Short Legs and Long Tales

Yesterday was a travel day, so no writing. I woke up, tried to get a few things done. I felt so lousy, couldn't think straight, so I went back to bed. Woke up again astonished to find out it was 11:30 and checkout was at noon. I was looking for the phone number to call about another day, knowing this was probably impossible. Long Point Park is extremely popular. The county residents of Brevard get a discounted rate, so many use this to fill up the park on the weekends. In the past I have mostly visited the park during week days, due to my inability to plan ahead to get proper reservations.


I have to escape these doctors. They seem to be making me sicker. How does that work?  Maybe I just catch bugs when I am in the waiting room with the sick people. Yuck. 

Here I am parked at Long Point Park. Or was. It's cheaper "inland" than on the water front lots, so I am inland. You can see my rumpled awning is rolled up with repair tape dangling off one end. It's really just shot to pieces at this point. It has braved a few too many storms and one flood. 


Even this visit to Long Point RV Park was on a whim. When Wickham Park filled up, I moved to Long Point. Now it's  filled up, with snowbirds and weekend warriors. My appointments are done, even though I still did not get to the dentist and eye doc. I need new eyeglasses and my tooth broke off. Oh well. More poop to deal with in the future. Ugh. Time to get back to the prairie with my sick self and get back to work. 


I did get a very reasonable quote on replacing my RV shade awning and repairing the frame. Dream on!  It ain't happening anytime soon...


They gave me one all inclusive price for installation and they are willing to travel out to the prairie where I am back workamping now. More wishful wistful thinking... but at least I have a price to work with and dream and drool  about. 


Sadly, it's not something I can install myself. My 17 year old awning has been dying a slow tortuous death. The last bad storm when I was on the coast of South Carolina finished it off. Matter of fact, that was during that stormy period that also sent a heavy tree limb through my roof and into my kitchen.  The awning is in tatters.   It's time to drag out the bugle and play Taps.  

You need two people, ladders  and special tools to take the old awning off and replace with a new one. I've tried looking for used awnings, but had no luck at all thus far, finding the size I need in a good enough shape to consider the ridiculous pricing. Some folks want an awfully high price for used junk. One RV shop had a used awning and frame, but they wanted the same price as a new awning and frame. I don't understand this kind of pricing. Maybe I look like an idiot and other idiots give me idiotic prices. 


Maybe it's the female thing...  I had similar problems when I owned and lived aboard my old sailboat. Some boat yards, would give me ridiculously high prices for work and parts that they would never dream of quoting to a male. Very frustrating. 


When I deal with RV shops, it seems to be a real hit and miss. Some are fair with me, others think my wallet is gold plated and my brain is out to lunch, so they figure up a quote, them multiply it by 3 or 4 or 5 to see if I am stupid enough to pay that. 


Someone else recently told me they had their RV engine "serviced" and it came to $2,800.00  I said "My gosh, did you have the engine block chrome plated?"  They said, no it was just "regular servicing" for an oil change and "routine maintenance stuff".  I didn't want to insult them by saying they were crazy, but if someone gave me a bill for an oil change and "routine maintenance stuff" for $2,800.00 you would definitely hear about me on the news. 


Woman runs over RV service manager repeatedly, claims it was payment for routine maintenance stuff...


Well, I will work Saturday and Sunday running the hunters station. I may just drive my RV and park across from the station.  This is a much warmer arrangement, as I need to stay warm as part of my get-well health routine.  But the 50ish night time temps are soaring up during the day lately. Yet recently we were down to freezing temps at night. Matter of fact, two workampers had their plumbing freeze overnight just recently. I was surprised as they are old timers not newbies. 


50F on the coast feels nice, but inland on the prairie with the high moisture from the swamps and marshes, makes it a wet cold that is bone chilling. 


Luckily, summer suddenly arrived with temps pushing 80F yesterday.  Matter of fact, we are supposed to have several summery days this week with middle of the day temps in the high 70's through Friday.  Yippie! 


You can thank me for this sudden weather shift. I just recently assembled my winter wardrobe. That's why winter vanished!  If you want it to rain, just wait until I hang my laundry out to dry. Does the trick every time. 


Last winter in Florida was particularly brutal. I was in Orlando for November and December then Titusville for about 10 weeks starting in January. I also made it to other parks here and there. I have that wandering spirit, so hard for me to stay put.


