Another addition on this trip will be the Rascal rack on the back of the RV.  We decided in order to get my father get out of the RV more and to help with our touristy stops that we would bring along his mobility cart.  So we got a rack to bring it along.

So I spent most of the morning putting of the inevitable.  Walked over to the parks shower and was going to take a shower …but there was nothing but cold water.  So I went back to the RV to use our own facilities.  After the shower we packed up and drove backwards to Laughlin for some breakfast.  We stopped at a small coffee shop that served breakfast and surprisingly enough got so killer Egg Benedict (firehouse style).

We headed out on the open road and made a stop at Baskin Robins in Victorville as the co-pilot wanted a shake.  At this point we had a third of a tank for gas and 120 miles to go … we can make it … LOL.  The drive was non-eventful until 10 miles for home … low fuel warning … ummmm will the beast make it?  We did but got gas right off the freeway at our off ramp.

My brother had his truck parked in front of the house so for some reason that set the co-pilot off.  Chopper went marathon ape shit when we got home … well my brother got him going.  The co-pilot unloaded his shit from the RV … patches, clothes, etc. … and hunkered down in his room for some serious patch sorting and identification.  Around 6pm I barricaded myself in my room … aww life back to normal.

We made it out of there and were on the road by 9:30am. We only had 240 miles planned today but some how it came out to 214 miles. We arrived at the RV Park at 1pm and grabbed lunch at the casino next door. Got the RV setup and chilled.

When we were checking in I was told there was a 40lbs limit for dogs. So I got Chopper wearing a girdle when we go for our walks. While we were out on a walk I discovered that some people have a warped since of reality. The lady across the way was bitching at her husband(?) because their RV does not have a steam shower. I guess they should have sprung for the million dollar model.

Since going home is like going to work I decided to stretch the trip out to the fullest. We could have made it home today but that is just back to reality. Back to the routines … work Sunday, doctors and work on Monday, blah blah blah …

Along the way it was question day again … this time he asked what every other billboard said (no exaggeration).  So I started to read out load every billboard that we passed.  After about twenty he said enough … they were the same over and over again.

We made one co-pilot stop, the last one of this trip.  He picked up some trader patches, nothing for the collection.  He asked for a good local place to eat … she recommended a local diner called “Mason Jar”.  We cruised on over for lunch and the place was being painted inside but they were still open.  The tables had that fine dried paint dust all over them but it did not stop us.  Across from us were three Hopi Indians getting totally native.  The drunker they got the louder they became and the co-pilot was casting them his evil your bugging me glare.  Not that anyone would understand his look; he looks like he is having a stroke with a twitching eye.  On the way out I bought them another round.

The Hopi told me a joke that I do not understand … can anyone help me out here?

“What do you call a native with no lips?” … “A pointer.”

Okay … anyone? 

We headed over to the RV Park and I am pretty sure this is the last KOA I plan to say at.  It was $50 bucks for a patch of uneven dirt, 30amp service, water, sewer and cable.  I think it is time to get one of those big thick Good Sam guides with all their parks.  Just hate paying for the “extra” frills at the KOA that we never use.

We got all setup and I took Chops for a walk.  We returned to the RV and watched some TV.  Chopper started to freak out so I took him out for another walk.  Walk, walk, walk and nothing not even a pee.  We return to the RV and Chopper starts freaking out again.  I am figuring he has to poop but he is a prima donna about pooping on a leash.

Slow morning as we packed up and left the RV Park at 11am.  Rain, sleet and snow can not stop us from the patch quest. It was a rough weather day … started with snow, turned to sleet, rain and then snow again … oh yeah and wind.  Along the way we saw a one car accident that involved two semis and the car.  Car spun out and the two semis drove in to the sloped down dirt center divider.  All were fine it was just an amazing thing to see.

The drive today was plagued with questions … same ones over and over again … “how much farther?”, “what time is it?”, “what is the speed limit?”, and my favorite “what are you cooking for dinner?”.  Yesterday was the silent treatment and today was the 8 year old on a long drive treatment.  I guess the bad behavior is coming out late in this trip.

So we called it a day in Albuquerque, NM and found a nice little shithole with no cable.  No TV and no patches make the co-pilot go something, something, something.  Go crazy?  Don’t mind if he does.  Looks like it is clearing up … I sure at crap do not want to get snowed in here.  Well I am off to cook some dinner.

We stated at the Oasis RV Park … stayed it before … nice park with a cheap price.  We got propane when we got to the park and little boy pink filled the tank.  Pink shirt, pink shoes and thanks to his low ride pants … pink boxers.  After propane we got to our spot got all set up … took Chops for a walk and got two poops out of him.

