The Portable Pink Pussy Party Palace "Peace, Perspective, & Enlightenment" National Tour

Trippin' Through the Rough Times
Ain't Life a Trip?!

Arkansas Bound

It's hard to believe my trip is coming to a close. I've really started to enjoy myself and feel kind of at home here on the road. However, I am excited to go home, too. My boyfriend wants me home, and I'm ready to be home, too. Gonna have lots to do once I get there -- like, mostly, GET A JOB!

I want to thank everyone for all your support. I will continue to update this blog with pictures after I get home. The internet connection that I've been getting here on the road is sporadic, and slow as far as uploading pictures.

I'm currently in Elk City, OK, where I made it today from Santa Fe, NM. Just staying the night real quick here, then am headed to Fayetteville, AR tomorrow, where I used to live, and where I have friends and family. I'm looking forward to it. It took me 7 hours to get here.

In Texas today, I saw the "Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere," and it was an amazing spiritual experience, just like the billboard said it would be. As I passed it, I noticed that the largest cross in the western hemisphere appeared to be constructed of vinyl siding. What would Jesus think about that?  I guess everything gets updated and has a modern version.

I missed Taos, NM, and so many people told me not to miss it. I'm bummed, but am running out of money at this point and kind of need to get home.

Speaking of running out of money, I had a couple of shots of tequila with some Santa Fe native chick yesterday -- she bought. I don't ever do tequila, but she told me to sip it, and bought me Patron Silver, and we sucked on limes after sips. Afterwards, I stumbled into a gallery and put money down on a $4000 painting for my boyfriend.

Don't drink tequila, folks. It's bad for you and your wallet.

I have no idea if the painting will ever get shipped to our house or not. It's perfect for him, he'll love it, if I can get the money together and actually pay for it. But remember, folks, I'm unemployed, and that was a spontaneous, tequila-fueled decision.

I have lots to tell you -- my new gay friends that I met in Sedona, slide rock park, prickly pear cactuses, and the rooster mission in Santa Fe. Good stuff. I'll get to it all. And the pictures, too!  So many pictures, including one of me in a bikini. I'm not feeling good about that one.

Anyway, I'll be driving about 5 1/2 hours tomorrow. I'm coming in at over 5000 miles now. I'll be over 6000 miles by the time I get home, easily.

And yes, I still owe everyone emails!

Goodnight!



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Posted by Amy Z at October 29, 2007 9:09 PM | View Comments (2) | Add Comment

Sorry I've been MIA.....

My momma is gonna kick my booty for not writing or putting up pics!  The weather has been great so I've been out and about, and not sitting in my camper in the evenings. I'm currently in Santa Fe, NM, which is fantastic, and I'm heading out today, heading for Arkansas, where I used to live and where I have friends and family.

My trip is winding down, I expect to be home by Saturday of this week, which will make it exactly a month that I've been gone.

I want to update the blog tonight, but I hate making promises and then not making good on them, so I will TRY to update, with pictures, tonight. I'm not going to make it the whole way to AR today, so I will likely be staying somewhere for the night that I don't plan to explore, so I will have a free night to just update and post pics.

Things have gone great for the past week or so, much more smoothly. I feel like I've finally got all the kinks worked out, and have the hang of this, and now I'm headed home!! 

I'll have all my skills down pat for next time, though!

In Sedona and here in Santa Fe, I bought myself some presents -- finally!!  I didn't get much for anyone else, though. I feel badly about that -- and I haven't sent ANY postcards out.

Had a few really nice meals here in Santa Fe.

Shona Poopypants, here I come!
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Posted by Amy Z at October 29, 2007 10:04 AM | Add Comment

Sedona, AZ

I'm having a blast in beautiful Sedona, Arizona!!  More information and pictures coming soon as soon as I have some down time!

I've been here three nights and am staying another two!!

Highly recommended!  Best stop on my trip so far!!

LOVE SEDONA ARIZONA!!
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Posted by Amy Z at October 25, 2007 2:06 PM | View Comments (3) | Add Comment

Grand Canyon/Sedona, AZ -- WOW!

Hey, all!

I have NOT been neglecting this. Last night I couldn't post my blog entry (it is below) because I didn't have a good internet connection. Tonight, I'm having problems posting pictures because my connection is slow (at night, when I close the windows and pull the blinds, my cell service and my internet connection both diminish in strength. I don't feel comfortable sitting in a campground at night with my blinds open so everyone can see I'm a woman alone, so you're gonna have to wait, y'all). Also, uploading in general can take time, and since this isn't my program -- I'm using my host company's (GoDaddy.com) software, it seems to take forever to even upload text.

