesa

I mentioned in my last blog that I saw some pretty cool things on the Zuni Reservation, but I couldn't take pictures the first time through because I was scared spitless while riding shotgun on a narrow, winding, hilly road with no shoulders.  On our way to Arizona, we drove across the Zuni Res, but on a better road this time, so I was able to take a few photos. 
 

 A rural Zuni house made of yellow limestone from the area

We did not stop and pay to enter the Zuni Pueblo itself.  It costs about $11 per person, plus an extra $10 if you want to take pictures.  We've done similar pueblo tours elsewhere in New Mexico, so we passed this time. 

 A larger building made of sandstone in the town of Zuni, near the actual pueblo

We were in kind of a hurry to get to St. Johns because I wasn't feeling well.  I did some online research before we left our friends' place and found out about North Country Healthcare, a low-cost clinic with a sliding scale with locations in 13 northern Arizona towns.  I'd emailed the clinic director in St. Johns and got an appointment and the paperwork rolling for my getting a low-cost appointment.  

It all worked out great.  I got to see a wonderful nurse practitioner for over an hour, and she addressed all of my problems.  They are female problems, so I won't go into detail--suffice it to say that nothing is life-threatening, and I just needed some meds.  Getting the prescriptions was a good experience, too.  St. Johns Drug is an old-fashioned pharmacy where they stock lots of old-time remedies such as Bag Balm and horehound lozenges.  They charged me far less than retail due to my lack of health insurance.  

We are staying at Moon Meadows RV Park on the west edge of St. Johns.  We'd planned to stay only one night, but we liked the park--it has large lots with trees, and it's affordable, so we are staying for a week while I recuperate.  Most of the other residents live here full-time here in their RVs and are working on construction projects in the area. 

I definitely am getting better.  Sometimes I think the meds are worse than the underlying conditions they treat.  I have to nap a lot, and I'm kind of spacey.  Steve and I were sitting down to play cribbage the other day, and he mentioned something about not wanting to "take advantage of a stoner"!  Well, I made sure to beat him 2 out of 3 games.  Stoner, indeed!  He says he let me win, but I don't think so.

So here are some pictures of what the cat and I have pretty much been doing lately:

Sonja on her back, sort of

 

 Sonja on the Bucky, on the dashboard

 

Sonja on the--"Seriously, do you  have to keep taking my picture?!"

We haven't spent time exploring St. Johns.  It's largely a Mormon town, and the Udalls are all from here.  There are some historic buildings, because this is one of the first areas of Arizona that LDS pioneers settled in the 1870s.  

Steve has been riding his bike into town to get groceries, and he's been doing a great job of taking care of me.  We're paid up here through Tuesday night, so Wednesday morning, we'll be heading to Show Low, where we heard there is some good boondocking on Forest lands on your way into town.  

Boondocking (With Perks) on the Historic Hoof Highway

 I can hardly believe we left my hometown of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, a mere 29 hours ago--we have already had some adventures!

There was getting out of town.  We weren't even sure if we were leaving yesterday or whether we might delay a day or two, because I was waiting to see if our local ALCO store got a 26" women's mountain bike in on their weekly truck.  However, as of yesterday morning, the truck had not even arrived yet, so we decided to leave and find a different bike somewhere along the road.  I'm definitely going to need a bike on our travels, because, due to arthritis in my left knee, I do better getting around on a bike than on foot.  But the right one will come along.

 Sonja in the Sherpa bag

 So we packed up and hit the road.  We needed to drop my minivan at our friend Misha's house where it will stay for the summer, but--shades of February 14, 2011!--my cat Sonja escaped from the rig at the first opportunity.  She hid under the motorhome and it took a while to catch her.  After this escape, she had to ride in her Sherpa bag.  Once again she must become accustomed to life as an RV cat.  It will take a few days.  She is already doing better today and no longer needs to travel in the bag.

 My view as a passenger along I-25

Our plan was to drive an hour north on I-25 to Socorro, then head west on Highway 60 to a BLM campground called Datil Well.  Steve drove the first leg to Socorro, and then we switched so I could try driving the Beluga for the first time.  The first few minutes, it was a little scary to drive a Class A motorhome, but then I started to get the feel of it.  There's a tendency to think you have to pull to the right whenever traffic approaches, but, in fact, it's important to hug the yellow center line so you don't get blown to the right by the big trucks.  So you gotta be tough.  

