Leah's Take

So, Richard is calling this 'our' blog, but he wrote it all. My view is slightly different. Let's begin with how long it has taken us to get here. Throughout all his posts he will make reference to my frequent stops at second hand stores. Oh, that it was so! (I actually wanted to call this blog Goodwill Hunting, but that was nixed as not reflective enough of both our experiences.) To begin with,  I would like to set the record straight that few of our frequent stops have been the result of my obsession with 'goodwilling.' Yes, I have stopped at a number of stores, but have fitted these in when: a) we were unable to travel because of weather; b) Richard was buying or researching his tech purchases; or c) he was on the phone or online with tech support. Yes, it definitely is awesome being wedged between two transport trucks for the night in the Walmart parking lot and still able to check what is up with my Facebook friends, but let me tell you the technological devices have definitely cost us some time. But to quote the Seinfeld crew, "Not that there is anything wrong with that," ...we are now retired and have lots of time.  But readers, if there actually are any of you out there, I ask you, does anyone really need two GPS's to get to the Starbucks less than a mile away from the Walmart? It gets particularly confusing when each of the voices offers different directions simultaneously.

Richard has told you about the snow, the freezing cold, and the poor road conditions but has neglected to mention that we have not dewinterized the moho for fear of water freezing in the tanks or pipes. Fortuitous, given the current weather. This means that we have no running water and must go into the Walmart to go to the bathroom or brush our teeth. Here in Weatherford we know both the morning and night Walmart greeters by their first names. It should also be noted that Richard has perfected the 'baby wipe sponge bath' and smells sweet in spite of the conditions.

I would like to close this entry by relating an incident that occurred on  the day that we arrived in Weatherford, Texas. We had stopped early because of hazardous road conditions. As we pulled into the Walmart, we noticed a massive FedEx transport truck spinning his wheels on the ice as he attempted to leave the parking lot. We went into the store, bought some food for supper, wandered around for a while and upon returning to the motorhome, the same driver was still spinning his wheels. I made dinner and Richard went into the bitter, windy cold to change a fuse in the van. It should also be noted that during this whole time  transport trucks were coming and going and no one stopped to help the FedEx driver. After Richard finished with the van, he went over and suggested that the FedEx guy buy some salt. He replied that he had no money, so Richard bought him the salt (only pool salt was available), helped him put it down, and broke the ice ruts with a mallet. While they were spreading the salt, the driver slipped and Richard caught him. Saved by a senior citizen! After all this, he drove away and Richard came in and had dinner.

Yes, life on the road is good!