Solo Cross-Country Adventure

So much has happened since I last posted here.

COVID-19 has assaulted the country. Vaccines have been rolled out, nearly 100% effective for the general population, but only 17% effective for those of us who have organ transplants and a compromised immune system. Looks like I will continue to wear a mask to stay safe, though at least the vaccine should keep me out of the hospital if I do get sick. My leg cramps have decreased somewhat; I think the van driver’s seat may have been to blame.

In October 2020, I sold the house in Saugus, and bought a 1935 Cape that fits me like a hug! It’s a snug house with lots of light, good neighbors, near everything I could possible need, and just a few miles from friends. It’s only 25 minutes from camp, too, which means I won’t have to take as much with me during the summer. Going home to cut the grass, do laundry and gather mail and packages with be much easier than it was when I lived in Saugus, which was 1.5+ hours away.

Early in 2021, my dog Spice succumbed to heart failure secondary to Cushing’s disease. She became ill during the fall of 2020, and didn’t tolerate medication well at all. I had hoped she would get better, but she was simply too sick. She was only 9 years old.

The RV I was so excited to buy turned out to be a rust bucket, unsafe to drive, and with a ceiling full of black mold. It was a total loss. Big Moose RV took it off my hands, with the promise of paying me for whatever they could salvage, though, honestly, there isn’t likely to be much. Big Mike, the owner, sat me down and tutored me for an hour on how to use the NADA (similar to Kelley Blue Book, but includes RVs) to determine whether the RV was priced right or overpriced. When he and his son, Young Mike, looked over my van, they suggested I let them redesign the interior to make it more useful, as well as comfortable. They have just started the work. I’m really excited!!!

I plan to resume my cross-country trip later this fall, though I’m not certain of my launch date yet. There is so much to do! Please let me know if you would like to keep informed of my journey.

I have been worried about whether I would be treated in the event I got sick with the coronavirus. Finally I decided that information, good or bad, was better than not know. After an email exchange with my nephrology team, I was assured that having a kidney transplant and being immunosuppressed would not prevent me from being treated. I am feeling much lighter, mood-wise, though the trick is still keeping from getting sick in the first place.

Governor Baker proposed a list of “essential businesses” that can stay open.  It seems as though he barely eliminated any. The list of places that need to close would be considerably shorter.  Honestly, if I see one more post about hoping that Dunkin Donuts stays open so they can get their coffee, I will scream. Is everyone too lazy to buy ground coffee or K-cups and make their own? I get that coffee is a life-giving elixer, but I would think people can make a contingency plan!

I can’t believe it has been 12 days since I last posted! Seeing as I have a lot of time on my hands, I have no excuse not to write.  I am slightly freaked out by the number of infections, increasing as they are despite the lack of adequate testing.  Four days ago, 256; three days ago, 328; two days ago, 413; yesterday, 525.  The number is posted on ma.gov at 4:00 pm daily.

I have been somewhat careless in going to A.C. Moore which is closing, not once but twice.  Two days ago I went and came home with a carload. I paid $83; the receipt said I had saved $1,139.00.  Today I went again, taking the RV only because I discovered a flat tire on the Equinox.  I spent $34.73; the receipt said I saved $1,215.63. It will take me days to sort everything.  Fortunately, I have a system, so it may take less time than I thought. There will be no excuse not to have made plenty of atock for fall craft shows. I also picked up my Girl Scout cookie order.

Two new, major projects: get the tire fixed on the Equinox, and have someone in to fix one (maybe two) non-functioning sumps and a crack in the basement floor that feels soft, that is, as though there is nothing underneath. The house is built on reclaimed swMp, and I have learned, in the 18 years I have been here, that I am only a few inches above an underground lake, and have underground streams on two property lines. A perimeter French drain (third one in 18 years) and three sumps can’t do the job.  Not sure what’s next.

