fixing reba

Definition of friend

 

1a: one attached to another by affection or esteem

She's my best friend. link

For the second time in just a matter of months, Ryan has come to rescue us with his automotive expertise. Natalie's 'Mint Julep', the first car he fixed up for us, is now our only working vehicle.

My little red truck, Reba, is showing her age. Purchased new in 2005 as a 'gift' for our 23rd anniversary, my trusty little baby is showing her age. Sixteen years and well over 200,000 miles, Reba's days seem numbered. 

Today, we could do nothing but watch as Ryan and Landon work to remove the radiator, which seems to have exploded out the bottom and is pouring out fluids. What started out as a, "It'll take about forty minutes to remove" said radiator turned into hours of frustration. Reba was not quite so willing to give up her innards as was hope. Screws and bolts, and whatever else holds in car parts, are seriously 'welded' in place. No amount of yanking and cranking and swearing would convince the metal bits to give up their hold.

Twice, Ryan ended up with a mouthful of radiator fluid from the already drip drained radiator. Definitely not good considering how poisonous that stuff is. She may be old, but Reba is still a feisty little bitch. Thankfully, this was a mid 80 degree day and not the 108 degrees we were sweltering in just days ago.

About an hour into this adventure, Ryan mentions that Brett, the roommate that replaced us when we moved out of Ryan and Amanda's Home for Wayward Souls, has been sitting in his truck. Just sitting and waiting. Curiosity is definitely not gonna kill that cat. Once joining us, Ryan declared Brett would be his 'Heidi' for the rest of the day.

Unfamiliar with this terminology, I researched it's definition. Urban slang, of course.

Heidi

HIGH-dee | /heidi/

To "heidi" is to be incorrect in the performance of a simple task. To consistently perform incorrectly. To be incorrect in the knowledge of a common fact. link

With Reba bleeding sick red fluid into the carport, there wasn't much for Natalie and I to do. We sat on the warm tar, just watching. After the two hour mark, we decided it was time to work on the food Natalie had offered during her first distress text. Having brought out numerous bottles and glasses of water, we prepared our grand meal. 

Actually, we had to wait for Papa Murphy's door dash to deliver the three large pepperoni pizzas we ordered. So very glad to have a usable oven to bake in, once again. It has only been a few weeks that we have been able to get these bake at home pizzas. One of our favorites from back in Minnesota, it was great to to find Papa Murphy's in the Bay Area.

Greg left in search of a replacement radiator for the boys to install. When he returned, the radiator inside Reba was still stuck in place. Three hours into the fixing Reba adventure, and it is decided to call timeout for the night. With a promise to return to this repair job on Wednesday, Reba is left dripping alone while everyone heads into our new apartment for food and drinks. 

So, with just under six weeks in our spanking new apartment, we are once again entertaining guests. Not counting the numerous visits for maintenance, this is the third time we have had actual visitors to our home. That is huge for us. 

Since leaving Minnesota a decade ago, the number of visitors we have had inside our home has been small. Living in a trailer park for many months meant we talked to many fellow RVers, but none ever came inside. 

 With bellies full of pizza, chips and soda, the gentlemen head home. The promise to return in just a couple days keeps hope in my heart that Reba will ride, once again. Sitting in my chair, I can see her shiny red metal glimmering just out of the sun. 

Parked solemnly right outside, I am reminded of the first night we brought her home. We stopped by at my parent's house to show her off.  My father sat in the front passenger side seat and hung a rosary over the rear view mirror. 

The thought of having to replace this red truck at some time in the future makes me sad. Being the last vehicle of mine my father ever sat in still keeps him close to me.  I can move my father's rosary to whatever new car we might get, but it will never be the same as him hanging it up himself.

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This is Me

I am brave, I am bruised

I am who I'm meant to be, 

                                                       this is me

Songwriters: Justin Paul / Benj Pasek This Is Me lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., DistroKid

Song begins at 58 seconds

Everyone makes choices everyday. Some of those choices are quick and insignificant. 

"A venti white chocolate mocha frappuccino, please."

Others you may think about for months, perhaps years. Plan and plan, organize and save, sure you have things figured out to the smallest detail. But, no matter how meticulous you are, one can simply not plan for a world wide pandemic. Nor the physical, emotional and financial fallout from said pandemic.  

One can simply not anticipate the fallout of living inside a 32 foot 'tin coop' for endless months, while the world around you is in complete lockdown. Needing papers to drive around. The endless search for toilet paper and disinfectant. Months of unbreathable air, caused not by the virus, but the California wildfires. 

Then, the inevitable funerals attended online, because we are locked in place hundreds to thousands of miles from so many family and friends. The smallest blessing is that we were able to attend funerals we would never have been able to go to if not for the COVID lockdown.

