I am SO tired....
... but at least I planned out my weekends well so far.
Last weekend, I took the camper out for a trial run. And it RAINED.... for 7 days! The rain I didn't mind so much, the hail I did. Luckily, though, the camper didn't get any damage. I headed out Friday night at sunset - that's how long it took me to make sure everything was packed. I had struggled the moment I got home and it just got worse from there especially with the water tanks - The directions were a bit vague, and right after I finally thought I had it all together, I discovered that all the valves were left open... water was pouring out the bottom of the camper, and water poured out the water heater... I think I finally figured it out, and a test of the sink and the tub showed success.... everyone I've talked to who has an RV said something about seals - I HOPE I didn't ruin anything...
Once everything was set, we (me and the mutts) headed up into the canyon and on the way, I could see flashes of lightning off to the west over the canyon walls. I was tired, worried I'd forgotten something, and was concerned about my bike on the back because it doesn't fit in the rack and I ended up trying to strap it upside down to prevent the bike from scratching the camper.
Just as I got to the turnoff for the dirt road to the campground, I stopped to check the bike again, and could hear rocks falling from the cliffs above and CRANES were fleeing the storm, SCREECHING as they went, making it a little scary sounding... The dirt road was wet and bumpy, but both the van and the camper handled it well. There was only 1 other vehicle/camper on that road, at the other campground a mile before where I was going to stay. I thought about going there for a little extra security instead, but then changed my mind - because you never know what strangers may be like, you know - and I decided to go to the other one and was all by myself until Saturday night at 10pm - and even then, I only heard the other campers pull in and then silence.... just rain....
Right after I got unhitched Friday and the dogs settled inside the camper, it began to hail. I hadn't figured out how to work the fridge yet, so ran out to grab a hot dog out of my cooler. A pretty good sized (quarter sized) hail ball hit me on the head - it hurt! - but luckily it went through the trees first. SO, even though I had not planned to cook inside (in case of bears in the future), I didn't have a choice that night. Good thing I packed books!
A 14 foot travel trailer is SMALL. Add in 3 dogs and crankiness ensues. With a nasty snarl, Bear wouldn't let Sadie sleep on the bed. Sadie freaked out and then wouldn't get on the couch either. So I ended up cooking while straddling the dog. And another lesson learned - level it or expect leaks. Especially around the emergency exit. The cushions were DRENCHED by the end of the weekend... luckily though, they were also covered with plastic inside which made drying everything out MUCH easier.
Still, though, it was fun. Rain stopped for 2 1/2 hours and the dogs and I went hiking - 5 miles. A beaver has been building dams along the creek, creating a small lake; wildflowers were blooming, cranes were everywhere; sunshine by the time we finished. While we were out there, I could hear thunder in the distance. I found out later when I went to church that they'd gotten golf ball sized hail in town. Thank God it missed us! It actually left huge holes in my window well covers for my basement at the house.
And then, Sunday, we had to rush home - and I COMPLETELY FORGOT the stabilizer jacks! Yep, I pretty much tore them to shreds. No damage to the camper itself though. I've since made a check list to follow (jacks are 1st on the list and I bought new ones, just in case the old ones won't work again) So it was clean up, and get ready for Paige (my granddaughter) to come over for the day and a friend asked me to watch their dog for the day too. They have 4 small kids, so it turned out to be great - Buddy the dog started playing hide-n-seek with Paige, keeping her busy and letting me relax the entire rainy day.
Since then, I've been trying to do "catch-up". The cats were stressed out that I left, peed on EVERYTHING... throws, comforters, the floor... Everything needed washing. Add in regular housework, and then a LEAK - yeah, I'm still cleaning. My basement walls have been seeping water, and I'm just finally figuring out why today - I had dug up a garden, the dogs also dug a hole there, and water from all the rain just flooded right to those spots and right in to the foundation. So, next up... Landcaping. I got started this morning - Did I say I was tired? I'm taking a break right now, lol.
This past week, my best friend from high school found me on Facebook. This is a guy my entire family thought would be my husband. We were SO close. Little did they realize that he's gay, lol. Which, of course, is why we were best friends - He understood me! I put a little blurp on there that day so my family would know I was back from camping and fine, and when I mentioned "we" - me and the dogs - and one of my more recent friends wanted to know if I was dating yet. And I realized that this friend had NO idea about my x. So I sent him a PM about it. Glad I did. He said he was just starting to figure it out from the messages etc. I was getting and giving that something major had happened. You know, he made me feel real good in his note... he said he was trying to find me, had gone to the last 2 reunions hoping I'd be there (I skipped them). Up until that moment, I hadn't realized how lonely I was feeling.