Other projects: organizing the library, craft room, and wood shop; sorting my wood restoration projects; going through my exercise stuff, which is gathering spider webs and dust in the basement.  At least one collection of free weights is gone; my nephew Cody picked them up today. I have been catching up on many small things, like packing my RV, even though travel is restricted, and hanging a coat rack, and cleaning. Yikes, cleaning: even my dust bunnies are wearing fur coats!

i have had several hours to sit and think about the coronavirus. Because of the kidney transplant and anemia, I suspect if I needed intubation I might not be a candidate.  It’s a sobering thought that I might not be around long if I get sick. My end of life plans are all made; it seems rather grim to think I may use them if I fall victim to the virus.  On the other hand, I have always been a fighter.  I am not afraid.  I worry for my friends and neighbors, many of whom are compromised in one way or another.  I worry about camp, and how everyone there will do, if they will even go this year. I plan to create a big garden, so that I can share what I grow.  I can’t think of anything else I can do.

Life so far is tolerable.  I miss being with my friends.  The two dogs and the cat are my constant companions, which is very comforting. I am waiting with bated breath to see what comes next—like the cat who ate cheese, then waited beside the mousehole with baited breath! Ha! Sorry, they don’t get any better….

Stay well, everyone.

Saturday I took possession of my new RV.  Yesterday, I spent two hours at the Danvers DMV to get plates.  Today, the RV was inspected, and I had the Bluetooth radio and backup caera installed.  I also took the van off the road 😭, and had the EZ Pass recoded for a camper rather than a van.  I was stymied over a very loud and annoying rattle every time I hit a bump, and discovered that the silverware I packed had fallen out of the holder. I had a good laugh at that.

Chris, a friend, came over to troubleshoot a chair lift that isn’t working, and he took a good look at the RV.  I’m glad he did: he noticed a badly rusted beam under the rear of the RV that looks like it needs attention. I had already noticed a rusted flange holding the tailpipe to the underside that likely needs to be replaced. In addition, I have 6 tires, not 4, as I told the DOT’s EZ Pass office, so I need to correct that rather than risk a fine.  Overall, nothing is so crucial it can be corrected, I think. Honestly, I’d have been shocked if everything had gone perfectly!

I found a holder full of CDs that the previous owner didn’t want, and as I was checking them out (mostly country music, not my fave), I discovered a nice, crisp $20 bill beneath one of them.  That doesn’t happen as nearly often as I’d like!

Because of the coronavirus threat, my medical team has suggested I stay home for a while to see how extensively the infection spreads.  Being in a strange area with a 104 degree fever and three pets to house while I am hospitalized somewhere doesn’t appeal to me.  Instead, I will travel in New England, see some sights I haven’t been to yet, and get used to driving the RV. So far, it’s a comfortable ride, and, other than cornering like a grocery cart, seems to ride much like the van.  Speaking of the van, I posted it for sale on Facebook Marketplace.  I’ve gotten more than 900 hits, but only a couple of nibbles.  It would be nice if potential buyers didn’t propose outrageously lowball offers; I am not *giving* the van away.  I do hope someone shows up that will enjoy it as much as I have.

in the meantime, I am pulling together a list of places to visit, among the first of which will be the commercial garage I went to for the RV inspection, to get that rust looked at. Onward!

I have been busy since I got home on February 20, 12 days after I started my journey.  My first order of business was to see a neurologist.  Although he couldn’t provide any insights in why I was having the brutal cramping in my legs, he adjusted a couple of my meds.  This seems to have helped somewhat.  I think driving less may also help.  As a friend reminded me, this trip is a marathon, not a sprint. Wise words.

The other major change is finding and buying a class C RV. This is roomier for all four of us. It has one slideout, a rear kitchen, lots of storage, and is 25’ long, exactly the length I was hoping to find.  Bob, the seller, has all of the papers, is having the slideout checked again as it stuck during my checking it out, and will have it cleaned.  I am very excited.

I am taking the cat to the local Petsmart to get her fitted into a halter. This way, she can hang out with me and the dogs when we are outside.  The RV has an awning, so I will look for a screen room to attach to it, so we can be outside, but protected from bugs and other critters.  I will also need to install steps, as I don’t want to have to use a step stool to get into the side entrance. Beyond that, I think once it’s packed, we’ll be ready to go.

