It ain't easy bein' a grump

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Well, you all know that I have been a leeeeeetle bit down in the dumps lately. I didn’t think we would go anywhere this summer, just planned to sit around here and mope. I even sold my big motorhome, and told everyone not to mess with me until at least October. But it seems I can’t even manage the best laid plans of perpetual grumpiness.

I saw this little camper on ebay, you see. Just looking, not thinking, just wasting time until someone came within grumping range. Anyway, this was a little van-type camper; not complicated, not expensive, not nearly new. But it had been loved. It shined as it waited there on a rain-darkened street for a new family and new adventures. The doors were open - I could see the couch where Kit might ride, listening to old rock and roll as I hollered over my shoulder, “look at those mountains”, or “hey, you see that roadrunner”, or mostly, “you ready for a burger?”. Worst of all, it was a thousand miles away, in Denver. You know, Denver, where they have all those mountains, and you wake to the smells of rain-washed pines. Where there are July fields of columbines, snow still on the passes, and roadside tourist traps -“See The Bear That Ate A Whole Wagon Train - Free Lemonade!”.

I guess by now you’ve figgered out where this is leading. I bought the camper, sight unseen, from total strangers, a thousand miles away. We fly out tomorrow morning to pick it up, and will spend about 2 weeks just wandering around the Rockies. I don’t know who’s happier, me to have another RV, or the missus, just to have me shut up about it. It’ll be the first time Kit has flown, and he’s been grinning like a possum eating a praline ever since I told him about it. So, maybe I will see something I just have to tell you all about when I get back. Maybe the rest of the little story I started will sneak up on me. Maybe I’ll manage to lose some “baggage’.

(Sure did mess up a good bad mood, though) Hug Granny and kiss the chil’ren, I’ll see you when we get back!

-- Lon (lgal@exp.net), July 06, 2003

Answers

"the length of a sleeping cat is a good thermometer"

(yeah, I know, but it did get this to the new answer page)

-- Lon (lgal@exp.net), July 06, 2003.


Well, Lon, have a great few weeks! I'll likely be off to points West before you get back, so if you don't hear from me for a while when you return, that'll be why.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), July 06, 2003.

have a safe and happy trip, lon

give kit a hug for me........and tell him that EVERY time i see the hulk on a shirt or a commercial, etc..... i think "Kit!"

: )

-- mebs (happy@trails.lon), July 06, 2003.


LOL Mebs-mee TOO! (and I always smile to myself, thinking about Kit's joy!).

Thanks for sharing that Lon! :)

I do hope you have a wonderful time, and that Kit "gets his wings" (literally-tell the airlines it is his first flight, they will make it special!), and learns he loves flying! Bet he will, the way he likes to travel!! I do hope your time together is very special.

I have been more than a lil bit down in the dumps meself, so I know where you are coming from. Nice to know someone who has come out of it, and that there can actually be at light at the end of the tunnel, even when you least expect it!

Enjoy your summer vacation Lon, and you know we can't wait to hear about it, and see it!

Like 'sumer used to do, on the old TB2, we'll all be tapping our foot!

Safe journey friend, and happy trails!

Giant hugs to you and Kit!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), July 06, 2003.


Be good. Be careful. Go to a library somewhere and let us know you're ok. (((Lon and Kit)))

-- helen (missing@you.already), July 06, 2003.


Well, we're all packed. I know Kit will like the plane ride - afterall they got snacks and cokes, don't they?

I learned something I'll pass along. When we started packing, we went and got some of those "space bags" that you use a vacume to suck the air out after you fill them with clothes. Man, do they work! They suck down to about 1/3 size with anything bulky, or even socks and underwear. (yes, Helen, I do wear underwear when I'm out in public). The only trouble is, if you're packing a bigger bag, it might weigh 200 pounds when you're done.

OK, that's my Kit 'N Lon travel tip for today. All youse guys stay outta the sun, and I promise to bring goodies for everbody. You know, it's getting hard to find genuine Indian war bonnets now that Stuckies are not so prevalent.

I only wish each of you could go with us. I didn't plan this trip at all until last Friday, or I would have figured out a way to see Trish or make it over to Vegas for some of Aunt Bee's fudge, or at least planned a detour to get a big wet kiss from Mike Mule. (who's been awfully quiet lately......) I promise I'll do better - maybe next year.

-- Lon (lgal@exp.net), July 06, 2003.


Oh, and mebs, Kit's collection is up to six Hulk shirts now. We've only seen the movie twice, but I'm sure we'll get the CD when it comes out and watch it a few hundred times straight. I will make sure to get a photo of him in one of his shirts. I wish you could see him right now - sitting on his bed listening to 50's music. My office has a door into his room, so I'm only a few feet away. Everytime I glance in there, he looks up and smiles- he is sooooo ready to go!