 Steve at the wheel

After 20 miles, I was ready to let Steve take the wheel back at the small artsy town of Magdalena.  But when he got in the driver's seat, there was no battery power!  This made no sense, since the battery should have been charging as we traveled.  We called AAA, and they sent a couple of nice mechanics out from Baca's 24 Hour Towing in Socorro.  The guys brought a battery with them and determined that the problem was the alternator, not the battery, so we had to backtrack to Socorro for repairs.  

 Some cool antiques at Baca's garage

The whole alternator adventure pretty much took up the most of the afternoon, so instead of camping at Datil Well, we boondocked at the Socorro Walmart, which wasn't bad at all.  In fact, I got nine hours' sleep and we got better stocked up.  We also had dinner at a Chinese buffet which would be "bleah!" by Seattle standards, but wasn't half bad for being in the middle of New Mexico.  

 Three of the radio telescopes at VLA

This morning we made a fresh start--got more gas and propane and headed west on Highway 60 again.  Now we had the entire day to get to Datil, so we could be more leisurely.  We stopped at the Very Large Array west of Magdalena.  This is a big radio astronomy observatory where "Contact" and some other sci-fi movies were filmed.  It was a nice stop--we ate lunch in the RV and then went inside to see a short movie that explains basic radio astronomy in terms that I understood. 

Highway 60 is beautiful.  As we headed west, we began to see scrubby pinon and juniper trees, and they got larger the farther we went.  West of Magdalena, we began to see herds of pronghorn antelope--more than I'd ever seen in one day, probably at least 100 antelope.   

Approaching the Datil Mountains

We got to Datil Well Campground in the early afternoon.  It's a very nice place--nice big sites with picnic tables and barbecues, some with small shelters, and vault toilets.  The water here is wonderful, because it comes from the old well.  Datil Well was on the "Hoof Highway" that joined Springerville, Arizona, with the railway at Magdalena, starting in the 1880s.  Cattle and sheep were herded to the railroad, stopping every 10 miles or so for water and rest.  

You can't beat the price of Datil Well, just $5 per night, but only $2.50 for us because Steve has the Golden Age pass.  We aren't sure how long we'll stay here, but probably a while since we discovered that I can get free wifi in the cute little visitors center cabin where I'm sitting right now.

A couple of new things I learned as an RVer that I'd like to pass on...one is that I'm learning to make just about anything that I'd normally cook in an oven on the top of the stove.  For instance, here are some green chili enchiladas that turned out very nicely cooked in a skillet:

Also, I finally figured out a good way to contain Sonja's water and food dishes while on the road.  I cut down a plastic placemat to line a basket.  Now everything stays in place or at least doesn't tip over and make a mess.  The cat, however, still likes to take a few pieces of her kibble and eat it other places such as our bed.  

 

Back in Truth or Consequences

VW Bus John, Many Wheels Brian and Blogless Steve

It's been a month since I blogged, and what a month it's been!  I spent the beginning of April getting ready to leave Why, Arizona, and head back to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.  Because I could leave some things in storage at Steve's place, I didn't have to carry everything I own with me in The Guppy, for the first time since I left Oregon about 15 months go.  So I made a lot of little decisions about which clothes and art supplies and so on to bring with me and which to leave.  It was nice to be able to travel lighter.


Steve and I spent a night at an RV park in Willcox, Arizona, en route to TorC, and then we lived in The Guppy at the Artesian Bath House & Trailer Court in downtown TorC for about two weeks.  We weren't sure whether we wanted to rent an apartment this year or not.  Last year we both paid a lot of rent and it seemed like it might be a good idea to just stay in my little motorhome and spend our money on gas money to travel around instead of getting tied down with an apartment.


But, after two weeks of close quarters, we were ready to rent a place.  We got along great, and we'll definitely use The Guppy for some future travels, but for every day living, we need more space.  I like to spread out to to my eBay work and my artwork.  Steve likes to have a little space where he can watch a movie, read, or take a nap.  