This time at home has been very productive.  I have been able to address some things I need to do, doing them sooner rather than later.  I am selling the van, and in fact may already have a buyer. I will be able to vote in the primary in person rather than by absentee ballot. The corner of the basement that has water will get taken care of. And I have some paperwork that I can get done as well. Hopefully this will clear my mind (and my conscience!) as I hit the road again.

I have been off the grid for a few days, so what has been going on may come as a surprise.

I had a great visit with my elementary school friend Patti Brennan in Alexandria VA. She brought me to Old Town, where we enjoyed a scrumptious lunch and toured an artisan building. I bought a knitted and felted hat that spoke to me: it was purple, with houses around the brim. It reminded me of my years as an architectual librarian, as well as a children’s librarian.

I will have to change the poem, “When I am old, I shall wear purple, and a red hat that doesn’t go.” Looks like I will have to wear red! I also talked with a talented and interesting ceramist-turned-metalworker, and bought a steel lobster that appealed to me.

My time with Patti was too short, and soon I was on the road to visit my high school friend Karen Dold and her partner of nearly 40 years, Nancy.

It was so good to reconnect! We went out to a fantastic Mediterranean restaurant and caught up. Karen was performing in a women’s chorus that evening, so my visit was short. I had intended to attend her performance, but between being unable to find a place to stay (in Durham NC, of all places!) and not being able to find parking anywhere near her venue, I decided to move on. I was in Greensboro NC before I found a place for the night. I was so wound up I had trouble sleeping, despite extreme fatigue, and brutal leg cramps all night compounded my sleeplessness with pain.

My next stop was Asheville NC, where I’d been invited to stay at a campground managed by Linda and Mark Walter, friends from Lake Forest Resort. It was great to see them! The campground was in the Pisgah National Forest, which seemed very remote from the city outside its gates. Linda and Mark welcomed me, and once I was settled, hosted a rib BBQ for me. Yum! Unfortunately, I was worn out from too much driving and too little sleep, and only stayed a short while before I needed to turn in.

The night was not an easy one. The dogs decided to sleep on top of me, and when leg cramps hit, I had to struggle to get out from under two 35-pound furballs to ease my legs. They both needed to go out at 4:00 am—not a problem, as once again, I was unable to sleep—but when I was getting them back into the van, the cat escaped. Not good.

Linda and I had planned to attend a church breakfast nearby on Tuesday morning. We met and headed out, after Linda told the other camp hosts about the missing cat.

There were perhaps 18-20 people at the breakfast, all friendly and welcoming North Carolinians. Charlie, the cook, had put out quite a spread: scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, cheese grits, jalapeno cheese grits made especially for Linda and Mark, fluffy buttermilk biscuits with butter and delectable homemade jams, as well as sausage gravy. Coffee and juice rounded out the breakfast. I had several delightful conversations, including one with a young man who was excited to tell me about his 6-year-old daughter’s love of reading and libraries, once he heard I was a children’s librarian.  After breakfast, several of the ladies—Judy, Janna, Chris, Carol, Linda and I—sat down to a card-making session. The number of options, supplies, stamps, papers….Wow! We chatted, shared tips, and created for a couple of hours.

Knowing I needed to run an errand or two, I said a reluctant goodbye and headed out.

On my return to camp, I searched for the cat to no avail. I hoped she would return at dark when she was hungry. My project was to reorganize my van, which was going well until the skies opened. What had started as a warm and sunny day had devolved into a dark, wet, cold afternoon. I jammed everything back into the van and retreated to read, flanked by two snoring dogs.

Mark had found a restaurant for me to try North Carolina BBQ, called Black Bear BBQ. He knew I was anxious to taste authentic barbecue during my visit. They had just sold out of their ribs, but a plateful of pulled pork, baked beans and slaw with cornbread was excellent. There were 5-6 different sauces, from red, to spicy, to vinegar, to an Alabama white sauce, and, true to form, I tried them all. We were pleasantly stuffed.

On return to camp, I intended to join my friends for blueberry pie that Linda had baked. First, I wanted to see if I could capture the cat. Sure enough, she turned up, reluctant at first to come near me, but finally driven by hunger to come close enough for me to grab her. I was so relieved. She was wet, cold, hungry, and frightened. Despite her dislike for the van, she seemed as relieved as I was. I begged off having pie to stay with her.