-- Lon (lgal@exp.net), July 06, 2003.

Happy trails Lon and hugs to Kit. I shall imagine you driving around the countryside singing all that good old music LOUD.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), July 07, 2003.

Aunt Bee I'm sorry you are feeling so down. I hope you have a good friend or relative nearby who can hug you tight.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), July 07, 2003.

Thanks Carol, wish I did. I'll take some cyber ones though!

And um, Lon, this ole girl is in Tucson, so ifn yer looking for me Las Vegas, you'd be looking a long time-LOL! Thanks for packing tip of the day! I've always wondered about them. I'll be packing myself soon, for a solo trip to visit friends in the PNW. Hopefully me and Tricia and her kids will get together! :) And so very sorry Gayla can't make it this time.

Have the time of your life Lon, and give Kit a big ole hug from me!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), July 07, 2003.



Aunt Bee. Hug, hug, hug.

I hope you have a safe and happy trip.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), July 08, 2003.


(((((((((((((((((( Aunt Bee )))))))))))))))))))

-- mebs (prayingfor@safe.trips), July 09, 2003.

I took a trip once and all I got was a stubbed toe to show for it.

-- barefoot (going_nutz@home.today), July 13, 2003.

Thanks for the cyberhugs you guys! Much appreciated!! :)

Soon, I'll get to have one in person, from our beloved Miss Tricia!

A mere two weeks away...I can wait, I can wait, I can wait....NOT!

As Lon started this thread to say, It ain't easy being a grump...

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), July 14, 2003.


Well, I got Miss Tricia's fudge made today! We'll see how she likes it tomorrow! I'm sure she'll check in with a review in the next coupla days! Then ya can tell fer sure, ifn I can cook!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), July 27, 2003.


I am so depressed. It's bad enough to think that Trish, Aunt Bee and Gayla are munchin' fudge up in Washington state, but then there's the story of my "vacation" in the mountains. Here's the report I posted at an RV sight I frequent:

----

I have always thought that the secret to enjoyable travel was attitude. In fact, I’ve greatly enjoyed delays, missed connections, rainy days. But this last trip to Colorado may have ruined my theory for good. The day we landed in Denver, it was 103 degrees, and after that it really started to get warm. I guess that is what threw me the worst; I planned this trip to get cool. You know, mountain breezes, snowy passes, the smell of rain-damp forests in the mornings. Well, it just wasn’t gonna happen. Not this time, not in July.

First, we went up to Estes Park, which I had always heard about, and really wanted to see. I thought that surely, it had to be cool up there at the gate to Rocky Mountain NP. Well, now I call Estes Park the “Houston of the Rockies”. It was hot. It was dusty. It had lots traffic. Even the sidewalks were crowded in the evenings with sweaty urbanites, looking for some real experience among the contrived “cutesiness” of tourist-trap shops. I only wanted an air-conditioned space to cool my heels and spirits, and we were fortunate to find an older motel with a $30 room. Of course, we were charged $110 for it, but believe me, it was a $30 room!

We shook the dust of Estes Park from our feet before breakfast the next morning, and headed back to Denver. The drive to Golden was much more pleasant than the “scenic” route of the day before, up hwy 72 and 7. But still, even though I drove the speed limit, I had to pull over ever 10 minutes or so, to let the tailgaters hurry on their way. I thought of a new slogan for the Department of Tourism - “Colorado - RUSH to see it!”

But then, like it often happens, when we abandoned our plans, we began to enjoy the trip. We got down to a little town called Lyons. This place was as real as Estes Park was phony, and we enjoyed coffee on the patio of a roadside cafe, and a brief stroll around the old downtown.

We then drove due south, by Boulder and Golden, which seemed to be lovely and sparkling small cities, skirted Denver and headed west on hwy 285. Even though this route is not considered scenic by the map folks, it was the most enjoyable day of our trip. Driving west and south, the Rockies rose up on our right, with open valley vistas on the left. The roadsides were spotless and the morning breeze was cool in our open windows as we headed into Bueno Vista.

We still believed there must be some mountain air somewhere in the state, so we took the little road which lead over Cottonwood Pass, and actually got to enjoy somewhat lower temperatures as we waited for over an hour for road construction. This was the first of many such delays, as Colorado has evidently taken on the task of rebuilding all of the mountain roads this summer. While we were waiting the next day for more road work at Wolf Creek Pass (nope, no snow), we got a close look at the trees. It was heart-breaking to see so many dead or dying, either from the drought/heat or from bark beetles. The whole place just looked like a forest fire waiting to happen.