 That’s about it …

Our waitress stopped by and I ordered are food … about five minutes later the co-pilot returned. He had a few sips of his tea and got up and left again. Our food arrived so I began to eat. The co-pilot returned had two bits of his French Toast, choked and left again. I finished my breakfast got a to go box for his food and paid the bill. I looked around a bit for the co-pilot but could not locate him. I walked out to the RV and there he was standing next to it.

We headed out for our first stop of the day in Dallas, TX … 180 plus miles down the road. We got there and it was nothing special … co-pilot got 5 regular issues patches and that was all. We had another 130 miles to go to Wichita Falls, TX. We made our stop there a day early and the co-pilot loaded up on patches at this stop. He picked up around 25 patches in Wichita Falls.

We stayed at an RV park in Wichita Falls … a nice older park that was only $22.50 a night with full hookups, cable and internet. While hooking up the RV I had a little trouble with the cable. While I was figuring it out Walt the parks 80+ year old handy man stopped by and helped out. Walt was a talker and explained to me how cable tv works. His spin on it was instead of having an antenna locally there are 100 miles of cable attached to one big antenna. He failed to mention the satellites that are involved.

After everything was working to co-pilot was sitting on the couch … neglecting his chores. His job is to hand to privacy curtain in the cab when we stop. I took Chops for a walk and when we returned the co-pilot was still sitting on the couch … privacy curtain still not up. I watched two movies and when I went back out he had moved to the dinette and was eating cold mash taters and collar greens. I called it a night and went to bed.

Since we last checked in we have been to Georgia. That was last Tuesday 3/16 … let’s just say that Georgia did not welcome us with open arms. Our first hour in the state was driving then the next three plus hours was spent on the I-95 parking lot. A mile ahead of us a dump truck and a semi decided to dance. The semi overturned and blocked all two lanes that were available to us.

We got out walked around … meet our neighbors … gave some beverages to a pregnant lady. I was waiting for someone to ask to use out bathroom. The co-pilot went on a walkabout; I would say a good quarter of a mile or so. That made him spent and he took a little nap after that. So this little event through us way off schedule. But the time was recovered by noon the following day.

In the last week we made 14 stops to patch collecting institutions and the co-pilot dropped around $1,800 … but has added a lot of patches to his collection. This makes him happy and a happy co-pilot make a happy trip.

We have been to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. In Shreveport, LA where we stopped on Saturday we ate at a local owned dinner famous for the ice box pies. While at the diner I am confident that if I have a soul mate she was there. We talked for 15 minutes … and as a typical guy I did not get her name. But I can tell you it was not about looks … she just was a sincere person … and none of you will probably understand (except my grandmother) this next comment … if you do we need to talk. Her aura was filled with bright colors, she was glowing.

We got to a nice park in Shreveport, LA and hunkered down for two nights. Good thing because this morning it was snowing. So it has been snowing off and on all day but none of it is sticking. So tomorrow we are headed for Texas.

If this entry makes no sense I am writing it off to my drug cocktail that makes me feel normal.

We made it to Cracky (Cracker Barrel) and meet up with Denise … ate some good eats … had some good convo and ate for free.  Well not that it was an option as the bill barley touched the table before double o seven swiftly glided the bill off the table. 

After breakfast we began our journey to Tampa.  Along the way we saw a billboard for an antique store.  Since we had no stops to fill the patch addiction of the co-pilots we opted for looking at some old crap.  Just in the slight hope that some of the old crap we saw was patch related. 

The co-pilot was like a kid in a candy shop and a bull in a china shop all at the same time.  It was literally an old crap history time … “Son, I use to pull these kinds of phones out of house and replaced them with the rotary phone.”  “Son, if I had a dime for everyone of these that I threw away I would be a millionaire … and look the crooks are selling them for $10 each.”

When we finally arrived at the RV Park the office was closed.  But me not reading stuff lead me to open the door and walk in.  Apparently this was a violation of security protocol.  As after I looked around for a few minutes someone notice I was in there and wanted to know how I got in.  After security got us check in we got set up and took Chops for a walk.

They had a very nice dog run in fact … as it was deserving of his poop.  Chopper meet his first Grey Hound and quickly learned that he (Chopper) is not all that fast. He tried and tried but could not keep up with the big retired race dog.  But it did the job and wore him out. 

We returned to the RV … and apparently this is a very social park.  While I was out someone stopped by and talked to the co-pilot.  After I was back with Chops someone else came by and invited us to an Ice Cream social.  After that I shut the door and pulled the shades … as to say leave us alone you crazy old people.  It is like they we shopping me for spare parts … kidney, liver, eyes, heart, etc.