Friday, January 28, 2011

Beanie Weenies and Vacuum Cleaners

Vacuum Ad
Somebody needs a hobby...

Get your kicks on Route 66.....with a vacuum cleaner??

Yes! In St. James Missouri, on that historic road, there is a museum dedicated to the humble vacuum cleaner. Actually these people make vacuum cleaners too, the Riccar and Simplicity. Ever heard of them? Me neither, but hey my vacuum cleaner is NOT my honey, so what do I know?

Winter landscape in Tennessee
Flashback to earlier this week in Tennessee. We had to go to the Beenie Weenie factory in Newport. It's actually ConAgra and they also make Hunt's Ketchup. But the town smells overwhelmingly like Beanie Weenies. 


We went to bed with rain and woke up to snow, in a black and white world. 


Now our next task in laundry. The underpants situation is reaching critical mass.


Up close with snow....Or a Galaxy Far, Far Away




Guess what this is?!




Mount Froot Loop Dust!


....and healthy too!!

Monday, January 24, 2011

An Expensive Visit

Here, I am thinking of pushing the tow truck driver
off of a mountain.
If you are thinking of starting your own business and want to know of a surefire way to make lots of money, then buy a tow truck. Sure, you won't be able to sleep at night because you will feel so bad at over-charging people but hey, you're up anyway, you can just count your money!

 Himself and I took a day off in Florida to see family and needed somewhere to stash our trailer. Bobtailing (that's trucker for driving without a trailer) is a lot easier without dragging around 53 feet of metal and eight extra tires. On previous trips we had spotted a big dirt lot next to a night-club that had several trucks and trailers parked in it. There were no No Parking signs. The lot was big and out of the way and it was only for one night. Two trucks were already parked there. We felt pretty confident about it being safe. Himself even put a note on it with our name and number and how long we expected to be gone.

A really tall mountain....
We returned the next day and the trailer was gone. The other trucks were still parked there. We had to call the sheriffs department to find out what happened. There was no ticket or fine, it was private property and the owners have a contract with the towing company to patrol the area and take what's there. They have a right, I guess. We should have asked permission.

The big shocker came when we called the towing company to find out how much it was going to cost to get it released. The man said calmly, "$665, cash only, get here before 3". I was speechless, flabbergasted and dumb-founded. I meekly said, "but we had a note". I could practically hear the guy roll his eyes. He hung up.


Himself was able to talk the bill down $100.That's something, I guess. I stayed silent during the negotiations. My tactics are more of the yelling and cussing variety. Satisfying, but hardly productive.

In happier news, I got a new mattress...I just have to rescue
Himself first...


Better roads ahead in Mobile, AL

Monday, January 10, 2011

Life Goes On

Today we are leaving our little comfy nest of home. We will go back to the world of the working people.

But first an explanation. 


This Blog is supposed to be humorous. I share tales of my experiences as a Professional Passenger, but sometimes life gets in the way of humor. My mother, known as Mona in her comments here, had a stroke in November. She spent four weeks in a hospital and now she is in a nursing home. I don't know what the future holds for her. Things are better than a month ago, but that isn't saying a whole lot.


It seemed to me wrong, somehow to write about silly, trivial things while she suffered; while so many things were left unknown. If it weren't so sad, believe me, I could tell incompetent doctor stories of unbelievable stupidity that far surpass the craziest truck driver story. But I'm not.


I find myself feeling guilty for laughing or enjoying life while she can't. And yet Life goes on even in the midst of uncertainty. Life goes on even though my heart aches for my Mama whose body is here while her mind is lost. Life goes on even though all the right words never got said. The world just keeps turning, unaware.


So today I begin again with this silly blog and the day to day adventures of life on the road without my biggest fan being able to share in it. 


The Prettiest Mama in the World