The Adventure Continues #4

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Geo: 33.9817, -117.374

Hi from Mom's in Riverside,



I'm starting this email with a wet head, wet sleeping bag and drenched shirt. We arrived in Riverside late yesterday to visit with Daves family for the next few days. It was horribly warm last night (or I was in a hormonal menopausal meltdown - take your pick) since I'm used to the beach and cold air up to now. I decided to grab a sleeping bag from the top of the trailer and a pillow and crash in the yard where it was much cooler. Even though they locked me out and I had to pee in the yard at midnight, I slept pretty good until 4:30 this morning. I'm laying there coming out of a sound sleep thinking, I didn't know they were calling for rain......dumbshit - the sprinklers came on. Oh well, I was ready to get up anyway apparantly. Lesson learned: 1. Check for sprinklers and ask for the timing schedule if you plan on sleeping in someones back yard. 2. Tell someone your in the backyard so they don't lock you out. I'm not sure Doris would appreciate me peeing on her azaleas so keep this to yourselves.



Since the last update, there's been fewer frustrations and more laughter (if that's possible). We still haven't had a fight or too many harsh words so I think we'll be okay doing this for the rest of our days. I figured if we didn't tear each other apart the first month, it could only get easier from here. Now for the easier. During our blissful stay at freezing Pizmo we decided to get rid of the things that weren't necessay (2 very large boxes went back to storage) which gave us some room for the new things that are making it easier. Living out of a 48 quart ice chest the first three weeks was impossible. Have you seen the amount of beer we can drink???? It had to be either the beer or the food or a bigger ice chest......OMG. Slap me senseless - what a difference with two chests. The new one is almost too big but I'm sure we can grow into it. Now, there's no panicked moments of waiting for the beer to get cold or having to drink it warm. I'm ashamed to say, we've done both. I prefer to wait but Dave's a guy who can drink it warm.......now that's a surprise. Now for the kicker, the majority of the boxes mailed back were Dave's clothes. I wasn't watching when he packed and just kept giving him more room when he needed it. He packed his WHOLE closet (even the dress shirt that goes with the suit I sent to storage). Lessons learned: 1. Watch Dave pack or you end up with over 60 shirts.......a little overkill especially since we have stayed in the same clothes for three days which brings us to lesson #2. You can become toooooooooooo relaxed. Several times we had to check the cell to find out what day of the week it was, let alone a date. Even when you don't think you need a shower, you do if it's been more than two days. 3. Don't let other campers spout crap. A very nice bible thumping family who were camping next to us went to church camp everyday. On their last day, the woman tells me they have stopped camping here for the most part because of the (in a very hushed tone and behind her hand she whispers) "the mexicans". They just trash the bathroom. I wanted to slap the ship out of her but all I could think was, Is that what your Jesus would say? I didn't say a thing, just turned my back and stopped talking with her immediately. If you beleive in your God and everything he makes is perfect, who are you to judge the quality of his work? I won't be silent next time. That woman should have left there feeling ashamed of her comment instead she left thinking she had found a like soul who was just too busy to talk any longer........Nothing could be further from truth. If I wasn't mouthy before now, look out world.



During our stay at McGrath State Beach (my awesome pick) was an almost comotose stay. You never met anyone as laid back as this adventerous duo. Leaving camp to have dinner was almost too much activity. We nursed his knees and my sausage toe and compiled a list of things we still need to make this easier and more fun. The sausage toe has been trying to heal since the first week we were gone. I had made this killer ham sandwich with organic tomatoes and wasn't watching where I was going. The tomatoe started to slide off and while trying to stop it from hitting the floor, I ran straight into a hallway wall and broke my second toe severly (not to mention, I lost the damn tomatoe anyway). It was bent to the right 45 degrees and I had to pop it back into place but it just doesn't want to get any better. We are quite the hobbling pair but as you can see by the pics - STILL SMILING. We had plenty of entertainment with the wildlife; especially a squirrel who decided our table and food were hers. I finally gave up trying to keep her away and just let her have the nuts....they were stale anyway......lol. Not sure she was the one who got my tomatoe and doritos but odds are pretty good she's guilty. If asked, I'm sure she'd blame it on the Red-Winged Balck Bird who staked out the t-bag on the bike as home. Even Oscar couldn't scare them away.......scared a few campers but not our squirrel. Lessons learned: 1. Let Debbie pick the campgrounds. Uncanny knack of picking the perfect site at the best camp (ok google earth and woodalls - uncanny, well researched or just lucky - you decide) 2. Tomatoes, organic or not, are not worth a broken toe, even with honey ham and wheat bread. 3. Unwanted guests are only unwanted until you invite them to sit and eat (animal guests, not humans).



Not only can I pick good campgrounds and sites, but I will find the best places to eat. After leaving McGrath, I was starving so we started looking for a place for breakfast. Everything we pulled into (which isn't always easy with a trailer) was closed. About an hour and a half in, I see this sign that looks like it came from the 50's and has never seen fresh paint or repair but it says breakfast. Dave turns and immediatly he says shit. Very steep downhill with speed bumps in front of us but he keeps going. At the bottom is a spot out of the movies. The perfect beach restaurant. The food was awesome and the bathrooms (Sandbox) was astonishing - all marble and rough hewn wood. So clean you could see yourself in every wall and floor. As I said Amazing!!!!! You can't afford to eat there often ($80 - breakfast 2 beers and 2 bloody marys) but what a gorgeous place and by the time we arrived there, I would have sold my arm for a cracker. Leave it to me to find the diamond wrapped in yesterday's newspaper. 1. Let Debbie find the restaurant if you want to end up in the poor house. 2. Breakfast taste better when your toes are in the sand.



General observations: Children can be annoying in a campground but if you ignore them long enough, they go away. Monkey Butt Powder is the best thing since sliced bread and could easily be called Monkey Thigh Crease Powder or Monkey Under the Boobs Powder. It works well no matter where it's applied (available at your ACE Hardware). Camping shortcuts are the bomb - liter water bottle for peeing in the middle of the night (ok only a shortcut for Dave, but I have the bush outside the tent). A hotplate is mandatory if you stay at a site with electrical hook-up. Coffee on the coleman - 45 min to an hour - Coffee on the hotplate - 15 min. Collapsable buckets for washing dishes (I hate sitting on the grass in front of a spigot with only cold water, it works, but I hate it). Newspaper and/or duraflame logs are recommended when building a fire with flames and not just smoldering wood. Generators are tooooooo loud. I don't need to do anything that badly that it can't wait for quiet electricity from the wall socket. On that note, always choose campgrounds with full hookups. The 3 days at McGrath with no music was too quiet. Great campground but no hookups.



Picture link:



http://oscarswildadventure.smugmug.com/gallery/8662067_Ln7az/1/571971826_s7Mno



Now our itenerary. Due to the time factor to repair the trike we will arrive in Las Vegas on the 9th of June to pick up truck and drop off the trike. We will leave Las Vegas the morning of the 10th for San Diego and come back on Monday the 13th. We will leave for Idaho to see Doc and Shawn in Utah on the 26th.



Keep smiling and laughing......we are!



Love

Debbie & Dave

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