That same day, I was going through photos - I was trying to find all the ones I could find of my X so that I could give copies to my friend in the nursing home. As I was going through them, I found photos of my x's best friends from high school and since the computer was right there, I just checked to see if they were on Facebook. One of them is... he accepted my friend request right away. And THEN, I realized that I have to tell him what happened. Facebook is a REALLY CRAPPY way to tell someone that a friend has died. I've been procrastinating.... I'll tell him later this weekend.
And I'm such a CRAPPY friend myself... one of my girlfriends is visiting from Colorado. We got together the first night she was here... we were supposed to get together for a cookout before she left again this weekend. She hasn't called me.... I haven't called her. I've been just TOO BUSY. And maybe... I just don't want to be around anyone right now...
GRIEF: Yep, I was right. it's worse during Full Moons. Doesn't help going through and copying all the photos yesterday. MAN, I miss him. I miss his voice, miss the way he would joke around, just miss him being here. I keep telling myself I need to "float"... let it pass, recharge, move forward. As tears fall...
TODAY - Well, I've got 2 dogs here today playing with mine until tomorrow (my friends went East River - the other side of South Dakota across the Missouri River - to put flowers on a parent's grave this weekend) and I've mowed lawn for the 2nd time in 3 days due to the rain, done all the laundry, dried out the camper awning, repacked the camper, cleaned out my shed, started organizing stuff I'm thinking of selling at an auction in the next few weeks. And the dog business plan? Well, I PLAN to get going on that again tomorrow. Did I say I was tired? I'm so tired that the doubts are hovering... I wonder if I'm making a mistake....
Tired. Being tired just reinforces all the negative feelings. I don't like being alone today but don't want to be around anyone... I need to train for the bike race but don't have the energy to even start... don't like feeling like I have to race to keep going or just to get the basics done.... but I will. I always do. THIS TOO SHALL PASS. Just like the thunderstorm that just started outside...
LATER.
Last weekend, I took the camper out for a trial run. And it RAINED.... for 7 days! The rain I didn't mind so much, the hail I did. Luckily, though, the camper didn't get any damage. I headed out Friday night at sunset - that's how long it took me to make sure everything was packed. I had struggled the moment I got home and it just got worse from there especially with the water tanks - The directions were a bit vague, and right after I finally thought I had it all together, I discovered that all the valves were left open... water was pouring out the bottom of the camper, and water poured out the water heater... I think I finally figured it out, and a test of the sink and the tub showed success.... everyone I've talked to who has an RV said something about seals - I HOPE I didn't ruin anything...
Once everything was set, we (me and the mutts) headed up into the canyon and on the way, I could see flashes of lightning off to the west over the canyon walls. I was tired, worried I'd forgotten something, and was concerned about my bike on the back because it doesn't fit in the rack and I ended up trying to strap it upside down to prevent the bike from scratching the camper.
Just as I got to the turnoff for the dirt road to the campground, I stopped to check the bike again, and could hear rocks falling from the cliffs above and CRANES were fleeing the storm, SCREECHING as they went, making it a little scary sounding... The dirt road was wet and bumpy, but both the van and the camper handled it well. There was only 1 other vehicle/camper on that road, at the other campground a mile before where I was going to stay. I thought about going there for a little extra security instead, but then changed my mind - because you never know what strangers may be like, you know - and I decided to go to the other one and was all by myself until Saturday night at 10pm - and even then, I only heard the other campers pull in and then silence.... just rain....
Right after I got unhitched Friday and the dogs settled inside the camper, it began to hail. I hadn't figured out how to work the fridge yet, so ran out to grab a hot dog out of my cooler. A pretty good sized (quarter sized) hail ball hit me on the head - it hurt! - but luckily it went through the trees first. SO, even though I had not planned to cook inside (in case of bears in the future), I didn't have a choice that night. Good thing I packed books!
A 14 foot travel trailer is SMALL. Add in 3 dogs and crankiness ensues. With a nasty snarl, Bear wouldn't let Sadie sleep on the bed. Sadie freaked out and then wouldn't get on the couch either. So I ended up cooking while straddling the dog. And another lesson learned - level it or expect leaks. Especially around the emergency exit. The cushions were DRENCHED by the end of the weekend... luckily though, they were also covered with plastic inside which made drying everything out MUCH easier.
Still, though, it was fun. Rain stopped for 2 1/2 hours and the dogs and I went hiking - 5 miles. A beaver has been building dams along the creek, creating a small lake; wildflowers were blooming, cranes were everywhere; sunshine by the time we finished. While we were out there, I could hear thunder in the distance. I found out later when I went to church that they'd gotten golf ball sized hail in town. Thank God it missed us! It actually left huge holes in my window well covers for my basement at the house.
And then, Sunday, we had to rush home - and I COMPLETELY FORGOT the stabilizer jacks! Yep, I pretty much tore them to shreds. No damage to the camper itself though. I've since made a check list to follow (jacks are 1st on the list and I bought new ones, just in case the old ones won't work again) So it was clean up, and get ready for Paige (my granddaughter) to come over for the day and a friend asked me to watch their dog for the day too. They have 4 small kids, so it turned out to be great - Buddy the dog started playing hide-n-seek with Paige, keeping her busy and letting me relax the entire rainy day.
