Bombing Along

I left the RVW convention site this morning (Ladison SC) at 8:30 and arrived in Asheville at 2:30. I even stopped for lunch. Made good time. Even managed to get up Saluda Grade at 35mph, not bad at all for my little rig.

Now I have two weeks to get chores done, visit folk, rearrange everything in the rig, stock up for Kansas in the wintertime. And then it's off to Coffeyville to be an Amazon Elf.

Just got all hooked up and there's a nice wifi to use.

As to the convention, I'm glad to have gone and do plan to go to the 2009 meet in San Antonio. I won't be so overwhelmed with the people etc and may even do some socializing. After a full summer of working hard, more or less, I just sort of collapsed and hid out a lot. Who know what I'll be like after 2-1/2 months of fulltime work? Good thing I won't have anything to do but tootle around. Plan to be in Asheville again for the month of March 09.

Carting in the Rain

But not singing. We had a front move onshore overnight with gusty winds and rain. So when I went for my golf cart "taxi" at 4pm, we were all carrying towels and wearing ponchos (somebody lent me one). The golf carts don't have windshields!! Then the low battery light came on so I had to be escorted to the garage to get a new one, which had really good brakes. Somebody called out TAXI and I slammed the brake, leaving little skid marks. No, really.

Didn't do much today. Yestereve I came back to the rig about 7pm, ate some hot soup (nasty weather food) and sourdough bread. About 8:30 I keeled over and slept 10 hours. My bones had been aching all day. I felt much better today.

Not much going on tomorrow that I'm interested in. Annual meeting, prizes, banquet, yadda yadda. Leaving Sun am for "home" (Asheville). Am getting text messages from the local newspaper about where gas is available in the area. See some of y'all real soon.

Whizzing Around

Today, I volunteered to drive one of the golf cart "taxis". Mine was the 8 passenger gasoline engine one. Did that for two hours and had lots of fun. Now know lots of short cuts. Will do this for two hours a day for the rest of the convention. However, I'm beginning to get peopled out and remembering why I don't join groups. Today was the Opening Ceremonies and I was deputed to carry the banner for the Fulltimers chapter into the meeting space, full of cheering, clapping women. Being in such a crowd was bad enough but then we had the "colors" brought in, pledged allegiance to the flag with "under god" (I stood silent), sang the national anthem (still silent) and the Canadian anthem O Canada (of course I was silent). Much shouting and clapping. My ears started to get red so I got the hell out before I blurted out something unforgivable. Came home where I am blessedly alone and all is quiet (except for an occasional goose honk).

Believe I need to do less so I'll really enjoy what I do decide to do. Acquired an RVW winter vest (think Kansas in winter) and a nice mug. Also got some velcro awning straps as mine have bit the dust. Got a little fridge thermometer and a fan. Helps it work better. Supper was at a reception for the vendors -- sandwiches, fruit, etc. Met the woman insurance broker I got my RV insurance through. Saw a black pearl ring I liked but restrained myself. Also went to the seminar on Tomboy Tools, specially made for women (they're PINK!).

Stats say about 400 attendees. Line dancing classes tomorrow. Fulltimers meeting Friday. Am looking forward to Sunday already.

Convention Report

Today was the first "working" day of the convention, which doesn't even officially start until Wednesday. I attended the Beginning Maintenance seminar, which was very good, but I blew off the second half to attend a meeting with the Solos Chapter president and treasurer as I had agreed to help construct a budget for the Solos. This came about in the annual meeting Sunday afternoon, where (as usual in meetings) some people were in love with their own voices and points of view. To shut them up, I said I'd help do a budget, motioned, seconded, voted, passed.

On a much nicer note, my rig is parked across from a grassy strip bordering a small lake which is sleeping grounds for about 100 Canada geese. They rise up about 7am in three large flights and wing away for the day. About dusk, they all come winging back, splash down, stroll about on the grass for a while, and settle down on the water for the night, bobbing gently. I'm going to try to get pics of the dramatic landings.

Speaking of pics, I treated myself to a Canon Sureshot digital camera, so I now have something to take pics with. My trusty old Kodak point-and-shoot finally gave up the ghost. Now I just have to learn the new camera with its multiplicity of options.

Went to dinner this evening with a woman from Maryland, Margaret, who's also a Solo. She's 71 and a holistic/homeopathic nurse-practitioner, mostly retired, and has come down for the convention and is staying in a tent as her trailer rotted away. Very interesting and nice woman. We went to Gilligan's Steamers and Raw Bar Restaurant on Ladson Road. She had fried oysters and I had grilled scallops. Both were excellent. I tried their Key Lime Pie -- don't bother. A very pleasant time.

Tomorrow is the Advanced Maintenance seminar, which starts at the crack of dawn (i.e. 9am) so I'll sign off for now.

Movin' South

Left Madison PA on Monday around 11am, only an hour later than planned. Wended my way to Fallingwater, near Mill Run PA. Gorgeous grounds, wonderful gift shop, quarter-mile walk just to get to the house. It really is fabulous, and not as big in reality as in pics; convoluted inside, with lots of little sets of stairs; much local stone in floors and stairs; great terraces, good airflow control. I'm so glad I went.

Kept going over the mountains, 2800 ft 2900 ft 3000 ft trudge trudge. Eventually got to LaVale MD down US 40 and spent the night in the Walmart lot. Next day went out a different way and was in a totally different area, no sign of US 40, wound up on I-68 to Cumberland MD and then cut over toward Harrisonburg VA down US 11. Another night in a Walmart lot, with a Barnes & Noble and many other stores. Wed. night was supposed to be spent at Philpott Lake near Roanoke. It's a Corps of Engineers lake with nice camping. Had all sort of directions but came down 220 (future I-73 corridor) and never saw a sign for the hwy, the town, or the lake. So kept on going and wound up in Mocksville NC in another WM lot.