ANYWAY, just please be patient, and I'll get things posted, including pictures, even though I'm not going to do that tonight. I think I need to switch and do this in the morning, while the blinds are open, the windows are open, and the geriatric crowd in the campground haven't hogged all the bandwith on the wi-fi in the campground trying to figure out directions to tomorrow's destination.

So, I'll get pics posted tomorrow. I've got some really impressive ones. I was at the Grand Canyon today. AllI can say is, WOW. AMAZING. And amazing that you're right on the edge, right on the precipice, and if you trip, man, you're going over, and as my dad used to say, "That's all she wrote."  You're done, man. It was making my stomach do flip flops, and I have a tendency to trip, just because I have the grace of a cow, and I was making sure I stepped CAREFULLY. You're like, three feet from ending your own life just because you wanted to see the Grand Canyon, you know?  I'll tell you, though, if I ever wanted to commit suicide, I'd do it there. First of all, if that were my last sight on earth, it wouldn't be bad at all, let me tell you. The beauty and vastness of it is mindblowing. Second, if you jump off of one of those cliffs, it's a given that you're going to die. The drop offs are unbelievable. And even more unbelievable is that they don't save you from your own stupidity -- or in my case, lack of gracefulness. You are absolutely free, at your own will, stupidity, and/or detriment, to hurl yourself down over the mountain if you so choose. Clearly, that left just as much an impression on me as the breathtaking view itself. I was just astonished. I mean, even McDonald's coffee comes with a warning on it. I guess you can't sue the Grand Canyon, can you?  Otherwise, there would be warnings that would state, "Walking near the edge could result in pummeling to your death." 

Anyway, I'm in Sedona, AZ, now, and all I can say here is, WOW. Great scenery, great little town. A little overly-touristy. A lot touristy. But still great. I'm in the most amazing, cozy little campground, too. I'm staying -- get this -- FOUR NIGHTS here. Four nights!! I'm going to do laundry, clean, get a few more supplies -- RELAX, and WRITE PEOPLE BACK!!!!  So, yes, you WILL receive replies back to your emails. This week!

From here, I'm headed to Santa Fe/Taos, NM. I would LOVE to just swoop down and see Roswell, but I'm going to be ready to head home by the end of the week. I figured I'd spend a few days in NM, and then I'm headed straight to Arkansas to see friends and relatives, and then I'll be heading home. I'm pretty psyched to get home. I love doing what I'm doing, but I'm ready to get headed home. I have a boyfriend and a dog who miss me, and I miss them, and I'm excited to be home doing my thing -- cooking, cleaning, and well, I guess I'm going to have to look for a job, too.

Anyway, tomorrow, I'll post pictures and will tell you more about Sedona. I had a great little meal tonight at a place called the Cowboy Club, and apparently Rachael Ray did a segment for the $40 a day show there (note to $40 a Day fans:  I spent $30 there on a salad, an appetizer, and two drinks - Rachael must have eaten food salvaged from the garbage can to meet her budget there).

Anyway, again, thanks for everyone's patience, and I love and miss ya all!
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Posted by Amy Z at October 22, 2007 11:23 PM | Add Comment

Durango, Exes, the Grand Canyon, and…. The Flintstones?

Sunday, October 21 (posted on Monday because internet service was non-existent on Sunday)
Valle, AZ
3876 miles traveled

As you know, I was feeling a little nutty when I pulled into Durango. The drive was very nice, but I just didn’t feel like showing more scenery pics. I’ll post some today, though.

The town of Durango was surprising. I had read in my Lonely Planet guide that it was liberal, but I’m not sure I was prepared and found the pierced, tattoo’ed, purple-haired crowd almost jarring. Had I been somewhere in California, it would have been expected, but these scenes seemed almost out of place in this mountain town. I was still really wanting and needing the whole cowboy, shoot ‘em up, maverick vibe. I hadn’t yet gotten my fix, and felt a little like I had moved into Seattle-land.

I went into town the first night, and the restaurant that I chose to have dinner at, Off the Vine, was off the books, as in, closed, kaput, no longer in business. It had just the atmosphere and food I was looking for, too, so I was pretty disappointed. I scoured the dining guide for something similar, and decided on a place called the Mahogany Grille. Their menu was decidedly eclectic, had some Asian influence, and sounded downright yummy. I walked about six blocks to get there, and felt very safe in their downtown area.