Since then, I've been trying to do "catch-up". The cats were stressed out that I left, peed on EVERYTHING... throws, comforters, the floor... Everything needed washing. Add in regular housework, and then a LEAK - yeah, I'm still cleaning. My basement walls have been seeping water, and I'm just finally figuring out why today - I had dug up a garden, the dogs also dug a hole there, and water from all the rain just flooded right to those spots and right in to the foundation. So, next up... Landcaping. I got started this morning - Did I say I was tired? I'm taking a break right now, lol.
This past week, my best friend from high school found me on Facebook. This is a guy my entire family thought would be my husband. We were SO close. Little did they realize that he's gay, lol. Which, of course, is why we were best friends - He understood me! I put a little blurp on there that day so my family would know I was back from camping and fine, and when I mentioned "we" - me and the dogs - and one of my more recent friends wanted to know if I was dating yet. And I realized that this friend had NO idea about my x. So I sent him a PM about it. Glad I did. He said he was just starting to figure it out from the messages etc. I was getting and giving that something major had happened. You know, he made me feel real good in his note... he said he was trying to find me, had gone to the last 2 reunions hoping I'd be there (I skipped them). Up until that moment, I hadn't realized how lonely I was feeling.
That same day, I was going through photos - I was trying to find all the ones I could find of my X so that I could give copies to my friend in the nursing home. As I was going through them, I found photos of my x's best friends from high school and since the computer was right there, I just checked to see if they were on Facebook. One of them is... he accepted my friend request right away. And THEN, I realized that I have to tell him what happened. Facebook is a REALLY CRAPPY way to tell someone that a friend has died. I've been procrastinating.... I'll tell him later this weekend.
And I'm such a CRAPPY friend myself... one of my girlfriends is visiting from Colorado. We got together the first night she was here... we were supposed to get together for a cookout before she left again this weekend. She hasn't called me.... I haven't called her. I've been just TOO BUSY. And maybe... I just don't want to be around anyone right now...
GRIEF: Yep, I was right. it's worse during Full Moons. Doesn't help going through and copying all the photos yesterday. MAN, I miss him. I miss his voice, miss the way he would joke around, just miss him being here. I keep telling myself I need to "float"... let it pass, recharge, move forward. As tears fall...
TODAY - Well, I've got 2 dogs here today playing with mine until tomorrow (my friends went East River - the other side of South Dakota across the Missouri River - to put flowers on a parent's grave this weekend) and I've mowed lawn for the 2nd time in 3 days due to the rain, done all the laundry, dried out the camper awning, repacked the camper, cleaned out my shed, started organizing stuff I'm thinking of selling at an auction in the next few weeks. And the dog business plan? Well, I PLAN to get going on that again tomorrow. Did I say I was tired? I'm so tired that the doubts are hovering... I wonder if I'm making a mistake....
Tired. Being tired just reinforces all the negative feelings. I don't like being alone today but don't want to be around anyone... I need to train for the bike race but don't have the energy to even start... don't like feeling like I have to race to keep going or just to get the basics done.... but I will. I always do. THIS TOO SHALL PASS. Just like the thunderstorm that just started outside...
LATER.
Replies
Oh I know how you feel about your trailer! Every time I move I promise myself that I will make a list of all the things that must be done before I move, and it never happens. LOL! I know all about those stabilizer jacks!!!! But I am glad it was nothing major. As to the leak, my recommendation is to keep a calking gun with a tube of good quality clear silicone and every time you find a leak(and believe me there will be more)just calk it!! Save yourself hundreds of dollars of damage and repair costs. I am so glad you enjoyed your time in the trailer, even if it did rain and hail. Try using all the goodies in your trailer at home. As to your refrigerator, isn\'t it propane and electric? If so you just have to make sure your propane is turned on and the button to switch from electricity to propane pushed. Then it works just like your home frig. It takes time to cool to the right temp, but it will. At the same time your stove will now work so you can cook. As to your water heater, there is a switch somewhere(not always the same place, so you\'ll have to look for it)to switch from electricity to propane, once that is pushed to propane your water will start to heat up. Again you must have your water pump turned on. Your water tanks are fillable from a different place than if there is a water source to hook up too.. For the black water make sure you carry a bucket(or at least that is my advice)and plenty of the stuff you put in to disintegrate the waste(can\'t remember what its called, I just automatically pick some up when ever I am at Walmart). I would fill the bucket 2 times and put it with the\"stuff\" in your toilet before you leave or as soon as you stop. After a few more trips this will all become 2nd nature. And after all if I can do it!!! YOU most certainly can do it!!! (((Hugs))) PS get some rest!!!