Day 231 (Oroville, CA)

We check into a Days Inn in Oroville (accept dogs but charge $10 a day for them), made contact with the newest parents, crashed and waited until the next day to go see them.

Day 230 (on the road)

We loaded the truck and began our drive from Quartzsite, AZ to Oroville, CA. We decided to leave the rig at the campground and make great time to go see the “big” brother and “new” baby before we head East. We spent the night in a Motel 6 at Coalinga, CA. Talk about cheap – no shampoo, conditioner, nor tissues – price was right and they accept dogs (no additional charge). I guess we can be happy that toilet paper was included. Karma saw a cat, got loose from the room and the chase was on. Karma is speedy, but the cat knew the terrain and I had Karma’s ball as incentive she couldn’t resist. So, we learned that the whistle and ball will bring Karma back but won’t hold her if something as exciting as a cat shows up. Our biggest fear was the surrounding access roads and highway 5 traffic.

Day 226-227 (Quartzsite AZ)

RV Boot Camp-Interesting sessions but we are now more experienced than the other participants – that’s a change. While we are still novices there are lots of people with less experience/knowledge. The best session was on Fire Protection – we’ve increased our arsenal of extinguishers and are talking about practicing our bedroom evacuation plan. While getting ourselves out the escape hatch is bad enough (Boots is convinced she’ll barely survive the 8ft. drop – onto concrete in many parks!) – getting Karma to leap out will be quite a major challenge.

Day 221 (Phoenix AZ)

We went to Phoenix for a Costco run (Pepsi, RX, TP, PT, etc.). Without the pantry space we don’t buy as much from them as before. The landscape between Quartzsite and Phoenix is the same desert brown.

Day 219 (Quartzsite AZ)

First of all, the toilet is still clear. We watched the inauguration on TV. WOW the crowds! Too bad Ruthi didn’t get to take Kassie and Nathan but we’ll do a week with each another time.

Day 218 (Quartzsite AZ)

It was a busy day for the Tank Pumping guys, so they didn’t get back to us until late in the day - more running to the campground facilities! They couldn’t figure out what the problem was but again pumped twice from both directions. So, we are clear for the moment!

Day 215 (Quartzsite AZ)

Plugged Toilet AGAIN! You may have noticed this is Friday, so no professional help until Monday. We needed to use the campground bathrooms. They were clean and had high pressure showers but they were a good distance away. We occasionally needed to run and run to make it.

Day 212 (Quartzsite AZ)

We have been having interesting (?) toilet problems – bubbly (large bubble eruptions would be more accurate) when flushed (not exactly a fun event) and then it was entirely plugged. We had to call the Tank Pumpers (like my dad used to do). They pumped twice from both directions and put a “blue” dye in to verify it was finally cleared of whatever was blocking it.

Day 207 (Quartzsite AZ)

We finally had solar panels (3) installed on our roof. With a sunny day (all day), we can go all night: TV/DVR, lights, fans, refrigerator (on propane) and no a/c. So we can be off the grid – saves some money and more importantly minimizes our carbon footprint!
While driving through California we passed signs pointing to a prison off to the right of the road. It was far enough out there that we couldn’t see any buildings but we did see this warning sign on the road “Do not pick up hitchhikers”. Like drivers need to be reminded . . .

Day 201 (Quartzsite AZ)

Welcome to world – Tara Anjali O’Brien (TAO, neat initials huh?) – little sister to Bodhi Brooks O’Brien and 2nd granddaughter for us. She was born at her maternal grandmother/grandfather’s house in Oroville, CA. Like Bodhi, it was a water birth – gentle with little trauma for the baby. Bodhi was awoken for the final push and arrival. His only comment of the experience was that Melody was loud. Since he slept through it, we wonder what he meant.

Day 200 (Quartzsite AZ)

Happy New Year!

Karma got up early today for some reason and insisted she needed to go out – usually she waits until the sun is above the horizon but not today and it was my (Boots) turn. One of the things I don’t like about this RV park is how far away the dog walk area is. I also don’t like that it’s a bleak (I use that word often, don’t I?) spot next to Main Street AND there’s nothing there that seems to entice her into ‘getting on with it’. I found I was always coming back from those excursions in a foul mood. About 10 days ago I figured out that it’s much more productive (and the scenery is better) to walk even further and go into the wash on the west of the RV park. What a relief!!

