Don't you hate it when people take up an obviously expensive hobby and then complain about how damn much money it costs? Yeah me, too. So quit reading if it really bugs you, because the money is flowing into the trailer at an alarming rate.
A better way to look at it is by taking stock of how much I got done with the help of my "Trailer Angel Team" lead by the amazing Gary. Gary's brother Len owns a RV/ Trailer supply place. When I called to whimper for help, Len told me that with it being Memorial Day week-end, he was just swamped. This was shortly after we got home from the hospital on Thursday and I was realizing how much deep shit I was in if I actually want to pull off this trailer odyssey. I must have sounded truly terrified/ weenie/ incompetent because he told me Gary was retired but that he might be able to help me. Well THANK GOD for Gary. He is amazing. One of the trailer people on Yahoo told me that I would meet wonderful people, Angels dressed as mere mortals, who would show up just when I needed them. Umm, truthfully, I thought she was a little crystal/ woo woo if you know what I mean. But nooooo, she was so right it's crazy.
Gary is breathtakingly competent. He knows all about all kinds of trailers and has the additional trait of being both calm and funny. SOLD on Gary. Yesterday he helped me move the trailer from the storage place to my parents driveway. Ya'll. Seriously. This dude is a trailer bad-ass! He drove it out and over like it was a Mini-Cooper. Popped it right into the driveway, right where we asked for it, on the first try. And then casually mentioned that the brakes on the trailer were not working. I stand in awe.
Gary gave me a list of things to buy and told me he'd be back in the morning.
While this is all going on, I am remembering how lethally allergic to Oregon I am. I'm having a sinus/ allergy attack that is killing me. My drainage is so awful I can't even swallow liquids without it hurting. So, I manage to buy the things Gary told me to get, crawl into bed and sleep in an attempt to ward off further sinus cooties.
No such luck. I can't even sleep. And the pressure is mounting because I have 2 weeks worth of stuff to do in, oh, 3 days. So I drink my tea with lemon and force myself to be well.
Today Angel Gary showed up, got the trailer brakes, lights and several other things working. I hate to sound star struck, but, really, this guy can fix anything. Meanwhile, I am scrambling around trying to help, but probably just more in the way than anything else. Gary patiently put me on jobs like washing light covers and scraping cruddy old sealing tape (that stopped sealing around 1980) off of tail lights.
Enter my second Angel. My parents have the sweetest neighbors ever, the Kennedys. They share their garden crops. They unfailingly wave. They are just Good People, if you know what I mean. They also own a Father & Son painting business. So in anticipation of my short schedule I had asked Rick ,"Father", if Jeff ,"Son", might want to come help me with the trailer while I was here. So Jeff, who is a hoot, just funny and upbeat, shows up and says "What can I do?" As Gary was on the priority task of oh, you know, roadworthiness, I got Jeff to help me by doing some repairs, such as whipping up a new bottom for a drawer that had rotted out. Sa-weet! Tomorrow Jeff is going to help me wash the beastie, head to toe.
Meanwhile, I had realized that since I can hardly breathe, it was unlikely that cleaning a dusty trailer was going to be something I could do justice to. So I had my Mom call Betsy, her amazing friend and Cleaning Lady, and general wonderful person (remember the horror movie scene? Betsy.) Betsy came over and cleaned with a vengeance. She scrubbed, vacuumed, and wiped down every surface.
Behold: My trailer is roadworthy, spotless, and gets a bath tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I went and bought more supplies, like contact paper for drawers and cupboards, and other such items, and then went and got windshield wipers on the van.
Now, it has been a very expensive day. But worth it, worth it, worth it.
So, money be damned, I went and splurged on a luxury- an updated console for the radio in the van. I know, I know, I know. Not technically mandatory. But, come on. How the HELL can anyone drive 2,500 miles without decent music? Now we have an aux jack and can plug in ipods and rock out.