During the course of the walk, I saw a lot of cute shops. Vintage, underwear, and of course, Native American, cowboy, and southwestern art and jewelry. I kind of promised myself I’d buy myself something cool at this location. Finally. I still hadn’t bought a thing.

When I got to the restaurant, it was packed to the gills, and I asked if they had a bar, as I detest sitting by myself, which forces you, of course, to be isolated. I like to sit at the bar because of the camaraderie and the fact that someone was likely to talk to me – and as I’ve said multiple times, I’m starved for conversation. So I asked where the bar was, and the host pointed me in the right direction.

Some of the downtown in Durango is old, and some of it is made to look old. The bar at the Mahogany Grille is called The Office Spiritorium, and it is connected to the Strater Hotel, an old historic hotel in town, along with the Belle Grande Saloon. I went to open the door that separates the restaurant from "The Office," and pushed when I should have pulled, and struggled with it for a moment like the dork that I am, and then finally got it right. As soon as I got it open, I saw a guy with an outback hat on looking at me, and I just thought "Ugh," and walked to the other side of the bar. I can feel eyes on me, and know immediately when someone is going to try to talk to me or hit on me. This guy looked a little rough, with facial hair, and out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn he was a ragged 47 years old, at least.

I sat down, and noticed him continuing to look at me. It made me very uncomfortable, and it took the bartenders a good 15 minutes to wait on me, because they were pretty busy (although the bar only sat about 7 people, they were also bartending for the restaurant and bar area). The fifteen minute wait seemed like an hour with Hairy Dirtball staring at me down at the other side of the bar. When I finally got my drink, he had stopped staring, and I looked again at him to just size him up. I realized that he was not as old or as ragged as I had initially thought; I had looked at him out of the corner of my eye and saw the facial hair and just made an assumption about his age and ruggedness. He wasn’t bad looking, but he wasn’t particularly compelling, either. As I looked at him, I realized that he bore a great resemblance to the boyfriend I had, and lived with, when I lived in Arkansas.

I was looking at him, when he looked back at me. I looked away, and he stared at me for quite some time, then when he finally looked away, I looked back at him. Suspiciously.

As I really looked at him, I noticed that he had the exact same crook nose as my old boyfriend from Arkansas. Then, I noticed that he had exactly the same browbone that my old boyfriend from Arkansas had.

Could it be him?? It was hard to tell. It had been 11 years since I’d seen him last.

So, we continued to play the game, with me checking him out until he looked at me, at which point I would promptly look away and act uninterested, and then him checking me out until I couldn’t stand it anymore, and looked at him, at which point he would then promptly look away.

It just seemed a little too…. coincidental. What, after all, would HE be doing in Durango? He moved back to Ohio, I knew, after I moved back to PA from Arkansas. It couldn’t possibly be him. Right? How could it be him??

I continued my intense analysis. He had almost white blond the last I saw him, the sun did that to his hair over the summer, and had a receding hairline. He had the outback hat on, so I couldn’t see his hair or his hairline, but his facial hair was reddish-brown. That was Rod, for sure. He had a tendency toward reddish facial hair. So, that checked out. But, the way he was dressed? An outback hat? Seriously?? The last I knew, he was wakeboarder/snowboarder dude. I had a hard time figuring out the outback hat and button down denim shirt. And the Durango connection.

So, I looked at his hands. Oh, my gosh, they were Rod’s hands!! They seemed to have a bit more hair on them than when I had last seen them, like, old man hairy fingers, but it had, after all, been 11 years.

The next thing I analyzed was what he was drinking: This was a very, very, VERY good clue. White wine. Now, tell me, what rugged looking, facial hair sporting, denim shirt wearing man in Durango, CO, drinks white wine? ODD CHOICE OF BEVERAGE. Then, I remembered: Rod didn’t like beer, didn’t drink beer. Veddy interesting! And, what we were drinking, what I was drinking, right around when we broke up, was white wine. I influenced a lot of his choices, including what he drank, at that time. It was interesting to see that that choice stuck. Especially because I had since moved on and evolved. I was, after all, drinking red wine. (LOL Very evolved and different from white wine!)

I thought about going over and asking his name. I thought about trying to engage him in conversation. However, as I thought about doing that, I replayed our relationship in my mind, and realized that I had no real desire to talk to him. We’d reminisce for about 10 minutes, at which point the conversation would stop and we’d end up where we were all those years ago: we’d just run out of interest in each other, really. I guess we grew out of each other. I just had no desire to make the effort only to have the excitement of seeing an old "friend" get crushed under the reality of the fact that we didn’t connect with other much at the time that we parted – and likely still wouldn’t. I can be the bigger person, but I guess I didn’t really want to know what his life had materialized into since we split. Maybe that sounds bad, but I just didn’t want to make him feel badly if things hadn’t worked out well for him.

