Day 16: No Power But Not Powerless
Another long drive today, but most of it was on one route, so it was fairly easy. I even got to pass someone on my way to the campground at Lake Reidsville, NC. After making a dozen adjustments, I managed to back into my lakeside space. So happy I was going to be able to see the sun set across the lake from my bed. I spoiled the moment by getting quite upset when I realized the connector arm that allows me to plug the power cord into my bus was missing. It must have dropped off when I was packing up this morning, and didn’t miss it among all the other yellow and black in the box. None of the connectors available at the camp store fit my rig. I ordered another from Amazon to arrive Tuesday. Sam might have one that fits, but still, I should have at least one spare! Will be looking for RV places along the route, along with some Coleman fuel canisters and a safe place to park tomorrow for my last night on the road for a while.
Rather than go outside to use a Coleman burner, I ate a defrosted frozen dinner (grass fed beef meatballs with vegetables) and toasted my predicament with Prosecco. If I don’t get to bed soon, I may open the bottle of Seven Moons dark red I bought a month ago. I don’t normally drink wine, but I couldn’t pass up a bottle with a name like that.
It’s becoming quite clear that country miles are longer than city miles, and that some of them don’t exactly seem to go anywhere but on and on and on. Finding gas on backroads is difficult enough, finding diesel is more of a challenge.
Today’s magic came in the form of leaves dancing in the middle of the road, the man who led me to the turn I needed to make to get to a station with diesel, the diamond sparkles dancing on the water that at first looked like fireflies in the bushes but ended up being the light from the pole at the end of the dock, and a sister who just texted me this S. C. Lourie quote: “Breathe, darling. This is just a chapter. It’s not your whole story.”
Ok, I’m breathing.
Today I learned that the knee was only doing so well because of the compression, the ibuprofen and rieki … so I’m back to more tender loving care.
I also realized I am one tough crone today because of all the women who came before me and who had it a lot tougher than do I. I’ve inherited German and Sicilian bloodlines from which I proudly accept the hard-headed stubbornness trait. It’s serving me well. I’m going to need it. The heater won’t relight. The sparker thing seems broken. Getting out the space blanket and the hand warmers.