The First Day

07/10/2002

After the months and years of anticipation for this day, it turned out more unusual than we might have expected.

12:08 PM. We are rolling out the gate and a few feet down the road we hear a terrible noise. I think the engine is falling out (or worse). Will says, "No, I think it's the brakes." We pull into the old church parking lot by the cemetery and start to check it out. I spot a trail of fresh oil drops square in the middle of road out the back end of the rig.

At this point I am thinking, well, if I have to camp here in this parking lot for the rest of forever, I will. But, I am not giving up my trip!

No oil dripping from underneath. Mumble, mumble. Ah ha! The oil-drop line veers back onto the road, in front of the rig! Oh yay, it's not us! We look all over, roll back and forth. But we can't find the source of the noise. So we head onward, thinking to look into it further in Bloomington.

On toward Bloomington. No more noise! Hmmm. Maybe the emergency brake wasn't completely off. We will keep an eye on the situation.

Head up to Indy RV to pick up the bike rack we ordered a couple weeks ago. Arrive sometime after 1:00 PM. Will tries to purchase the rack with our NextCard (Visa) and discovers it is rejected. He thinks perhaps the strip on his card has gone bad. Comes to get my card. Rejected. We hardly ever use this one. What gives?

Pay for the rack with the bank debit card. Will starts to assemble the bike rack in Indy RV dealership's parking lot. The sun is hot and the assembly directions are lousy. Discover that we need a ball to go in the hitch for the rack to attach to. Ahem.

Conference... buy the ball or get money back on rack and drop bikes off with Todd. (They are currently filling the living room floor.) OK. Buy the ball.

In the meantime, I try to call the credit card company. Cellphone battery is dead.

Charge the battery. OK, now call the credit card company.

"Yes, ma'am. All NextCard credit cards have been discontinued. The company was purchased.... yada yada yada ... and the FDIC had determined that all NextCard credit cards must be discontinued."

Oh.

Well, we have another card that we can use but, of course, this day being what it is, Will somehow left his card in storage. I am the only one with this particular card. Which means I have to be present at all purchases. Sigh..

It's about 5:30 now. Will has finally wrestled the bike rack together and it's time to load the bikes. Oh, yeah, of course- my bike needs a special adaptor to fit on the rack.

Into the office (which is about to close)... "I need the adaptor that was ordered with the bike rack..." (Much rustling in the back room.)

"Yes, Ma'am. That part is back ordered. I expect it to be here tomorrow or the next day."

Picture steam rolling out from my ears. Picture me telling Will the part isn't in. Picture Will "making" the blankety bike fit on the rack.

6:08 PM. Exactly 6 hours after leaving the drive lane, we leave Indy RV and head north. No way are we going to make it to Todd's area this evening. We are both tired, sweaty, and dirty. Where shall we stay tonight? There's a billboard for Flying J at the next exit. Let's park there overnight. Good idea.

And we grab a slot next to three other motorhomes. After a shower, we treat ourselves to dinner at the restaurant. Things are starting to look up! The food is excellent!. Buffet: a salad bar, an entree bar and a dessert bar. We do justice to all of it. And head outside to our home on wheels. A cool breeze, now, and the house cools off with the windows open.

I get the messages from the voice mail and Will returns a client's call. He has some work to do this evening. Juggling an inverter that just "barely almost" pulls enough current to work his laptop.... It's after 1:00 AM when the work is done and we fall, exhausted, to sleep.

Oh, it is so good to be on the road!