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| Where We Are at Jean's in Chula Vista, Ca. |
"I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May your hearts be open, your bellies full and the spirit of Christmas in your RV". So was the wish from our RV friends Nina Fussing and Paul via her blog at http://wheelingit.wordpress.com/. Bob and I were counting on doing exactly that - having full bellies and the spirit of Christmas in our RV - in Indio, Ca. with the RV parked at Fantasy Springs Casino near Tim and Rosemary's (son and daughter-in-law) house so we wouldn't have far to drive to enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at their home.
We intended to depart our Chula Vista location of 5 weeks early this morning. We awoke with a strong desire to pack up and ready the motorhome as quickly as we could in order to take on gas at the local Costco which is only 3 miles from our location at Jean's and 5 miles from the Mexican border. Although a Costco gas station, it is very near the parking lot for Wal-Mart, which is usually very busy on Sunday mornings, especially the Sunday before Christmas. We wanted to beat the crowd so as to not get our home on wheels in the middle of the madness of the Christmas Shopper traffic.
After a quick breakfast we went to task to rearrange our possessions in a matter so they would ride comfortably and safely to our destination. We retracted the slideouts, relocated the stuff stashed in the front seats to the bed, moved the 42" TV that is in-limbo-sitting-on-the dash-until-Bob-attaches-it-to-its-permanent-bracket to the bed, dumped the black tank and unhooked the sewer hose, unhooked the water hose, lowered the TV Satellite dish, unhooked the power cable, switched the refrigerator to operate on propane, and lowered the motorhome off the jacks. After a last minute photo with Jean, we were ready to go....so we thought.
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| Jean, Kathie, and Bob with our "new" thrift store purchsed wreath |
I turned the key in the ignition to let Bob know I was "ready to go" and .......
The engine wouldn't start!
So 3 hours after our "ready to go" status, Bob is still under the motorhome continuing to work on the starter after a brief interruption to clear his eye of something that had fallen from the undercarriage of the motorhome. (He is now wearing his safety glasses.) We are still hoping beyond all hope that we will get this thing on the road today, but I am losing that optimism very quickly.
My grandma always said, "Things happen for the best". I can't help but think that we were not intended to drive the motorhome to Indio today.
Fortunately, we have the option to drive the car to Indio to spend Christmas with our son and family (Rosemary, Jimmy, and Nana).
News alert: Bob has just informed me he has extracted the starter from the motorhome and predicts if he can get the part early tomorrow, he can replace it in time for us to still get to Tim's by Christmas Eve night. That is very good news.
However, there is a high wind warning issued from midnight tonight to 4pm tomorrow for the passes through which we intend to travel. O my, there is always something. I firmly believe that Rvers are a strong bunch, and we proudly include ourselves in this family. We will see this challenge through to a happy outcome.
Now to undo all the packing we did this morning and carry on with our day.
Bob and I wish you a Christmas filled with joy and without such obstacles.
News alert: Bob has just informed me he has extracted the starter from the motorhome and predicts if he can get the part early tomorrow, he can replace it in time for us to still get to Tim's by Christmas Eve night. That is very good news.
However, there is a high wind warning issued from midnight tonight to 4pm tomorrow for the passes through which we intend to travel. O my, there is always something. I firmly believe that Rvers are a strong bunch, and we proudly include ourselves in this family. We will see this challenge through to a happy outcome.
Now to undo all the packing we did this morning and carry on with our day.
Bob and I wish you a Christmas filled with joy and without such obstacles.
Boy, is that a familiar tune. The salt air creates havoc on all systems in a M/H. I have had the non-start more times than I care to count. I now put the key in the ignition the day before I plan on moving to make sure everything is working. We spent over $5000 this past year on electrical repairs and the water cooled generator is pouring water on the ground. Illness has prevented me from working on it. Hopefully I'll be up and running by spring break. JIM BUCHANAN
ReplyDeleteHi Jim, I hear you about that salt air. You have had a lot more exposure to it. That's a lot of $ for repairs due to salty air. Hope you get the generator fixed before spring break without that kind of price tag. Merry Christmas, kathie.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness...You're still in Chula Vista! Well good luck but don't fight the wind and elements; as long as you're at Fantasy Springs for our In 'n Out debut!! Merry Christmas dear friends.
ReplyDeleteAnd Merry Christmas to you two. Here's hoping we'll make it for your In 'n Out debut.
DeleteOh my...what a palava! Hoping it gets sorted out quickly for you guys. Sorry we haven't had the chance to catch up before Christmas, but hoping to do so after the holidays when you make it back.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the shout-out :)
Nina
Everyday has been hectic in one way or another. We'll be at the Strand from Jan 9 through Jan 30 or so. We were supposed to be there until Feb 5, but they are closing the park to install electric and water hookups. Will be $65 for beach front and $50 for everything else. We also hope to get together early next year. Just nice to know where you are. Merry Christmas to you and Paul.
DeleteKathie