We went on down to Pagosa Springs where the missus got a salt scrub, and I got an air-conditioned motel room. It just didn’t seem all that exciting to bathe in the hot springs when the temperature was in the triple digits. The nice lady in the tourist information office told us that “nature was their air-conditioner”. I told her she had better pay the bill, ‘cause it wasn’t working. When she told me it really wasn’t hot, “like Houston”, I wanted to wring the sweat from my boxer shorts right on her desk, but the heat had taken the energy right out of me.

The next day, it was down to Durango, where we found a nice little campground on the river. Even had shade trees! We rode the steam train to Silverton, which I had wanted to do for years. The ride was about 9 hours long, which turned out to be about 7 hours too much. The lady who was jammed into the tiny seat next to me summed it up when, after about 3 hours, she turned and said, “This hillside is nice, but I think I’ve enjoyed it about enough!”. I was very disappointed even though there were moments of spectacular scenery. The track followed the river, which was lovely, but most of the time, we were just enclosed by the canyon walls. In contrast, the little train out of Chama, New Mexico, climbs above the tree line, and the vistas are enormous. I have ridden the Chama train twice, and I guess I am just spoiled.

After that very loooong day, we decided to throw in the towel. We figured we could sweat and fight traffic at home, and not have to buy $12 hamburgers for the privilege. We headed into New Mexico two days early, and just trundled on towards the Texas panhandle, where an afternoon thunderstorm finally washed the dust off the little camper.

Of course, two days later, the weather man showed Colorado covered in the green of rain clouds and finally cooler weather. I’m not sure if I’ll ever forgive it for messing up my vacation plans, but I think for the next few years, when someone says how hot it is down here on the Gulf coast, I’ll tell them, “Yeah, but at least it’s not as bad as Colorado!”

-- Lon (lgal@exp.net), July 28, 2003.


Hey Lon, good to hear 'bout your 'adventure'. I was in that part of CO a while ago and thought it was really very scenic and quiet, but I went a different time of year. I'm a Beach bum myself, but could see the allure of those purple snow-capped mountains. Someone told me that Estes was where they filmed part of the original movie version of The Shining (with Jack Nicholson). Don't know if thats true though.

Anyway, I just thought I'd leave you with one last thought. The secret to enjoyable Travel is jiggle juice and chocolate!

-- (sonofdust@jiggle.juice), July 28, 2003.


We once went to Seattle packed with sweaters and jackets. The day we arrived the temps were in the upper nineties. Then it got worse. We had to buy a t-shirt just to survive. No one there even has an air conditioner. I grok your disappointment!

-- helen (this@is.not.what.I ordered!), July 29, 2003.

I'm sorry Lon! You picked a bad year as far as the heat goes. All of the West is suffering right now. It's 108 even up in parts of Washington. Phoenix has averaged 110 every day in July. They say an unbelievable high-pressure dome is sitting over that part of the country.

I know you don't want to hear this, ;-) but April is the perfect month to visit Colorado. There is still plenty of snow but it's melting and the rivers roar as they rush over rocks. The trees are green and healthy too. The lows dip into the 30's but it warms up to almost 70 during the day. The elk are just starting to move back up into mountains and Estes Park is full of them.

Yes, it's touristy, but not bad during the off-season. Poppy's makes some of the best Pizza and Ruebens you've ever tasted! :-)

And Rob, "The Shining" was NOT filmed at The Stanley Hotel, but Stephen King wrote half of it in room 217 of the hotel. (There was a mini-series filmed there, though, and part of "Dumb and Dumber".) :-)

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), July 29, 2003.


Ahhh, Lon. Now I don't know what to say. If I tell you how much I've enjoyed my holiday so far, I'll sound like I'm gloating and if I don't mention how good Aunt Bee's fudge is, she might not give me any more at our next get together. hmmmmm I know. Aunt Bee's fudge is the only good thing other than meeting with her that's happened to me all trip. We've been in the hot zone, too, and spent hot sweaty days on rocky awful beaches. (Rats. Even on line I just find it too hard to lie.) But meeting Aunt Bee was definitely a high-light. She's a lot of fun and loves to laugh. She can bake a mean batch of fudge too :-) I'll save the rest of my boasting about my holidays for another day on another thread!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), July 30, 2003.

You flew right over the farm, and you didn't even heave out one tiny bit of Aunt Bee's fudge for the mule? Wait a minute ... he was munching on something ...

-- helen (who@got.MY.fudge?), July 30, 2003.

Don't look at us, we don't have the fudge!

-- Robert & Jean Cook (RobertCook@GA.herewith Lon), July 31, 2003.

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