8-29-2021 Summer and Fall Cross-Country Trip - Intro

A week before departure and, no surprise, things are going haywire.  We had Andersen here to install two new doors on the house and later in the day, after they left, we sat with a toonie admiring them.  As we gazed at the new wonderfulness, I mused, “So our security sensors went out with the trash?”  Oh shit oh dear!  We tried to reach Andersen but it was too late, the doors had gone where all old doors go to die.  So there we were without a security system on the back of the house with a seven-day-countdown.  Fifteen panicky phone calls and a few hours later, we locked in an appointment with ADT to have sensors installed and programmed the day before departure.

 

Meanwhile, Andersen is still wrapping up details;  stucco repair, painting, etc.  They’ll be finished 2 days before departure.  This is another saga that had its beginnings last April.  We’ll leave that one alone.

 

Meanwhile, my computer took one final leap into the afterlife.  A new computer with hours to spare?  Another, “Oh shit oh dear!”   Fortunately Josh the Geek at our local Great Computer Deals had me up and running with a new laptop in an hour and a half!  He’s a geek AND a magician!

 

And then, there’s this:  The transfer switch died on Noobee which means that we had no frig and no air.  Nobody is going anywhere at this time without air, I promise you.  Rob found an electrician but when he looked at the pix that we sent, he told us that he didn’t have this particular box.  He had to get one from TX!  Wha-a-at?  He had it FedEx’d overnight to his business but then told us that he and his family were going to CA for the week end and he couldn’t fix it till Monday.  This pushed our departure date out 2 days till Tuesday.  I nearly cried.  I have all of our parks, mileage and plans laid out and paid in advance, some with no cancellation or refund policy.  One day off and the whole plan falls out of bed.

 

Meanwhile, one of our awnings developed a 2 foot long tear that was creeping.  I contacted Carefree Awnings of CO and they told me that our warranty had expired after one year but I could get a replacement if I wanted to simply send $900.  So I shrugged and forgot about it.  About three weeks later, the UPS guy delivered a great big box to our doorstep.  It was from Carefree!  I was shocked and panicky, thinking maybe I had sipped one too many toonies and gave them my credit card number!  We tore open the packing slip and read, “Good will to customer no charge.”  We were stunned and delighted!  We didn’t know what to do with it but we were happy!

 

But the transfer switch headache lingered.  The FedEx people would not give the package from TX to anyone but the addressee (who was in CA).  As it happens, however, the electrician’s wife had to come back because her dog had had a litter of puppies, caesarian, and had ripped out her stitches.  Jill returned to tend to her mamma dog.  So she picked up the package from Fed Ex and delivered it to our door with a 2-day countdown to departure.

 

Meanwhile, Rob found a fellow who knew how to install awnings and he asked, “By the way, do you know anything about electricity?”  It happens that he is also a licensed, certified electrician and knows all about transfer switches!  With one day to departure, he came to the house and bazinga!  We have electricity in Noobee!  Were the stars lining up?  A free awning and a caesarian litter of puppies?  What can I say?  Our departure day was back on schedule!

 

So Rob began cleaning the windshield and… discovered that we had taken a hit and the windshield had a chip in it.  Back to the phone banks!  We found a repair shop that is open on Sunday in Vegas with a half day to spare till departure.  So here we are, Sunday, on our way, with a detour to the auto glass shop!  Was all of this more info and headache than you need?  Me, too, trust me!  My nerves are raw.  However, we are officially on the road as scheduled!  Whatever we have forgotten or omitted will remain so.  Things can only become fun at this point, t-loggers!  Right?  Can I hear a “Yes?!”  First stop:  Pioche, NV.