I nearly froze, it was so c-c-c-cold. My long leggings were ancient and the seams and material gave way so as winter bore on, I had to trash them. As spring hit, I found winter leggings deeply discounted, so I bought two pairs. This winter they have been a lifesaver, the only long pants I own.  Some days I had to wear two pairs at a time to stay warm though. Some of the sweaters I bought used from Goodwill the last two winters, wore out completely (holey and threadbare)  leaving me with two sweaters for this winter. One is rather lightweight, and the other is heavily bedazzled with a beautiful sequined design, more for a party than for working or playing. Matter of fact, I bought it used, to attend an elegant  party two winters ago.  I don't get invited to many elegant places lately. But since then, sometimes I wear it for fun.  Makes everyone think I am going somewhere special. It always draws great comments. But it's not suitable at all for working at the hunters station, removing deer jaw bones, hacking off quail wings and getting occasionally splattered with hog blood. Double yuck yuck!


Recently Big Lots sold me two screaming red men's sized sweat shirts for $3. They are very long on me, coming down to mid-thigh and very warm.   I seemed more or less ready for this winter. 


While doing my medical mess, I saw a store with a huge sign on the window advertising that much of their clothing was on sale at 70% off. I had just received a unique windfall from a wonderful gambling friend who sent me some of their winnings as an early birthday gift. WOW!  I was gong to save it for emergencies... 


But I found myself touring the store, checking all their 70% discounted racks. Lo and behold, they had petite jeans which fit my short legs perfectly. I have not owned bluejeans in decades!  There really was no need to own any in the Caribbean. Buying pants, other than leggings has always been problematic for me. Even the leggings are so long, I wear them right over my feet like toe-less socks. This helps keep my feet warm, so it has worked out fine thus far. But bluejeans can't be worn that way. The petite jeans were on the 70% off rack. I had no idea what size I wore. The saleslady snatched up a pair and said "Try these!"  I couldn't believe it when I tried them on and they fit perfectly. She must have a good eye for sizing up the looks and lumps of me. 


When I decided to buy the jeans, the price was so fantastic, I asked her if they had a 2nd pair in my size. She went on her computer and said they had a pair in a lighter blue jean color (the ones I had picked out were the typical dark indigo color) but they were at a store 350 miles away. 


Oh well.


However, she said I could buy them now, and the other store would stick them in the mail to me, with free shipping. I couldn't believe my ears. So after some hemming and hawing, I decided I wasn't likely to find bluejeans that fit me so perfectly being sold so cheaply again anytime soon, so I decided to splurge and buy both pairs. I am used to Goodwill and Thrift store prices, as much of my wardrobe is second-hand stuff I acquired. But with jeans at 70% off and Goodwill charging nearly that much for used pants that aren't even jeans, I figured this might be a good deal all around. 


I don't know why I fret over buying clothes. If I packed up my entire wardrobe, it would all fit in one suitcase. I am always astonished when I see my friends' homes and their huge walkin closets that look like a mid-sized clothing store. 


So that's why we have summer weather. It's my fault. I bought long pants!


A park ranger came by to remind me to leave at noon. I told him I was running late, would that be a problem?  He said , no not really. Most Friday arrivals don't come until late afternoon.  Checkin was at 2pm, so I might be OK for awhile. He thought the office could probably squeeze me in some where for a night, but not at my existing spot. 


Harley was sad to leave. We were on an end lot, that came with an incredibly huge grassy/weed area. He was playing on a 100 foot tether, having great fun entertaining the pedestrians while he fought with his teddy bear and squeaked his barbell loudly. 


One thing I noticed at this park, I had not really noticed much at other parks, was that many of the snowbirds who had moved in for the winter, had put up little fences between their lot and the neighbors lot. This struck me as rather odd.  I sure don't want a fence and feel no need to stake one out on my camping lot. 

My neighbor gave me the stink eye, because I parked perpendicular to the way he was parked, but I wanted to be that way and this particular park doesn't care how you park on your lot. Everyone in the row was lined up nice and neat and parallel to each other. Then I came along and screwed up their row...


Basically, my windshield was facing the utility post that separated our lots. So  my windshield was facing the side of his RV. I put my front windshield curtains up at night, so he didn't have to look at me. 


It wouldn't have mattered. I found a 70% off flannel night shirt in pink plaid with red hearts. Oh man, that thing is oh so cozy at night. I threw out my other two nightshirts as they were both pretty disgusting, and in such sad shape I am sure the thrift shops would not have been able to recycle them except for pathetic rags. 


I feel like a new person, all dudded up,  now if I can just get my body to get well and stay well and quit irritating me.  In the interim, back to bed for me.  I need to rest up before my shift at work. No rest for the sick here!  Crack that whip and get to work.  Since it pays the rent, I've no choice really. I woke up  and I am happy and I have a silly little dog too. I must be the luckiest person alive!