On the way to Davidson to stay with my friend Diana B, I saw a paddock full of -- CAMELS. No, really! Triple takes whilst driving not recommended. Got to her house about 11am and Harold B welcomed me. She was expected home later today. He helped me get the rig back into a more or less level spot, hooked to water and electricity (I got to turn on the fridge!). I rolled out the awning and will be staying her until Saturday am. Then it's off to Ladson (Charleston) SC for the RVW convention.

TTFN

Ren Fair

Went to the Renaissance Fair with Phyllis on Sunday. Not bad even though not an SCA event. Produced by some Colorado outfit. Everybody in costume and saying M'Lady a lot, though some had a suspiciously Australian accent (g'day m'lady). Best jeweler I saw comes from a part of Tennesse just over the line from Murphy NC . Nice stuff. Got a tote bag with a gaudy dragon reading a book labeled BookWyrm.

Am really itchy to be on the road. Off for two days, work two days, then done.

Am watching some program called, I think, Fashion Rocks. Lots of rock stars singing older rocker songs, like Beyonce singing Etta James and Chris Brown singing Sam Cooke. Saw Duffy, new to me, doing a song called Mercy. Not bad. Justin Timberlake is doing some Motown with Beyonce, Kid Rock, and Mary J Blige, with dancers looking like the Jackson 5. Does Justin always sing falsetto?

Putty & Books

So yesterday I did crawl under the rig after dumping and flushing the black water tank. Kneaded the miracle putty to a consistent color and then pushed it into place. Waited an hour for it to set, then ran water into the tank to see if it leaked. Didn't see any drip so feel successful. We'll see how it does while vibrating down the road. Today I'm going to wash the rig (or maybe tomorrow).

Books Read August 08

Author (*=perm.lib.), Title, Genre, Rating, Finish, Comments
Brockmann, Suzanne, Into the Fire, thriller, good, yes, Troubleshooters series (Vinh Murphy)
Churchill, Jill, Silence of the Hams, mystery, medium, yes, Jane Jeffries series
Connolly, Sheila, One Bad Apple, mystery, good, yes, smalltown New England; a cozy
Ferris, Monica, Knitting Bones, mystery, good, yes, series. Always interesting; makes me want to learn to knit; smalltown upper Midwest; a cozy.
Frost, P.R. Hounding the Moon, pararomance, bad, no, "too "funny" and "chick-lit"
Galenorn, Yasmine, Dragon Wytch, pararomance, bad, no, lots of sex but mostly normal-style except with shapeshifters (main character has three alpha males slavering after her who are willing to share – un huh sure), too much pseudo-mythology and "chick-lit"
Harris, Charlaine, Dead Over Heels, mystery, medium, yes, Roe Teagarden series
Harrison, Kim, Dead Witch Walking, paranormal, good, yes, Rachel Morgan series 1.
---Good, the Bad, and the Undead, paranormal, good, yes, Rachel Morgan series 2. Getting both more complicated and more of the same.
---Every Which Way But Dead, paranormal, medium, no, Rachel Morgan series 3. Really getting into same old same old
---For a Few Demons More, paranormal, medium, no. Rachel Morgan series 4. Really same old same old. Please note the titles – you think she likes Clint Eastwood?
Maron, Margaret, Hard Row, mystery, good, yes, Deborah Knott series; smalltown NC.
Martin, William, Lost Constitution, fiction, medium, no, rare-book/mss. dealer; excellent history interwoven but main character just ever so slightly implausible
Roberts* Nora, Strangers in Death, cop/sf/romance, good, yes, for perm. lib. new pb
Saintcrow, Lilith, Dead Man Rising, paranormal, good, yes, Dante Valentine series
---Saint City Sinners, paranormal, good, yes, Dante Valentine series
---Working for the Devil, paranormal, good, yes, Dante Valentine series
---To Hell and Back, paranormal, medium, no, Dante Valentine series
Sinclair, Linnea, Gabriel's Ghost, sf romance, medium, yes, simplistic but not terrible
Thomas* Ross, Chinaman's Chance, thriller, re-read, yes, Wu and Durant series
Ward, J.R. Lover Eternal, pararomance, medium, yes, 0306 Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Ah, the power of LUV (and sex!)"
---Lover Revealed, pararomance, medium, yes, 0307 Black Dagger Brotherhood series
---Lover Enshrined, pararomance, medium, yes, 0608 Black Dagger Brotherhood series; series is amazingly implausible but implausibly entertaining

Short Timer Syndrome

Two weeks to go. Yes! Am so ready to be gone. Have begun the mental detachment. Found my little point-and-shoot camera and am taking pictures. Have been on shift for the last five days (it was Labor Day Weekend) and now have three days off. Plan to fix the black water tank leak (that ought to be fun) and wash the rig (even more water fun). Am also going to get to run some heavy equipment that Bill has back in the woods. It needs to come out of there down to the main campground. A lifelong dream of mine -- I've always wanted to run heavy equipment.

Will be going to Coffeyville Kansas from 19 Oct to 23 Dec to work in Amazon.com warehouse, filling orders for the holiday season. Biggest town nearby is Joplin MO. Loads of fun, eh? Good money, though.

And have agreed to work for summer 2009 at Crescent City KOA California, up in the redwood forests almost in Oregon.

Will be doing the reunion cruise in April -- that's the army high school I went to in Italy.

So there's my schedule for the next year. Already!

Am outside on the deck with a long cord plugging the laptop in and with it sitting in a cardboard box on my lap. It's the only way to get a steady signal.

Will post Books Read August soon.

TTFN