 My good friend Gretchen

I was visiting my friend January the other day at her gallery while delivering my first batch of mandala greeting cards, and she mentioned there was an apartment across the street over another store.  We checked it out and loved it, so we rented it immediately and moved in the next day.  Yesterday we already had our first little coffee party here.  Several friends joined us to watch the Fiesta Parade, since we live right on Broadway, the main drag through TorC.  It was a blast!  We hung out of the windows and stood on the roof next-door and enjoyed a bird's eye view of the parade and of the other people watching the parade.


The apartment is great--two bedrooms, hardwood floors, and tons of old-fashioned character.  We have windows and doors that open to a false balcony over Broadway, so we get lots of breeze and can watch the town wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night.  I love it!  

 Sonja is right at home in the new place

I feel really energized here.  I've been drawing mandalas like crazy and have gotten the first dozen greeting cards into January's gallery with another dozen almost ready to go.  Since getting back to town, I've already joined the local artists' salon and volunteered to help find sponsors for the yearly artists' directory.   I've returned to work just a little bit at La Paloma Spa.  I have some writing commitments and a couple of business ideas, including making a Truth or Consequences coloring book!

Before I get very settled into my business endeavors here in TorC, I'm heading off to Seattle to visit family and friends for a couple of weeks.  Air fares have been a bargain recently, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to go visit my friend Helen who had knee replacement surgery last week, as well as my son Sly.  Helen has been working out at the gym for the past couple of years, and she's in such good shape physically that she probably won't really need much help from me in her recovery, but hopefully I can at least drive her to doctor's appointments and physical therapy until she's ready to drive herself.   Sly will be busy with a barista job training program most of the time I'm there, but I'm sure we'll get to hang out a few evenings and on weekends.  I'll get to see a few other friends while in Seattle, but I'm mostly going to concentrate on Helen, Sly, and my eBay business.  Seattle has fabulous thrift stores!  And I'll have time while hanging with Helen to iron and photograph scarves and get them listed online.  I'll probably write my next blog entry in Seattle.

 Andrea, Lynn, Judi and Chris

I can't quit this one until I mention what a great time I had meeting some of the members of my WomenGoSolo RVing group that were all staying out at Elephant Butte State Park, about five miles from TorC.   I'm so glad we had the opportunity to get together.  Not shown in this picture is my friend Metta, who has been living in her Class A in and around TorC for the past eight months or so and who recently joined the WGS group.  Both Metta and Judi are now working as camp hosts at Elephant Butte, so I'll be seeing lots more of them.  


And, finally, the real reason I haven't blogged in a while:

"It's not your turn yet.  Meow!"

 

Selling Off My Excess Inventory

Be honest with me--Does this chair make me look fat?

Two blog posts in two days! It must be spring! I must be getting invigorated. Maybe it's that big nearly full moon.

Last night I was on the phone with Steve, who is visiting family in Tucson, and I had to put down the phone and close the door because my cat Sonja was trying her darnedest to get out the screen door and play in the moonlight with the coyotes and other creatures of the night.


I spent most of today putting box lots of 50 scarves each out on the kitchen table so I could photograph them. I got the photos all taken, uploaded, and cropped, and then I wrote up the auction descriptions and launched them. I'm offering a total of 400 scarves (8 lots of 50 each) on eBay at bargain prices. My hope is to have less stuff to take back to New Mexico, as well as having a little traveling money.


Normally I list scarves individually. But sometimes they don't sell right away and I have to decide whether to re-list them individually or save them up and sell them in lots like I'm doing today. I also include scarves in these lots that I chose not to list for one reason or another--maybe a minor condition problem or maybe I just am not that impressed with the scarf and I'm not sure it's worth selling on its own.


I am always glad to get some return on my investment when I sell these lots. I am probably going to sell these scarves at a loss, when you consider what I paid for them and how much it costs me to list them online. Then there's the value of my time--huh! Sometimes it's best not to think about that! I had a couple of self-employed friends over last weekend, and we all agreed we probably work for 35 cents an hour. But, regardless, I'll be glad to get something for these scarves, rather than having to just give them back to a charity thrift store.

I'm one day closer to getting back to TorC, and getting these scarves listed felt great. Hurrah!

Semi-Ambulatory, Soporific and Sophistical

Me, not using a cane or other assistive walking device

It's five days since my arthroscopic knee surgery and I am walking some of the time. I only had to use a walker for one day, then a cane for another day, and after that I did not need to lean on anything.

