Frustrations with RVing and Moving On

It's been almost 3 weeks since I've added to my blog - a good three weeks. Lots of family time, lots of sightseeing, lots of food, lots of fun, and lots of rest. Now we are preparing to MOVE ON, to set out once again on our 18 month journey, that unexpected, unsettled life we anticipated when we left three months ago.

Some of the "unsettling" things still plague us and I promised myself I'd write them down, share them, and then (hopefully) let them go. So here's my list of frustrations - so far! The list will undoubtedly morph in the coming months.

1. CLUTTER - anyone who knows me, knows my middle name is clutter! I just seem to accumulate piles - piles of paper, piles of books, piles of laundry, piles of...well, you get the picture. When you are living in an 11 X 33 ft motorhome (which is really one big room, a bedroom, and a bath), clutter is even more a problem. One of my biggest frustrations is what to do with the clutter. I can't hide it in

Typical view of our kitchen table, i.e. only table. 

a second bedroom and forget it exists. There's just no place to put things, things you need, but not all the time - no convenient place, that is. We have lots of space under the RV. I move things around constantly, making this chair or that couch usable for a time, but it's temporary. It's a challenge I have yet to conquer.

2. BENDING - yes, I know, bending is good for you, but when you have to bend down just to get basic necessities (pots, pans, tupperware, clothes, towels, etc), it is a big PAIN. It's a silly complaint, but an honest one. It is definitely one of the things about traveling I don't particularly like. Let's call it an aggravation that I'll have to live with!

3. REACHING - a corollary to bending. The RV is too high for a short person like me. I can't reach light switches or items on top shelves. Lew made me a "light switch stick" so I could reach up and push the button to turn lights off and on. That's a help, but it is still frustrating that I have to either get the stool or call Lew to perform simple tasks. I prefer to do the latter. Keeps him busy.

4. CONNECTIVITY - this is sometimes a serious problem, for Lew (and for me if I want to post to this blog). Wifi isn't always reliable or fast at the RV parks, and it's non-existent in National Parks. This might mean more stops at local libraries or coffee shops!

5. THE OVEN - our oven is being obstreperous. It can take 5 or 10 minutes to get it lit and we can't leave the pilot light on (once it is lit) because it is getting too much gas, so our carbon monoxide alarms are going off (not good on the ears, or the disposition). There does not seem to be any apparent way to adjust the flame, and that's a frustration for Lew. So far we've used it sparingly, but it would be nice to be able to bake or cook a roast or casserole without having to open a window or worry about the alarms.

6. DUMPING - it's not like home. Can't use as much water as you want, need to watch the tanks, need to make sure you dump every few days. It's easy in an RV park with hook-ups, but when we dry camp (no hook-ups) it can be a real problem. Or if we have electricity, but no water or sewer, we have to unhook and pack everything up like we are leaving every few days and drive to the dump station, which is usually on-site, somewhere. That's what it will be like at National Parks. So, it's another annoyance, not really a problem, but it does take some thinking ahead.

That's enough "kvetching" for now. There are other gripes having to do with TV coverage with the satellite dish, using laundromats, long boring drives, the cost of things, and not being able to be as spontaneous as we'd like (we have reservations going all the way into April already). But I'll save some of those for another time.

Instead, here's a quick run-through of some of the things we are GRATEFUL for during these weeks in Salt Lake, as chronicled in our pictures:

You've seen the other two, this is the third season we've experienced in our RV park!

Grateful for the bubble so I could play tennis 7 times

Christmas lights at Temple Square are very impressive

Part of our visit to the Golden Spike National Historic Monument

Early Christmas with family

Grateful for family

The Spiral Jetty, a unique "sculpture" of basalt rock and earth. Sometimes submerged by Salt Lake

A great hike on Desolation Trail to lookout over Salt Lake - oh well, smog!

The Jordan River Trail that ran behind the RV park so we could walk and bike on it

The Red Iguana - an icon in Salt Lake with great Mole. Close to our RV park

So, soon we'll say goodbye Salt Lake City and the good times and good memories we've had here. On Saturday we head south to St George, UT, for three days at Snow Canyon State Park, then on to Death Valley for a few days, followed by Fort Mohave, AZ with friends for a few more days. Finally, we return to California where we will store the RV for 2 1/2 weeks while we travel to Loreto, Baja Sur, Mexico, to spend Christmas with Sandi and her family. We are MOVING ON!

Finding Normalcy

We've remained in one place for two whole weeks now - and look forward to 2 1/2 more! What a relief to not have to pack everything up day after day, to keep the coffee pot and toaster plugged in, and to have the time to get to know the area where we are staying. Our life feels almost "normal" again. The stay in Salt Lake City has afforded us the opportunity to get some things done that needed doing - like a crown for the tooth Bonnie broke over a month ago, some RV repairs (a new battery terminal bolt, a new light fixture, new running lights, an oil change, and remounting a leaky toilet), new brake pads on the car, laundry, shopping, rearranging of stuff, and, of course, relaxing.

Life returning to "normal" has been good in other ways, as well. And by normal, I mean doing the same things we would do if we lived here all the time - even if we are living in a non-insulated small rectangular box on wheels. (It has its challenges, which I will address in my next post!) The best part of being here is spending time with Erin, Charlie, and Phin. We help with some transportation issues, getting Phin places when his parents are working. We go to the local UU church together - and even managed to attend the church's auction - which has been nice for a change. We missed that part of our routine. We spent an afternoon watching some World Cup Short Track Speed Skating competition, which was a lot of fun, even if we didn't know any of the participants. And most amazing of all, Erin and I attended a performance of Come From Away, a new Broadway musical set in the days following 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland, where 38 planes (that's 7000 people from all over the world) are stranded for 5 days when US air space was closed. It's about hospitality, writ LARGE, compassion, fear, friendship, and lives changed by the experience. The Canadian hosts were inspiring and both the story and the music were compelling (a must-see,if you can!). Combined with a pre-theater dinner at a nearby Vegan restaurant, it was the most perfect (belated) birthday gift any mother could ask for - a special evening with my daughter!

In the two weeks we've been here, it has turned from fall to winter (cold, no snow), and we've gone from riding bikes along the Jordan River to bundling up just to walk. But we are enjoying the sunshine and the sights. One cool thing - I found some indoor tennis courts not far from Erin's house and have signed up to participate in 1 1/2 hour workouts twice a week while I'm here. What fun it has been to hit again - although my back may disagree. (Ice and Aleve work miracles) We've appreciated taking the rapid transit into town (and not having to find parking), walking around Temple Square, attending an organ recital at the Tabernacle, and visiting the main library. Lew attended a special Veteran's Day Concert at the tabernacle which he said was outstanding. Later this week we plan to drive up to see the Golden Spike Monument and the Spiral Jetty (art in the great Salt Lake), celebrate our son-in-law's birthday, take in an afternoon performance of King Lear, and spend some time with old neighbors from Colorado. Other activities on our future agenda include Thanksgiving with Charlie's extended family, the Utah Natural History Museum, the Christmas lights extravaganza downtown, a winter farmer's market, and who knows what else?

Normalcy means lazing around in the morning, making phone calls, paying bills, reading books, taking long walks, watching TV, picking up the "house", doing laundry, and just hangin' out. I'm glad we are interspersing these longer stays with the short ones. It's all good.

Organ at Tabernacle

Charlie & Phin finishing 5K Donut Dash

Bike ride on trail near campground

Short track speed skating competition

What our campground looks like after two weeks. See last post for how it looked before!