Knowing how miserable the cat was with traveling, and having seen evidence that Spice was very stressed (bloody diarrhea, all over the van rug), I knew I had to make a decision. Coupled with pet issues were my deep exhaustion and leg pain, which, if I wasn’t careful, I knew could put me in the hospital. This was the lowest I’d felt, physically, in a long time. Reluctantly, I admitted to myself that traveling alone with three animals was too much for me. I decided that perhaps I should end my trip, go home, and regroup. It would be best for all of us if I could come up with a less stressful way to do the traveling I had planned for decades to do. I was deeply disappointed.

I forgot to mention that, as I drove to Alexandria, my route took me within view of the White House, the Washington Monument, and the Pentagon. The sight of the White House still fills me with awe—it is a beautiful national monument. I only caught a glimpse of the Washington Monument, its needle structure high in the sky. I had never seen the Pentagon up close: a massive building whose purpose is illustrated by the solid, impenetrable-looking walls. It’s hard to believe those walls were so violently breached in 2011.

Thank you to several friends who told me that they, too, had been similarly affected by their visits to Gettysburg.  At least I know the aura I experienced wasn’t in my imagination.

To counter some of the serious thought that went into my Gettysburg experience, I decided on some lighter fare. So, to that end, I visited Uncle Ed’s Elephant Museum and Candy Emporium.

This little niche store has what it claims is the largest collection of elephants in the world, and I don’t doubt it: 12,000 elephants on display! (I didn’t count them.) There was a funky little garden with all kinds of chotckes outside, which I walked through quickly, as it was raining.

The candy was fun, too, and the fudge—oh, my! I bought a quarter-pound of my favorite, chocolate peanut butter, and a quarter pound of dark chocolated salted caramel.  Now I’m afraid to open the box, for fear I will hoover the half-pound at one sitting!

I also visited the Utz potato chip factory for a self-guided tour of how their potato chips are made. From raw, unpeeled potatoes to bagging and distribution, it is quite an operation. I have never seen so many potato chips in my life! A greeter is available to chat and answer questions, so I enjoyed listening to her. Although my favorite chip is the unsalted variety (since I need to avoid salt, and I think they taste amazing), I was happy to learn that Utz chips have 1/3 less salt than other brands. The chips are so thin, they don’t need as much salt. When the room was empty, the greeter—who had worked on the production floor for 37 years, retired, then came back to “get paid to talk to people”—confessed that she is a Red Sox fan.  She didn’t want anyone to overhear her.

Of course, then I had to visit the outlet store, where I discovered way more products than I had ever seen.  My new favorite is chips flavored with Heluva Good French onion dip.  Wow—impossible to eat just one! (Sorry, Lays.)

Yesterday was fun, but unfortunately the walking, hills, uneven ground and stairs of the past couple of days took a toll. I was up all night long with leg cramps. At 4:30 am, I finally gave up trying to get any sleep. I packed the car, ate breakfast, and got as far as Fort McHenry, which, when under attack by the British, was the inspiration for Francis Scott Keyes’ “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The weather was cold, the wind dropped the temperature into the 20’s, and the parking lot was far enough from the fort that my achy legs protested.  I decided to take the day off from sight-seeing and head to Alexandria VA.  We are settled in a Days Inn/Super 8 for the night.  Tomorrow I look forward to seeing my elementary school friend, Patti.  I am so looking forward to it!

 

For the past two days, I have toured Gettysburg.  Civil War history has always been an interest of mine, and coming to the site of the seminal battle that turned the tide of the war has been one of my goals.

The  Gettysburg Military National Park presents the history in outstanding fashion.It offers a short film, a beautifully curated museum, and Cyclorama unlike anything I have ever seen.  The Cyclorama would have served as the movie theatre of its time.  it was an enormous, circular painting of the Battle of Gettysburg, with narration and special effects (which were obviously modern). It described and illustrated the military maneuvers  in such a way that it brought the battle to life.  For both the film and the Cyclorama I was the only tourist, and the two NPS guides were happy to spend several minutes talking to me about what I had just seen.