I did, however, overdo it the past two days. On Sunday I walked a block-and-a-half to Black Cat Books and Coffee and then got a ride home, but it was too late. I'd already overdone it. So I spent the rest of the day asleep and had to resort to taking a pain pill in the evening again, after having gone all day without.

Did I learn from this? No! I was sure yesterday would be better, so I walked not only to Black Cat, but also a few more blocks to the Post Office and then home again. After all, if a block-and-a-half is too far, what more harm can I do myself by walking eight blocks? Hmm. Quite a bit, it seems. My knee got swollen up and sore, and I had to take pain medication in the afternoon and at bedtime.

Today is a new day. No walks for me. I am staying at home all day. This is hard. I'm a social person. I like my routines, especially the ones I've developed here in TorC. I want to get back to those days when I could just hop on my bike and fly over to the Post Office and then breeze downhill to the thrift store to see what old thing is new. But such whims and impulses require good knees.

My left knee

There's no way to take a pretty picture of your own knee. But this photo shows that the surgery left me with just three little holes and some swelling.

Being housebound leaves me with whims and impulses that occur only in my mind--such a dangerous place to spend time alone. But it's also given me time to think through some lingering unsettledness about my past. (Yes, I am making up words now...this is what happens when I'm home alone.) I've come to understand some things about my childhood, my young adult years, and the 20 years I spent in a sad marriage. I'm appreciating that I've come out of all of this as a person who is pretty good inside and out--loving, caring, kind and increasingly respectful of myself and others. And I'm letting go of regrets over the years I wasted as a drunk and as an unappreciated spouse. Maybe I needed two decades of active addiction and another two decades of being sober but unhappy in order to be exactly where I am today--a happy, sober woman with a peaceful life, who only needs to let her knee heal a bit so she can once again zoom around on her bicycle.

Smiling Steve

My boyfriend Steve and I have started talking about all sorts of new adventures that we might share. He is a free spirit. We have both been in TorC only a short time and we both love it here, but the road is beginning to whisper in our ears again. I see this as a time to rest and regroup, but I'm getting ready to redeploy. Probably not on a long-term basis, but from time to time, using TorC as my home base. I've thought of starting a teaching art studio here, but it isn't the time for me to be that tied down. I am a youngster of 56 and still have a lot to see and do, especially now that I've finally learned how to live one day at a time.

Sonja in the doorway, enjoying the inside and outside at once

My cat is a good teacher of living in the moment. This morning I watched her intensely pursue a ball in the courtyard, but then, while crouching to attack it, she discovered some tasty grass to chew on and she relaxed and forgot the ball. That's kind of the way I am with this idea I have about starting a little art school. It's a great idea. I may pursue it sometime. I may have other things to do first.

For now, I'm Snoozy Suzy, and I'm off for the first siesta of the day.

Traveling by the Numbers

I am back on the road, and I'm not taking pictures along the way, because I'm on the freeway most of the way. I have seen some awesome big red ball Soaring Sunrises and Soaring Sunsets, but my photography skills don't do them justice.

So, today I will use numbers as graphics. This will also simplify (I hope) the computer skills required, since I have no batteries left in my mouse and am using the touchpad with limited skill.

31

Thirty-one cents is the cost of a Senior Coffee at the McDonald's in Shamrock, Texas, where I'm using the free Internet to write this blog entry. This is the cheapest Senior Coffee I've found anywhere in my travels.

3

Three is the number of days I've been back on the road. I was done with my housesitting duties in Georgia on Sunday evening. I had the Guppy all packed up, with my cat Sonja living back in the motorhome, by the time the homeowner returned from her fabulous Italian bicycling trip. So Sunday night, I slept in my rig, and I took off from Serenbe, just southwest of Atlanta, by about 6 a.m. on Monday morning.

0

Zero is the cost of my overnight stays so far. I stayed at a Love's Truckstop somewhere in Arkansas on Monday night and a Flying J Truckstop just west of Oklahoma City last night. My friend Brian is right--Flying J is the best. They have a nice big parking lot for RVs so you don't have to be right next to the noisy trucks.

450

Miles per day covered so far, at Guppy Speed, which is pretty darned slow. The Toyota Dolphin has a small 4 cylinder engine that would be more appropriate for a little pickup. Instead it has a motorhome on its back. So it was overloaded from the time it was built nearly 30 years ago. I usually don't go over 60 mph. Engine temperature is optimal at 55 or less.

