04/23 & 4/24/2020

Oh, it’s too hot
(Too hot)
Too hot, lady
(Too hot)
Gotta run for shelter
Gotta run for shade
It’s too hot…

So Kool and the Gang were actually singing about being high school sweet hearts and lost love…I can sooo relate right now to the lost love part for sure. The desert is kicking ass on us right now, telling us to hit the road and not look back. Hmm, sound like an old boyfriend or girlfriend? Sustained 100 degree weather took the bloom off the rose for sure so we will say our good-byes. We plan to hit the road on Friday and take three days to drive to Bend Oregon where we will spend a week or two, maybe longer depending on the weather and what states start to reopen. Ultimately, we will be going back to Anacortes, Washington where we keep the Beach House and will spend the summer on the boat. Our original, pre-COVID-19 summer travel plans included a big RV trip to Canada and Alaska but we have decided to reschedule that trip to 2021.

The drive to Bend is about 900 miles and many of the RV resorts and campgrounds are closed especially along the quiet stretches of Hwy 395. Luckily, I was able to find two great places to spend the night. On any other road trip, we would be spending a few nights or more at each stopover, exploring the area and trying a few new restaurants. Obviously, that is not happening but at least Hwy 395 is a more interesting drive than taking a major interstate.

So here is how day Thirty Six and Thirty Seven of our sheltering in place went:

• To beat the heat, I got up early again on Sunday and walked about 3 miles on Sunday. Honestly, Saturday I was just not motivated to get out there.

• Spent a few hours on the phone both days confirming our travel stopovers, getting our internet put on a seasonal hold, reviewing insurance policies to make sure we have coverage for our things we are putting in storage and doing some book keeping for my mother. All good projects when it is blistering hot outside.

• Laundry… the chore that never ends.

• Wally spent part of the day Saturday working on Ernie (our Chevy Equinox). Ernie’s’ check engine light had been coming on then going off, then coming on…not good. Our local Pep Boys, which is an auto parts store, will check for fault codes in the electronic brain of the car and tell you what the fault codes are. After some internet research and calling around, Wally aka Mr. Handy Pants found the part that Ernie needed at another local auto parts. Some solenoid thingy was malfunctioning but $49 later and some sweating in the hot sun, Ernie was back in business.

• I reorganized our wine and beverage storage which was under our L shaped sectional in the main living area and all the paper goods that I had stashed under our bed. These are great storage spots inside when we are stationary for longer periods of time but once we start moving again, these spaces disappear as the slides come in.

• Thanks to the misters that Wally installed up under our patio umbrella, we were able to sit outside in the late afternoon. It’s amazing how much the misters cool off the outdoor sitting area.

• I fixed a grilled veggie pasta with basil and roasted garlic for dinner on Friday. Thankfully, the golf course sprinklers were going behind us which made dining alfresco much cooler.

• Both nights, our friends Kristen and John stopped by around 8 pm in their golf cart so we jumped in ours too and went cruising. There may have been some girls running through the sprinklers on the golf course… WEEEEEEEE! YES, we were fully clothed!

We are really looking forward to getting the Road House rolling again and especially going somewhere cooler. Ideally, the SIP orders would be lifted in Oregon and Washington but if not we will certainly continue to shelter in place in our coach. Hope you are all healthy, sane and doing okay!