Some Thoughts of Life on the Road

As I write this missive, we are sitting on the banks of the Mississippi River in West Memphis AR. We spent the last hour with the rain pouring down on us. While we are totally dry, the noise on our thin roof is very distracting. JP decided to disappear beneath his noise canceling headphones. I thought about doing the same, but as the rain has slowed down and I can think again, I decided to add my thoughts about our adventures so far. 

Some things that I have learned while on the road:

• Pay attention to the final destination on the GPS when you agree to follow the directions. I discovered this as we headed back to the campground one day and we seemed to be going in the wrong direction. I had agreed to the GPS suggestion that we go back to the previous campground and not the current one. Oops! The good news was that we were only a couple minutes along when we noticed and corrected the destination.
• Keep a nail file in the truck. If I am going to chip or break a nail, it will be when we are picking up and moving. I’m not much for having my nails done, but a raggedy nail is very annoying. 
• I become unglued when I can’t read my WSJ online in the morning. Very much like my mother! (JP agrees)
• Pay attention to time zones. I called in to a Zoom meeting an hour late because I forgot to account for the difference between east coast time and central time. 

Some of the things that have become ritual for us:

• JP prints the WSJ crossword for me every day after making the morning coffee, if we have a good Verizon or Wi-Fi signal. I can usually do the Monday and most of the Tuesday puzzle by myself; Wednesday I put in my suggestions and then pass it off to JP; Thursday, Friday and Saturday are pretty hopeless by myself, but sometimes I can add something so JP can finish without having to look stuff up. It’s fun to do the crossword as a team.
• I actually make the bed everyday.  Can’t take the mess in this small trailer footprint to leave it my usual jumble. 

We’ve made 11 stops since we moved out of the house so far, and some places stick out in my memory. Being in Jacksonville with Kate and Eric for 3 weeks was wonderful.  A good grounding to start a trip that is so mobile. The Smokey Mountains will be a forever favorite.  The wispy clouds floating on the sides of the mountains is amazing! The live music that we were able to enjoy in Nashville and Knoxville was great. Not something we have done before. The quilt museum in Paducah was a stop totally for me. It was worth it! To see quilts presented as Art, not just craft, was amazing. 

To keep my self busy I’m crocheting up a storm. One project done and 2 more on the hook. I’m thinking I may need a different/second portable craft to work on but haven’t picked it out yet.

We have finished our second audiobook of the trip: Seldom Disappointed, by Tony Hillerman. The author wrote a number of fictional books revolving about the work of a Navajo Police Department that we have read/listened to over the years, but his actual life before he became a writer is also fascinating.