6000

Miles on the Guppy's new engine that was installed in San Francisco, closer to the beginning of my trip. Actually I'll hit 6000 today when I reach Amarillo, so I'll stop at a Walmart for an oil change.

4

The number of hours I thought that Sonja was missing on Monday. I stopped to take a break when she sounded very distressed. Parked in a shaded spot in a church parking lot somewhere in northwestern Arkansas. When I went to the back of the rig to check on Sonja, I could not find her anywhere and one of the windows was wide open. So I assumed she'd jumped out. I spent four hours calling her, offering Fancy Feast, crying, cursing God, begging God, reaching out to friends during the limited time my Internet was working (cellphone did not work at all there), etc. I finally drove sadly away, convinced I would never see her again. However, at my next stop, I went back into the rig to change clothes and there was my idiot cat. Apparently she'd hidden in a cupboard under the stove, a place I had not checked.

Four is also the number of cups of coffee it takes me to drive this much every day.

And four is the number of months it took me on the road to figure out some of my onboard electronics, such as my invertor and GPS. When it comes to technology, I'm a person who gives up easily, but fortunately I tried again as I started my trip back West.

6

Number of lives, out of the original nine, that I figure my cat has left. Sonja was dumped in a park in Edmonds, Washington, along with her littermates and mother back in 2008. I got her at the pound. Since then, she's had two major times of being missing from my care (once on the first day I got her in Edmonds, and once in San Francisco). Monday's faux escape doesn't count.

25

Pounds I've lost while traveling. I weighed myself yesterday for the first time since leaving Oregon in February. I knew it was a lot. I've had to buy all new summer clothes as I've traveled across the South.

8

Times I've filled up the gas tank since leaving Georgia.

99

Temperature in Fahrenheit degrees that it was yesterday as I entered Oklahoma City in the early evening. I saw it on a church electronic reader board, so it must be the God's truth. Fortunately about the same time I stopped at Flying J, a wind came up and cooled things down, so I had the best night's sleep I'd had in a while. Unfortunately, the same wind was blowing really hard this morning, so it felt like I was driving a billboard or a four-masted ship for the first several hours of driving today.

1

One precious life is what I've been given. Still trying to get it right. I think I might be getting closer.

Also, I'm down to one last nerve sitting here in this messy, noisy McDonald's, so I'm outta here!

Still Stuck in San Francisco

Greasy Sonja in Her Stroller, En Route to the Kennel

Let's see, the last time I wrote was on Friday, and I expected to be able to pick up the Guppy at the garage and head down the highway to Santa Cruz, where I wanted to spend the weekend, meet some friends I've known online for many years, and pick up some General Delivery mail.

However...

I tried to leave...AGAIN...and the engine still wasn't running right. In low gear or going up hills, it would stall, just like it did the day before when I tried to leave. So it was back to the shop. They decided to bring in a diagnostician from their other garage on Saturday morning. They'd spoken to him and he suspected that the new engine was defective and would have to be replaced. Plus, my carburetor apparently is about shot as well, so they think the whole mechanism will work better if it's replaced, too.

I was really pissed that they would try to send me out of the garage with a vehicle that wasn't working correctly. I asked the manager what his plans were for getting me a place to stay until they get this right. He was noncommittal. He did say perhaps they could pay half of my hotel, or give me some credit on the carburetor replacement (I've already fully paid for the engine replacement, and I won't have to pay for that again).

He also--and I can barely believe this--suggested that one option would be for them to put the Guppy out on the street so I could sleep in it. I think this is about the most irresponsible thing I could imagine a garage owner suggesting--especially considering that Friday night, the coldest weather San Francisco has had all winter was forecast. They were expecting snow, and Buzz wanted to put me on the street rather than commit to taking care of my expenses that are necessitated by the garage's failure to get this job done. Sheesh!

I went back to the hotel down the street from the garage for one night. On Saturday morning, the garage confirmed that they'd be replacing the engine again, and that a replacement would be available on Monday, so I'm looking at getting out of San Francisco this coming Wednesday at the soonest. I decided to move to a cheaper hotel, since Buzz hasn't said how much he's going to help me with my delay costs. I found a guest house, which is really a rooming house for foreign students. It's barely adequate, but more about that below.