Not that they have for me, but, still…..!

So, I waited it out. I knew he probably wouldn’t say anything to me, because I had two men come in and sit down beside me in succession and talk to me. The thing is, I told these men my name, told them where I was from ("I’m from a small town in PA, but lived in Pittsburgh for about 10 years, and I just moved to Ohio"), and said multiple things that would have given Rod the information that he needed to figure out who I was. So, I thought that he could make the move. But maybe he felt like I did, and didn’t want to know, didn’t need to know – or perhaps could feel badly all over again by interfacing with me. It was an unpleasant breakup, with him getting the brunt of it. If I were him, I wouldn’t want to re-live that kind of rejection, either (although in my defense, for old time’s sake – he was an ass to me and deserved to be rejected! I didn’t simply break his heart….!)

So, he finally made his move. He got up, hugged the waitress (hugged the waitress??), and left out the back door, into the Strater Hotel. Aha! So, he wasn’t a local. I summoned the waitress over, and said, "Hey, do you know that guy? Do you know his name? I swear that’s my ex-boyfriend, but it’s been 11 years since I’ve seen him, and I’m just not positive that’s him."

She said, "Oh, you know what, I can’t remember his name. I can tell you, though, that he’s here from Arkansas and is hunting with a red haired cousin."

Bingo.

It was him. I’d met the red haired cousin before. And Rod may or may not live in AR now, but it would be just like him to say that he did just because he’d view it as sounding more interesting than Ohio.

So, anyway, I planned to go back the next night, and I was going to say something if I saw him, but it just wasn’t a priority, and I let it go. I had a feeling the whole way to Durango that I was going to run into someone I knew – I just wouldn’t have imagined in a million years that it would have been "Rod Bod" Obrecht.

Ha!

Anyway, the town of Durango is charming, and lovely, and the people are quite nice. I had a great conversation with a guy named Johnny yesterday at Steamworks Brewery while I had wings and a few beers. We talked politics and life. It was good to do something other than make small talk with someone. We talked big stuff. He hates George Bush as much as I do.

I planned to do some shopping, but then figured I’d go check on my cats and would come back later for to shop and grab some dinner. I never ended up going back, as I fell asleep around 5:30pm and didn’t wake up until 9:30pm (that’s what I get for drinking beers in the middle of the day!). So, then, of course, I couldn’t sleep last night, so the drive to Arizona today was fun.

Not really.

I was nodding off on the latter part of the trip!

Anyway, got into Arizona today, and it was pretty cool. The scenery was unlike anything I had seen before, being from the east. I’d seen pictures, of course, but it’s completely different when you see it in person. COMPLETELY different. I saw bits of the Grand Canyon today, but am going back tomorrow to do it right. Or, as right as I can with the camper on the back. I can’t find a campground up by the park, and tonight, I’m staying in…..

The Fred Flintstone Campground. Yes, they call this Bedrock City, and they have laundry, showers, a gift shop, a restaurant, and a store, all built and decorated to look just like the Flintstones neighborhood. There’s a bone designating every campsite. Funny, yes. But also very, very, VERY creepy when there’s no where else to stay, and the guy behind the counter reminds you very, very much of the guy Meryl Streep was snorting orchid powder with in the movie "Adaptation" - Chris Cooper, who played John Laroche (he was also Col. Frank Fitts in American Beauty, how's that for creepy?!). He and his buddy were in the Flintstone store watching a football game when I came in. It was bizarre. And there’s no reason for this to BE a FLINTSTONE campground – like, I guess you have to have a gimmick, but it’s the ONLY campground around for MILES. It’s not like it’s around some kiddie amusement park or anything. I just find it very, very, very strange. Creepy. Luckily, a lot of the overflow from the park is ending up down here, so I’m not alone down here in CreepRock.

Anyway, what I saw of the Grand Canyon today is SERIOUSLY unbelievable. SERIOUSLY unbelievable. Jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, incredible. Definitely the pinnacle of my trip so far. And this is kind of a detour! I didn’t think I was going to get to see it, but it was right by my other destination, Sedona, so I thought, "Why not?" I’m really going to enjoy going through the the park tomorrow.

