IMS - Day # 22 - Free to wander once again

We awoke this Memorial Day with the sun already high in the sky.  There were no uniforms to wear, no ID badges hanging from our necks, and no place to go.  Our labor of 16 days is complete........so why are we still at IMS when most of our co-workers left shortly after they clocked out the final time Sunday?

I have alluded to the reason before, but let me quickly recap our plans.  Wednesday TLE (for those who have only recently joined our blog TLE stands for "The Lovely Elaine") is getting on a jet plane early Wednesday morning to fly to Portland, Oregon for her annual women's retreat.  She missed it last year, and was determined to make it happen this year.  Because we are in a place where I can stay for six days at no cost it makes it easier to get her there and back.  I've got things to do to the coach in the next week.  No, there are no maintenance issues, but she needs a little exterior "tlc"......it has been a couple of months since she was detailed, and her ALCOA rims polished, so while TLE is on her retreat I will be sweating under the Indiana sun to ready our Newell for the road, and our Newell Mini-Rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota starting June 22nd......it's just over 3 weeks away and we want to look our best when we arrive!

Monday we kind of lazed around all morning just enjoying the fact that we had to be no where, and do nothing if we chose.  It was not dark when we exited the coach for the first time in 16 days.  Since it has been 16 days since we dumped the black tank it was time. Our plan to go 16 days without dumping worked perfectly except for one thing.  You know, there is always one thing that separates us from the perfect execution of a plan.

As I was hooking up the 4 hoses necessary to reach the water spigot I heard Fred, the gate security guy here in the campgroung, yell...."NO, NO, NO!"  I turned around to see him waiving his arms and shaking his head in the negative.  As I walked over to ask what campground faux pas I had committed I heard him saying....."there is no water".....wait, what?  I just filled up my fresh tank a few days ago......Fred goes on to explain that the water meter started leaking, and then at some point a few nights ago burst causing a minor flood.....okay that explains all the water in the gravel parking lot we were dodging around a few mornings ago....I just thought it had rained, and I didn't hear it.

Well, that is a sort of big problem, because one important component of dumping the black tank is filling the empty black tank several times with clean water and flushing out any remaining effluent.  This prevents future unpleasant odors, which to date we have never had a problem with ever.  So I'm standing there wondering what we are going to do....are we going to have to put the awnings in, disconnect from the electrical pedestal and drive somewhere to dump our tanks.  Suddenly it occurs to me that we have accumulated about 90 gallons of gray water in the past 5, or 6 days....I need to dump that too, so why not just use the macerator pump on the gray tank to pump that "cleaner" water though the black tank and then flush it into the sewer system with the portable macerator pump.  To make a short story shorter......it worked like a charm.....certainly not ideal, but a good short term solution.  

As for fresh water, we still have 100 gallons left, so no worries there.  TLE will be gone for almost a week, and on Friday I am driving the 'Bird up to Michigan to see Krash and Karen, and then my sister Jill, so we won't be using a lot of fresh water in the next 10 days.

Another thing I wanted to do.....I didn't need to do it, but I really WANTED to do....was borrow my neighbor's weed whacker and cut down the tall grass that has grown up around our coach and trailer in the last 21 days.  Nate gladly retrieved the "whacker" for my use, and within 30 minutes the tall grass was laid waste.

By this time is was after 2 pm, and time for a nap.....even though I got 11+ hours of sleep Sunday night I am still tired.  Around 3 we started to get dressed to drive up to the north side of Indianapolis to a place called Lebanon to visit our new friends Jeanne and Chris.  You will recall (Traffic Control - 4th Day) they came to visit us on the 4th day of our 16 day gig.  Jeanne has been following our blog for a few months and wanted to meet us when we got into town, and see our Newell.  Jeanne and Chris recently purchased their 1989 Prevost 40' motorcoach, and we wanted to drive up and see their coach, and spend some more time with them.  They will be embarking on their fulltime journey in a couple of days.  They have sold their home, and as of Monday, and, just after we left them,  they finally sold one of their remaining two vehicles, so they are set to go.  We had a nice visit and are really looking forward to reconnecting with them in a few months on the road somewhere in the west.  Happy travels Jeanne and Chris!

Happy Hour brews and appetizers

It had started to rain just as we arrived at Jeanne and Chris' coach, and continued to drizzle on and off as we drove over to Trader Joe's to do some much needed shopping.  Right next to Trader Joe's is a micro brewery called Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery where we decided to have dinner before shopping.   As we sipped a couple of their Porter's we continued reminiscing about the prior 16 days and how the time we spend working, while long hours are involved, makes getting back on the road even sweeter.  We've spent 16 days working, and now will spend over 4 months travelling again before we spend a few more weeks working the sugar beet harvest in Shelby, MT.

After a delightful dinner we exited the micro brewery to find a torrential downpour.  Since TLE was driving and didn't want me to have to adjust the seat just to bring the car over she volunteered to retrieve the car and let me stay dry.......what a woman, huh?

Moved ourselves and the car a few hundred feet over to Trader Joe's and did our resupply of wine, beer, cheese, eggs, etc. and were on our way home within 30 minutes.  As we moved south the rain stopped, but just as we were parking the car the front caught up with us and dumped some more moisture on our campground.

Around 9 TLE went back to the bedroom to read, and, apparently, I fell asleep watching American Pickers....I suddenly awoke around 10, and went to bed.......it's going to take a few nights of sleep to recover from the mild sleep deprivation we put ourselves through the past 16 days. No worries, though....there are lots of naps in our future.

That was Memorial Day for us.......of course we are so grateful for those who choose to serve their country whether it be the Army, Navy, Marines, or Airforce.  My father, Arthur Ray Hockwald, served in the Navy during WW2 in the Pacific as a machinist servicing and repairing PBY Catalina reconnaissance air boats.  We owe a great debt of gratitude to those who serve, have served, and especially to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice that we might have liberty......the liberty that enables TLE and I to live this wonderful life we have.

Consolidated PBY Catalina landing

A year ago at this same time we were in Coeur d'Alene, ID visiting our college friends George and Brenda.  Can't believe it has been a year....seems just a few months ago.

Thank you for stopping by!