I also decided to get Sonja into a kennel or vet's office that does boarding, since it was going to be another five days or so before I could leave town. Saturday morning I was at the garage and was just going to start making kennel plans when I went into the RV to check on Sonja, and she was gone! The driver's side cab window was wide open--even though Buzz and Ian, the technician who had worked on my car all week, knew the cat was in there and that the windows needed to stay shut. (I had vents open on the top of the RV so Sonja had some ventilation.)

I was devastated! The garage keeps its big doors open all day so cars can get in and out, and I figured Sonja had escaped the garage and was a goner. I went to the guest house in tears, and then began doing the footwork to try to get my cat back. I stopped at a pet food store down the street from where I was staying and asked for appropriate ideas and phone numbers, and the guy got me in touch with Animal Control and the SPCA. He also suggested making a poster, so I headed back to the guest house to do that on my computer. Just when I'd emailed the poster to the garage so they could print out some copies and get them posted, I got a call from Buzz. Sonja was in the garage! She'd hidden in a cupboard full of big greasy old auto parts, under a workbench. She was filthy and scared and wouldn't come out.

So I ran...literally ran, with my fake knee and my arthritis and all that...to the garage and got down on the greasy floor and wrecked my clothes and comforted my kitty. I could not get her out from there myself, because of my arthritis--no way I'd be able to get squeezed into the cupboard, grab Sonja, and then back out again. So Buzz had to do it.

I got Sonja back into the RV and then started calling kennels from the Yellow Pages. It was late afternoon by now, and I could only find one place open--the fanciest, most costly place in town, called "Feline Wishes & Caviar Dreams." This place is gorgeous--so much nicer than the place I'm staying, and almost as costly. I got Sonja settled there and then headed back to the guest house.

That night, I discovered that the so-called bed on which I'm supposed to sleep is actually just a folded out futon-style couch. And it's not even a real futon mattress on it! It's just a metal frame that has some stuffing attached to it, and there are these seams where there's no stuffing at all, so I could feel the metal frame as I was laying there. Horrible! I ended up moving the bedding to the floor and sleeping on a hardwood floor with no mattress at all. Me, a 55-year-old woman with arthritis. Sheesh!

So, once again, I was faced with a choice. Should I move to another cheap place? The only ones I could find were hostels that were down in the touristy part of town, near Union Square or Fisherman's Terminal, and I wasn't sure this would be any better. At least at the guest house, I had my own room and decent Internet, and I'd already found a few A.A. meeting places within walking distance. Or should I move back to a more expensive hotel? I decided that perhaps the best thing to try first was to get an air mattress, so I bought one yesterday.

I still did not sleep well even with the air mattress on top of the lousy bed, because the bed is so uneven that I felt like I was falling out, so I put the air mattress on the floor and slept there. Finally, early this morning, it occurred to me to put the air mattress diagonally on the bed so I wouldn't be so affected by the dips and crests, and this worked. I slept in until 8:45 a.m., when the landlady woke me up to tell me that I couldn't have any breakfast this morning because they were starting to remodel the kitchen, where a cold breakfast is usually available from 7 to 10 a.m.

It's Monday, and I have spent most of today working my eBay business. I got a bunch of things that I'd sold packed up and mailed out. I've photographed the next batch of scarves and I will start listing them. I want to get a bunch of work done today, and then tomorrow happens to be the monthly free day at the Museum of Modern Art, so I'm going to take the bus there.

I should call the garage and ask them whether they're gotten the replacement engine today. I don't even want to talk to them anymore, but I am sticking with this AAA garage because of AAA's promise to resolve any disputes.

I did take a nice long walk down Geary to Japantown today, and I saw some beautiful murals on a public building along the way. The one pictured here is made out of one-inch tiles, and it's simply gorgeous. It must have been designed using a photograph of this lovely face.

I've been getting some great support from family and friends, as well as from my online tribes (Babble, Yahoo VanDwellers, my online AA home group, and so on). People have been incredibly nice to me here in San Francisco. I still feel that, if you have to break down someplace, this is a very interesting and fun place to hang out, but it sure as heck is costing me and it's often been frustrating, scary, and stressful.