There was a very familiar thread running through the narrative: both sides were convinced their way was the only way, that the other side was wrong, that the opposition between the two sides prior to the war led to fights in Congress and on the street. There was rancor and hateful behavior on both sides, and neither side would budge.  I was reminded of the quote, “Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.” I hope our country isn’t headed for a second Civil War, but the polarization is so severe, and our leadership is so blind to everything but their own desires (unlike Lincoln), that some kind of clash seems inevitable. A line from the film jumped out at me, and I jotted it in my phone: “Freedom, like power, will long be contested.”

I bought the auto tour, to visit the major sites of the battle, which covered 25 miles. There was a CD for narration, and I used GPS to find my way to each stop. The descriptions of the battle, the loss of life and limb, and the destruction of farmland and forest was horrific.  At one stop, I was so overwhelmed by the horror of it all I decided to abandon the rest of the tour.  The experience was powerful, and much heavier than I expected. The pain was so palpable, the sadness so heavy, that the experience was nearly unbearable.

Look carefully, and you will see bullets, shrapnel and metal balls caught in the twisted and damaged limbs of this tree.  Entire forests were shattered in this way.  Now imagine thousands of bodies in the way of such lethal destruction, and you will have a glimpse of the horror of this three-day battle.

I hope to return on the way home to finish the tour, since I am moving on today. I don’t want to leave this unfinished, but I can’t bring myself to follow the remainder of the tour right now.  This experience has shaken me to the core.

My next stop is Maryland.  I hope to tour more Civil War and other historic sites, as well as visit two friends who live there. It is rainy and overcast, a good day to drive.

I left Saugus yesterday, later than I had intended, with more “stuff” than I intended, which shifted, so now that needs to be resettled.  I ate too light a breakfast, and my meds caused a reaction, so during the drive I visited multiple rest stops.  In Connecticut, I discovered how tight the rest stop was by scraping the fender of my van  trying to get between a gas pump and parked cars.
Getting out of the Northeast is not among life’s pleasures; driving in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey is congested and confusing. The cat wailed for a bit, but finally settled down.  The dogs were fine.

Once I finally got to the hotel, things improved.  I asked why my room was more expensive than prices on the Internet, and the clerk generously dropped the price by $40 each night–wow! The pet-friendly room is lovely. I am staying in North Bergen, NJ, where traffic and train horn sounds are a constant, until I take out my hearing aids.  Aaah…blissful silence. We settled in for the night.  Oreo was slightly unnerved and crawled under the sheets.  When I went to bed, she crawled over and wrapped a paw around my ankle.  I knew she’d be fine.  The dogs were well-behaved. I am so proud of my furkids!

This morning my hotel shuttled me to a Short Bus, which took me to the Port Authority, where I was able to catch a cab.  When I got out, there was Rosemary, on the corner, waiting for me. We hadn’t seen each other since just after my transplant, about seven years ago. Seeing her was wonderful! We went to brunch at a funky little restaurant, Cowgirls Hall of Fame, where I enjoyed fluffy cheese grits, catfish and buttermilk biscuits–heaven.

There were cowgirls everywhere—even in the bathrooms.
Walking through Washington Square and through the Village, then to the Bobst Library, I don’t think we drew breath, we had so much to talk about. I took a few minutes to check out my blog while we were at Bobst.
From there, Rosemary brought me to the Stonewall Bar, the site of a piece of gay history.

In fact, I had marched in NYC in 1994 in a 25th commemorative parade since the Stonewall riots, when gay and lesbian, transgendered and queer folk rioted against the police, who routinely raided the gay club. It was a seminal event in moving toward gay rights. (More on this in a separate post later, for those interested.) Neither of us had ever been to Stonewall, so we enjoyed a drink, and kept on talking. (Anyone who knows Rosemary and/or me knows that neither of us are ever at a loss for words.)

As we left, nothing would do but for me to clown with the serious looking lesbian statues in the park in front of the bar.

all too soon, Rosemary and I had to part ways, Rosemary to prepare for an Oscars party (she is an archival film researcher), and me to get back to the hotel and my furkids. Another first: I got to ride on NYC public transit. That was fun.

So as my second day comes to a close, I am, in the words of Simon & Garfunkel, ”dappled and drowsy and ready for sleep.”