And today, SO freakin’ funny, although, watch me do the same thing tomorrow: Someone had been looking at the view… and looking at the view…. And looking at the view…. And veered over toward the canyon and ran smack into a tree!! THAT’s how amazing this view is. You’re looking, and you can take your eyes off of it. I’m really looking forward to it.

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Posted by Amy Z at October 22, 2007 11:08 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

Nothing interesting...

Day 14 or something like that
Don't know what day it is
Don't know what time it is
More miles than I care to count
More dollars spent on gas than I care to calculate
Somewhere by Pueblo, CO

Alright, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but sometimes this is a pain in the ass. I wish it were easier getting in and out of places with the camper, because I'm kind of giving up on CO and trying to get right into AZ. I'm here, and I should poke around, but with money and time running out (pretty soon I'm going to have to go back to the real world and pay some monthly bills, which means I won't have the money to do this anymore), I'm headed straight for the one place I really wanted to go: Arizona. Never been, and am excited to go.

But that means a lot of traveling, and a lot of traveling is a pain. If I could have more than two days in one place that would be fantastic. I think I'm actually going to do three days by Sedona, then I'm headed to Arkansas to visit friends and relatives there, and will be there for at least three days, as well. Hopefully that will offer me the much needed break before heading home. I was thinking about home a lot today -- I can't wait to be home, but am trying to enjoy every minute I'm out here, too, because I'll be longing to get back out on the road, I'm sure, after I'm home for about three days. It's just that dragging around the camper gets to feeling like just that -- dragging it around.

I also don't have TV and am actually beginning to miss it. When I have down time, I can read a book or read online, and sometimes you just feel like doing something other than that. There's not much other than that to do with your down time here.

So, anyway, was headed to Colorado Springs today, and well, I went by the exit. I have been staying in towns with populations of less than 9,000, and when I actually saw real traffic in Denver and Colorado Springs today, it felt WAY too much like home and I just kept on going until the population thinned out a little. LOL  I can't help it!  It makes me feel claustrophobic. I've been enjoying my small town living on this tour, and have avoided major cities like the plague. They're all the same, anyway:  Chain restaurants and stores, zoos, botanical gardens, and museums. Whateva!  I want to meet people and see what's going on in the small towns. I want to see REAL America.

So, I didn't get to go out to eat tonight, but that's okay.

My shitter froze up this morning, too. That was funny. I'll spare you the details, though. Suffice it to say, it was a little amusing.

It was 66 degrees when I got to Pueblo, so it thawed out just fine. It's going to down into the 30's tonight, and is supposed to be in the 20's in Durango, my next destination. I just got more propane, though, so I'm good. Heading into AZ and NM, it will be warmer, but the nights can still be cool in the desert, so I'll still need the furnace. It's just going to be nice getting out of the progressively cooler weather up north to see some warmer days, though.

Again -- I will write everyone back who has written me. However, it will have to be on the nights that I don't post, because both take a few hours to get done, and when I'm doing a lot of driving, it's just tough to get everything done and handled. Some nights, like tonight, when I'm headed out early and not going anywhere in the meantime, I don't even unhook.

Anyway, without much going on today (I did get on the E-470 around Denver by mistake, and 47 miles and thirty m-f'in bucks in tolls later, I finally got around the city -- that's one of those things I'm likely to post a rant about later somewhere on the internet, it pissed me off, what a ripoff!), I'm going to just post some pics for y'all. I'll be spending tomorrow night, Friday night, in Durango, so hopefully something interesting will happen to tell you about. The drive should be scenic, if nothing else, but I'll be driving from 5 - 7 hours tomorrow. It says 5.5 on mapquest, but every time it seems to take two extra hours when towing the camper on a two-lane road. That's annoying, too. It was supposed to take 2.5 hours to Colorado Springs today, and about four hours later, I was 35 miles south of CO Springs. Everything takes longer -- getting gas, grabbing a bite to eat, DRIVING -- with 3500lbs attached to your vehicle.

This is my drive from Jackson, WY, to Rawlins, WY. I was ecstatic during this drive -- look at this scenery:


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Posted by Amy Z at October 18, 2007 7:55 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

:-(

So, I woke up in the middle of the night last night to the sound of the wind howling through the valley last night the way it whips across the arctic tundra. It was so strong and so loud that I had visions in my half-sleep of the entire planet being shaken by the wind. Oddly, though, it didn't begin to shake the camper until morning -- never a fun thing. The camper seems so vulnerable, and it's not something you think about or consider when you're in your home with a foundation. Also, I always have the urge to grab the cats and get into my truck, because the center of gravity and structure of the unit is so much different with the truck, and I think the wind could blow the camper away and not even begin to pick up the truck. I think our location here on the hillside in the trees kind of sheltered us because I heard the wind more than felt it most of the night, but then I started to worry about a tree falling on the camper. I'm a worry-wart, for sure, and of course it kept me up most of the night, so I'm CRANKIFIED! 