I don't know if our fulltime RVing experiment would have survived in a non-coronavirus world, but it did not survive COVID. In March, Natalie and I moved into a makeshift 'halfway house' with Ryan, Amanda and a group of weary wayward warriors all homeless for varying reasons.

Luci looking out at the Blood Moon Eclipse

After a very explosive beginning of the end of our RVing life, Natalie and I have spent the past three months living with eight foot high ceilings and flushing toilets. Perhaps, though, the most noticeable change is the entire world does not shake with every single move we make. Whatever our thoughts were at the beginning of March, it was clear by mid-May there was no way either of us could bear the thought of moving back into that tiny, tiny house on wheels.

As of now, we have rented a two bedroom apartment. It has been 39 months since we have lived in a place bigger than 300 square feet. While still in the process of clearing out the RV we were planning on living in for years, at a minimum, all I feel is relief. 

I never thought we would fail at whole fulltime RVing lifestyle.

But fail we did.

In a spectacularly explosive, fireworks type of a way. 

So now, as we work on what shape the future takes, I know that there will will be adventures to write about and worlds to explore. Right now, while I figure out exactly what direction those adventures will take us, I will enjoy sitting here writing in a chair. Not on a bed, because there was no other place, and appreciating the solid floor beneath my feet. 

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Swan Song ACCORDing to Mint Julep

 The following is based off of Chuck's soliloquy from Supernatural's season five episode, "Swan Song".

The Honda Accord, of course, has all the things other cars have... and a few things they don't. But none of that stuff's important. This is the stuff that's important. The many used facemasks that Natalie lost in between the seats – they're still stuck there. The fake fingernails that she accidently dropped into the vents – to this day, heat comes on and we can hear 'em rattle. These are the things that make Mint Julep hers – really hers. 

Even when Ryan and Landon helped rebuild her from the ground up, they made sure all these little things stayed, 'cause it's the blemishes that make her beautiful. 

The World doesn't know or care what kind of car Natalie drives.

On days off between Target and Starbucks, Natalie would mostly get a day – sometimes a rare weekend, if she was lucky. She used to pass the time watching cooking shows and Anime. Now, Natalie spends that time with Mint Julep. Her dream is that soon they will be able to go anywhere and do anything. But right now, with friends by her side, they fix the flat and the fuses, the distributor, too. The hoses are next, with an axel to spare. 

 

Nicole, keys in hand and Laurie with pink slip, it was clear their gift to Natalie was her beloved Mint Julep. They'd park her in the middle of their lot for a year and now she is all fixed up, She's parked proudly next to Reba. Sitting under the moon roof and watching the stars... or hours turning left around the dog park... squirrels giggle but don't say a word. 

It never occurred to Natalie she would own a '99 Honda Accord. A car born the same year as her.

Any one can buy car off a lot, all shiny and new. But taking a decades old car and turning it into your dream is nearly impossible. You need to be surrounded by clan of great friends. And still, the car may moan and groan. There's always gonna be more repairs. (She's 20+ years old)  But, since this is a new beginning, it's all supposed to add up to something great. 

 

I'm telling you, those surprise repairs are a raging pain in the a$$.

 

So, what's it all add up to? A 'new' car for Natalie. A driver's test, glasses, insurance and more... all those adulting things. And I think she did all right. 

 

Up against good, evil, angels, devils, destiny, and God himself, they made their own choice.  

Natalie and Mint Julep chose each other. And, well... isn't that kinda the whole point?

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Half Moon, halfway, on the Bay

March 2021...WOW! We have reached that point where we lived in the Bay Area for THREE YEARS! AND!!! Half of that time we have been fulltime RVers! Yes, I expected so much more to happen in the past 18 months, but who could have planned on this world wide pandemic? Still, I seriously doubt we can be considered 'newbies', anymore.

First off, we have moved our little Home Sweet Rolling Home 26 times during this past year and a half. TWENTYSIX! And yet, we have never once brought our sweet rolling world past the borders of this one campground. Sigh.

We have grumped and groaned and shouted and moaned over the frustrations of pulling this beast out of very tight spots. Backing the truck up to the hitch and missing by just an inch over and over. The too close to the line, too far from the line moments that RVer has again and again. Just none of the oohs and awes , mountains and seas from her bright shining windows. 

Still, for the first time in 14 months we ate out an an 'open to the public' restaurant! Miramar Beach Restaurant in Half Moon Bay, CA. Located a couple of blocks off of Hwy1 on Miranda Road, I can tell you, we would never have found this place if not directed to it by a local resident, Shawn/Sean (not sure how he spells his name).

The Miramar is located so close to the ocean, you know, Pacific, we could feel the water splashing us in the face as it crashed against the rocks. Don't let the road in the photo fool you. It is literally falling off into the water. Outdoor dining is still all that is allowed in California. Not a problem, when you are dining on the water. This place has outdoor seating on both ends of their dining room. They also took our temperatures as they let us through the doors. I love California.