If I can get my head off the pillow, that is. I still feel terrible. But, thanks to the Trailer Angel Team, lead by Gary, I'm in a good place.
A better way to look at it is by taking stock of how much I got done with the help of my "Trailer Angel Team" lead by the amazing Gary. Gary's brother Len owns a RV/ Trailer supply place. When I called to whimper for help, Len told me that with it being Memorial Day week-end, he was just swamped. This was shortly after we got home from the hospital on Thursday and I was realizing how much deep shit I was in if I actually want to pull off this trailer odyssey. I must have sounded truly terrified/ weenie/ incompetent because he told me Gary was retired but that he might be able to help me. Well THANK GOD for Gary. He is amazing. One of the trailer people on Yahoo told me that I would meet wonderful people, Angels dressed as mere mortals, who would show up just when I needed them. Umm, truthfully, I thought she was a little crystal/ woo woo if you know what I mean. But nooooo, she was so right it's crazy.
Gary is breathtakingly competent. He knows all about all kinds of trailers and has the additional trait of being both calm and funny. SOLD on Gary. Yesterday he helped me move the trailer from the storage place to my parents driveway. Ya'll. Seriously. This dude is a trailer bad-ass! He drove it out and over like it was a Mini-Cooper. Popped it right into the driveway, right where we asked for it, on the first try. And then casually mentioned that the brakes on the trailer were not working. I stand in awe.
Gary gave me a list of things to buy and told me he'd be back in the morning.
While this is all going on, I am remembering how lethally allergic to Oregon I am. I'm having a sinus/ allergy attack that is killing me. My drainage is so awful I can't even swallow liquids without it hurting. So, I manage to buy the things Gary told me to get, crawl into bed and sleep in an attempt to ward off further sinus cooties.
No such luck. I can't even sleep. And the pressure is mounting because I have 2 weeks worth of stuff to do in, oh, 3 days. So I drink my tea with lemon and force myself to be well.
Today Angel Gary showed up, got the trailer brakes, lights and several other things working. I hate to sound star struck, but, really, this guy can fix anything. Meanwhile, I am scrambling around trying to help, but probably just more in the way than anything else. Gary patiently put me on jobs like washing light covers and scraping cruddy old sealing tape (that stopped sealing around 1980) off of tail lights.
Enter my second Angel. My parents have the sweetest neighbors ever, the Kennedys. They share their garden crops. They unfailingly wave. They are just Good People, if you know what I mean. They also own a Father & Son painting business. So in anticipation of my short schedule I had asked Rick ,"Father", if Jeff ,"Son", might want to come help me with the trailer while I was here. So Jeff, who is a hoot, just funny and upbeat, shows up and says "What can I do?" As Gary was on the priority task of oh, you know, roadworthiness, I got Jeff to help me by doing some repairs, such as whipping up a new bottom for a drawer that had rotted out. Sa-weet! Tomorrow Jeff is going to help me wash the beastie, head to toe.
Meanwhile, I had realized that since I can hardly breathe, it was unlikely that cleaning a dusty trailer was going to be something I could do justice to. So I had my Mom call Betsy, her amazing friend and Cleaning Lady, and general wonderful person (remember the horror movie scene? Betsy.) Betsy came over and cleaned with a vengeance. She scrubbed, vacuumed, and wiped down every surface.
Behold: My trailer is roadworthy, spotless, and gets a bath tomorrow.
Meanwhile, I went and bought more supplies, like contact paper for drawers and cupboards, and other such items, and then went and got windshield wipers on the van.
Now, it has been a very expensive day. But worth it, worth it, worth it.
So, money be damned, I went and splurged on a luxury- an updated console for the radio in the van. I know, I know, I know. Not technically mandatory. But, come on. How the HELL can anyone drive 2,500 miles without decent music? Now we have an aux jack and can plug in ipods and rock out.
If I can get my head off the pillow, that is. I still feel terrible. But, thanks to the Trailer Angel Team, lead by Gary, I'm in a good place.
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