We’ve also discovered that if she can see out of several different windows in the RV, she doesn’t seem to feel the need to go out hourly and ‘check the area’. This also cuts down on those trips where you think maybe she needs to do something and she really doesn’t – just keeping an eye on things like a good lab - "hall monitor".

So to catch up a bit since I last posted:
We’ve made a couple more trips to Parker because of the great bike shop there. First one was to get me a more comfortable bike seat – I’m a bit like the princess and the pea when it comes to my butt – I need all the cushioning I can get back there!

The second trip was necessary because we were having trouble getting my new seat positioned correctly and because Ruthi wanted a new bike and had seen one there that she liked (it was on sale, too!). So we both have new bikes now with all kinds of bells, whistles, baskets, bottle holders, etc. etc. We look pretty spiffy!!

At our favorite restaurant (Taco Mio) here in Q, we learned about a carneceria (I think I have that right – it’s a small Mexican meat store with a taco bar inside) in Parker. We got some really good salsa, some guacamole and I picked up a couple of Mexican bottled drinks that I’ve discovered I like – Jamaica and Tamarindo. I usually don’t drink sodas or juices but these are just right. So it was a good trip to Parker - a town that has very little going for it, in my opinion.

Okay, more about me: I have a habit of falling periodically and my two most recent ones (well, 2 most serious ones) have involved smashing my face into something and trying to knock my front teeth out. It happened in 2005 in Quincy with my face hitting concrete and removing some gum tissue and causing some concern that I might lose my two upper front teeth – they survived. My face got rather bruised up as well.

About 8 days ago, I was leaving a rock vendor’s place when I tripped on a huge iron scales. I reached up and grabbed the upright section to try to stop my fall but it started to go with me and then returned to its place catching my two upper front teeth on its way back and then, of course, I hit the large-gravel covered ground anyway. I’m laying there in pain and in fear that my teeth are really gone this time because 1) my gums are numb and 2) I can feel with my tongue that something isn’t right.

Meanwhile Ruthi is watching but can’t come to my aid because Karma is attached to her bike with a ‘Walky Dog’ which precludes laying the bike down. BUT she tries anyway and freaks Karma out to the point that she somehow gets out of her harness and takes off!! So, I’m laying on the ground in some pain but mostly worried about my teeth and about how I’m going to get up (getting me back up after falls is a whole other story and one that involves a lot of hilarity). Ruthi is trying to catch Karma who plans never to talk to either of us or be attached to the bike again.

Two men are standing over me with great concern. Both assure me my teeth are fine (I don’t believe them) and I assure them that I’m not concussed ( I was still wearing my bike helmet fortunately). So then comes the “how do we get me on my feet?” question. One of them plans to help me and I assure them it will require 2 people (been there before!). Actually, the getting up part would probably be less of a problem now that we've been riding our bikes almost daily and I have some leg strength now. But they get me up and our focus turns to the dog chase.

Ruthi gets hold of Karma but as they near the bikes, Karma sees them, freaks out and takes off again. I figure I need to go get the truck and a leash but Ruthi has the keys and Karma has now led her quite a distance away. She finally catches her and uses her jacket as a leash. I meet her a distance from the bikes to get the keys then ride back to the RV park to get the truck.

All is well now, except for my teeth and a few bruises AND the fact that we may never be able to get Karma on the ‘Walky Dog’ again.

So what do you do when in a VERY small town in the middle of the desert and need a dentist?? The people we asked either never go to a dentist (that’s the permanent residents) or they go to Mexico (that’s the ‘snow birds’). I have, in fact, sheared off a portion of those teeth, made noticeable only by the fact that the shearing stopped just short of completion. My first reaction was ‘how can I have a longer section of tooth there???? Doh! Plus, there’s a somewhat horizontal crack above that bit of tooth.

Decided to call my dentist in Quincy and he assured me there’s no rush. Since we’ll be in the Phoenix area in Feb., he can give me a recommendation for a dentist in Scottsdale. It will have been an expensive fall! By the way, no bruises or any other mark on my face - just the teeth.

Day 200 (Quartzsite AZ)

Well, obviously we didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions about updating the BLOG more frequently. So, all of the entries down to 01 January have been put together at the same time.