Friday, October 21, 2011

Slogging and blogging

Whenever we're getting ready to migrate, it always seems like every day of the last couple of weeks before departure is essentially the same.  You just slog along trying to get as much stuff done as possible each day while knowing full well there will ALWAYS be a few things you forget to do.  You typically remember such things when you are at least 200 miles away from home.  It's one of the fundamental laws of travel.

It never ceases to amaze either of us just how many little nit-picky details are involved in preparing to leave for a few months.  Looking back over the past few weeks, we are amazed at the amount of work we've accomplished.  However, looking forward as the next 10 days tick down to departure, we're equally amazed at the amount of work remaining to be done.  At least we know our prep work will end the morning of 11/1/11 when we fire up our caravan and head south.

No matter how many times we do this drill, it never becomes any easier.  In fact, a case could be made that each time becomes slightly more difficult, perhaps because we gain new knowledge about other stuff that needs to be done.  There will always be things we wish we would have brought with us but there's no way to know what those things are until we are 800 miles away.

Perhaps three of the more interesting things we tackled yesterday were: zipper lube, resealing Gore-Tex and buying fresh rechargeable AA batteries.  You'd think all three would be real easy chores.  You'd be wrong.  We're guessing our combined time spent on all those dinky tasks approached three hours yesterday.  That's just an example of how much time gets wasted on seemingly menial chores.  Luckily, the three hours actually did result in finding appropriate products to fill those pressing needs.

Why is zipper lube so important anyway?  Well, our Skamper pop-top camper is 25 years old.  There's two sets of really, really LOONG metal zippers for each window.  One zipper for each screen and one zipper for each vinyl window.  That means there are ten total huge, long zippers.  Each zipper is probably six feet long so that means there are about 60 feet of total zippers in that rig.  Trust me, a 25-year-old metal zipper can get pretty cantankerous.  Now if you get impatient and try to force one of those zippers, you can permanently destroy the zipper--it can't be fixed.  This has happened to us before and we live in fear of it happening to us again.  Hence, the Hail Mary plea for effective zipper lube.  We think we've found the correct product to save these zippers but such research takes gobs of time.

Susun attended the Idaho Falls Beautification Commission meeting Wednesday.  DF & LBR Terry M. invited her so she could consider whether she might actually want to apply for official membership on the group.  Well, Susun loved the meeting so today we're going to put together her letter of application.  The group has no problem with Susun being gone all winter long.  She would be a perfect fit for such a Commission.  She's excited and we are, too.  THANKS, Terry!

DR & LBR Maggie J. returned recently from taking her elderly 80-something Mom back to Cleveland and Chicago for a visit with her Mom's relatives and childhood friends.  Maggie sent a glowing account of just how perfectly the trip went--no problems whatsoever and a good time was had by all.

Have a great day with Many Cheers, jp

No comments: