Westbound and Rolling, Taking Refuge in the Roads

While passing time the last couple of months in The Driveway, waiting on the multiple appointments required for Mom’s cataract surgery, I had some time for a couple of projects.    First, I built some shelves in the storage shed to alleviate some of the stress from “stacking.”   I vow, it is only to hold existing stuff, NOT to make space for more!

“Before”

“After.” This “only” took me two hours to attach three braces.

Then I installed some hardware – latches and hinges on the trap door that leads to the maze of routers, wires, and blinking lights required to support the “refuge of the roads.”   This small door previously attached to the wall with two plastic “snaps” that were impossible to align.  I got tired of the door falling off while driving down the road, so I gave up on trying to make it stay attached, then got tired of jamming my toe into it during the night.  Now it is permanently secured with handle and hinges for opening. Hopefully, my brother Don will be pleased that I finally figured out how to do something on my own!

Now the bottom door matches the top closet door…

To show you how handy I am with power tools (my Dad’s, not mine) I went out to his workbench to find a drill bit to make some “pilot holes” for the screws.   I remarked to him how hard the wood was, that I had been trying to get a screw to go into the wood for twenty minutes.   He hobbled over with his walker at his “Tim Conway pace” to observe my progress.  He looked at me with his 92 year old deadpan eyes, then looked down at the electric screwdriver in my hand and said, “You’re going backwards.”

It felt good to get the projects completed, but it’s time to close the door on my own “personal time capsule” again for an undetermined length of time, wondering  what circumstances will bring me back to the farm when I open it the next time.

Projects aside, my real reason for the two months spent in The Driveway, Mom’s cataract surgery is now behind us.  She got a great report from the Doc yesterday, and is now seeing better than ever…..well enough to point out that I have a few skin imperfections that could best be covered by a little makeup. 😉  So with her now back to her feisty self, my work here is done.  Time to “take to the highway” once more.

So I said my misty-eyed goodbyes to Mom and Dad, and am off to intercept my friend Lynne from WinnieViews on her way back from Mexico.  We are meeting up in San Antonio and heading westbound as we revive the “Lucy and Ethel Adventures.”   I promise not to confuse the female dynamic duo themes and pull a “Thelma and Louise” off the rim of the canyon.  At least not intentionally…

“In a highway service station
Over the month of June
Was a photograph of the earth
Taken coming back from the moon
And you couldn’t see a city
On that marbled bowling ball
Or a forest or a highway
Or me here least of all
You couldn’t see these cold water restrooms
Or this baggage overload
Westbound and rolling taking refuge in the roads…” 
~ Joni Mitchell

12 thoughts on “Westbound and Rolling, Taking Refuge in the Roads

  1. Suzanne,

    Nice job on hinging the access door. Next time we have a chance encounter on the road you can upgrade ours too. 🙂

    • Kent, long as you have a screwdriver I can borrow that only goes in one direction, I should be up for the task. LOL!!

    • BC-ed Mark, vacation destination equals Big Bend, then I will be inching up the southern route, making it up as I go along. Let me know if you have suggestions, since this is RV-irgin territory for me.

  2. Great to see you back on the road. Even greater that your mom’s cataract operations went so well. I clicked on the link to your friend Lynne’s blog and I can see why the two of you enjoy traveling together.
    We are looking forward to following both as you do the south west and we do it vicariously.
    peace,
    Allen

  3. HAHaaaaaa … oh, haaa… going backwards … I’m glad to read that.. I don’t feel so bad…

    and sigh … yes, sounds like my Mother .. as soon as she felt better it was back to … are you wearing a bra? …. yes, Mother… I’m wearing a bra! and so forth….

    I’m so envious of your and Lynne… what adventures you will have. 😉

  4. Need a third? I can be Carolyn Appleby!

    I’ll be down that way but not until January 2015. Oooh, that sounds like a long time from now. But I’ll be in the Pacific Northwest this summer so maybe the 2 of you will be around?

    Anyone that can do that kind of work with power tools is a Superhero in my book. Nice work!

  5. Ahh, that is so cute. My Dad would give me the roll of the eyes when I would ask to borrow his doohickey thing with the swirly bits.

    Still looking!

    Lynn

  6. Looks great! I knew you could do it! Now get ready to pull out that 10′ pole and yagi when you get homesick for your blog while lost out in that big west Texas park 🙂

  7. Nothing sexier than a woman with power tools. Nice job I say. Don’t let them give you any grief. Glad to hear your mother’s eye surgeries went well. They usually do but there are those very sad exceptions. What fun to have Lucy and Ethel adventures. Can’t wait to “read all about it”.

  8. Allen — Lynne was one of the first bloggers I started to follow when I got interested in this lifestyle. At the time, she was working in a corporate job from the road, so I started to think, “If she can do it, maybe I can too!” She ended up being not only an inspiration, but also a friend…that all started with a blog! Thanks for following along!

    Carolyn — Are you suuurrrre you were wearing a bra? HAHA!! My nemesis was always “HOLD YOUR SHOULDERS BACK!!” 😉

    Lynn — WHERE’YA BEEN? I have been wondering about you, as I haven’t heard from you in a while. How was Greece? (Going next to check the blog.) Have you narrowed down yet what kind of rig you think you want?

    Don Pasquale — What?? You don’t think I can do a whole week “off the grid??”

    Sherry — Thanks for the note about Mom. I am sorry I am behind on my blog reading. I need to get caught up, but I am still basking in the afterglow of the manatee post! What a magical moment! You are one lucky paddler!

  9. Kim! COME ON OVER! There’s always room for three! I have to be honest, though, I had to google Carolyn Appleby, as your memory of Lucy and Ethel shenanigans is obviously better than mine. I found a glamor shot of Doris Singleton (aka Carolyn Appleby) on Wikipedia. All you need is a platinum wig, and you’ve got the part!

    Seriously the PNW in summer? We may have a match….

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