We didn't didn't just randomly decide to end our quarantine 14 months in because we suddenly had an uncontrollable need for fish and chips. Our niece, Greg's brother's daughter, Katie is out in California visiting her boyfriend Shawn((?) see above). We have not had a chance to get together since 2014 when we were back in Minnesota for a family reunion. She left the winterly wonderland of Dallas!?! to fly here. Thank goodness they are finally warming up in Texas. Crazy times.

After lunch, we walked down a 'rustic 'stairway to Mirada Surf Beach. There were surfers there when we first arrived at the restaurant, but most had dispersed by the time we finished eating. On this cool last day of February the only creature left swimming was a sweet yellow Labrador. Even he didn't seem quite sure of his life choices.

 

A quaint little beach, I am not certain we would ever have noticed it with out the help of Shawn, who grew up just down the road. 

Driving in with the help of Siri, she directed us to turn on Magellan Ave  to get to Mirada Road. Having been there one whole time, now, I would definitely say those are BAD directions. At least on a SATURDAY turning left. There is no stop light at that intersection, and traffic DOES NOT STOP! Either go up to the next stop sign and U-turn around. Or, look at a map and drive up Mirada from the other direction!!!Once you are into the turn lane, there is no getting out of it.

Half Moon Bay is a small city on the California coast, south of San Francisco. A string of beaches along the bay includes Half Moon Bay State Beach. The Coastside Trail leads north to Pillar Point, near the huge waves of the Mavericks surf spot. Nearby, Montara Mountain rises in the protected Rancho Corral de Tierra area. The Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve is on the slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. ― Google

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=531

https://www.pinterest.com/castateparks/half-moon-bay-state-beach/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_Moon_Bay,_California

It was a nice time to visit with family and feel the sand between our toes. Figuratively, cuz there was no way I was taking my shoes off in 50 degree temperatures with the wind and the waves. As you can see in some of the photos, Katie and Shawn were both much more adventurous than us East Bay folks.  I will wait for either the eighties of summer or a full body wet suit, thank you very much!

 

Our first step back towards normal was pleasant. More family, more friends, More time out in the world just doing 'things' and living life. Hopefully we are more than halfway there. It was super great visiting with you and your beau, Katie, in Half Moon Bay, CA!

Hope to see you again, real soon.

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Off to the Mall

Rolling around on our third year anniversary up in the Bay Area, we went to visit one of our favorite spots as soon as we could once the Stay at Home order was lifted. The Blackhawk Plaza Fountains.  Greg came up North a month earlier than Natalie and I, while we packed up our life in SoCal. Less than a week after we arrived, Natalie and I found these beautiful ponds after driving up to Mount Diablo. This is where we stopped for drinks on our way back down.

We made it about half way up the mountain before realizing we were almost out of gas, so we stopped for photos then turned back. The plan has always been to go back and finish our trip up to the top of the mountain, Though that trip has not occurred, we have visited the ducks and geese many times at Blackhawk. 

We have come out many times for the clam chowder made at Draeger's Market. The Chemistry Ice Cream Parlor, which had opened shortly before this pandemic began, appears to have closed up permanently. All their signs are now gone. I will surely miss their green and thai ice creams. Some favorites from their free Friday night concerts. Another pre-pandemic pleasure.

Out duck feeding benches were removed about a year ago to help people 'social distance'. They have still not been replaced. I miss the time we spent relaxed while the ducks and geese swarmed around our feet begging for some of the duck food we bought at Draeger's just to feed them. Hopefully, it is only a few more months until things get back to normal.

The Blackhawk Museum at the south end of the mall is closed, along with the Cinema (and all of the other Cinemas in the area). It has always been pretty quiet, not counting concert nights. There are people here and there , but social distancing is not an issue. Still, the majority of the people that were enjoying the sunshiny day in the Plaza with us, were wearing masks. 

Map of the Mall

On the way home, I noticed the trees were beginning to bloom. The joys of living in California near the Bay. These photos were taken on January 31st, and a couple of blocks away, the streets are lined with flowering trees. Minnesota has below zero temperatures right now. And, the East Coast, like Long Island, NY is in the midst of a major snow storm. 

Here we are listening to the birds twitterpating and watching the prairie dogs scampering up and down the hills of Rancho Park San Ramon. Another of my favorite pandemic relief spots. Okay regular relief spots, as well. 

Four square of us at Blackhawk Plaza

On our way home, we stopped at the local Safeway for the cheddar brats to barbeque on the grill. As the day cooled down into the upper forties, we grilled dinner as the dusk turned to dark. With our RV fireplace warming up the inside, the heat from the grill throws out just enough warmth to make it comfortable outside.

All in all, we didn't travel far, but it was still a nice way to break quarantine. With most of the year still ahead, who know where we will go next. North, South East West? Time to shake the dust of this 'Rona off and get our move on. Okay, maybe after a few more months...

 

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