Then, I realized today that The Fort, the restaurant I planned to go to tonight, is in Denver, not Colorado Springs. My boyfriend got confuzzed and told me wrong. However, I found a few restaurants that sound amazing in CS. So, I'm headed south in about an hour and a half. I have to go clean my hot, out-of-shape bod right now. Walk down over the hillside, huff and puff coming back up. Fantastic!

I'm looking forward to heading south. It's been pretty chilly at night for the past week and a half or so, and it will be nice to use the furnace less and open the windows more. I keep joking that I'm going to keep going and just head into Mexico and set up camp on a beach somewhere for the winter. It could happen.

Maybe it SHOULD happen. How fabulous does that sound?!!  That Kenny Chesney song inspires me.... "I'll just sit right here and have another beer in Mexico....." 

I'm telling you right now, if you think what I'm doing now is bohemian.... One of these days I'm truly going to snap and I'm going to head to the beach and sell shell bracelets and necklaces on the beach, live in a bungalow (or a camper!), and just say "screw it" to all conventions.

I need to find a different job. I can't go back to working behind a desk, especially not for someone else. I want to be able to do this (travel) at least a month out of the year, and no where gives you that much vacation. I gotta start my own business or something.

Alright, I'll write later. Gotta go shower. It's snowing lightly here, but the sun is out. Cats are SO cool. What terrific traveling companions. They're so un-opinionated and content.

Magpies and this guy called a "Steller's Jay" out my window.....

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Posted by Amy Z at October 18, 2007 10:15 AM | Add Comment

Drivin' n' Cryin'

October 17, 2007
Day ? (13?)
Miles traveled:  Well over 3,000


You guys!!!!!

Oh, my goodness, I had time the other night to send out some emails, and the love I got back from y'all made me cry tonight!  I'm not kidding you, your comments and thoughts and prayers are all so uplifting, and so kind, and so sweet. It really made me feel good. It made me feel great. The things you all said are SO appreciated.

And, Willie, I love ya, but I'm not going to take a u-turn and take a trip in your pants.

Too freakin' funny!

Also, if I do emails, then I don't have time to do the blog, and vice versa. And, I wanted to get pics up here tonight, but it's late and I'm tired, and that takes the longest, so I'll post them tomorrow. By the looks of the weather here, I might get stranded for another day.

Melissa, I owe you an email, too. I've saved you till last because it will probably be the longest one I write to people, so I wanted to have time for that instead of just throwing something together. I have some good job advice for you, and I wanted to take my time writing it. I will get to that tomorrow.

Anyway, so I'm not really driving and crying, I'm referring to that band from the nineties. But I'm drivin' (and drivin', and drivin', and drivin'), and sometimes I'm crying. Sometimes I'm drinking. But I'm definitely not drinking and driving.

Anyway, a couple things. First of all, I just want to re-iterate, a few people have commented on this, but the name of my blog, AND my camper, is not a reference to anything vulgar. Really. It's not. My primary reason for buying the camper was to be able to bring my cats when I visited my parents. I parked it in their driveway and it was, essentially, the guest quarters. They didn't want me to bring my cats into their house because they already had a cat, and I had, at the time, three cats, two of which needed supervision -- one sick, and one who acted like a toddler. The sick one has since passed away, but I still have two cats and use the camper in my parent's driveway -- in addition to this trip. And the camper is decorated in all pink. So, thus, the "Pink Pussy" part of the Portable Party Palace. It's just about alliteration and a fun name, folks. I'm in marketing, what do you want from me?  If anyone can come up with something less suggestive but just as good, I'd be happy to go with it. The camper is a Coachman, if that helps. It could be like, the Carousing Cartable Coral Kitty Coachman or something. But see?  That's just not quite as catchy. I'd be willing to consider a name change if it's good, though.

Second, my mother gets on my butt when I don't post anything up here. Trust me, if nothing is posted, nothing of significance has happened. The last two days, I've been traveling, nothing terribly interesting has gone on. On Monday, I traveled from Jackson to Rawlins, WY, and stayed overnight there (I'm not driving as far each day, because that seems to be when I run into trouble -- when I really push the mileage). Then, I drove from Rawlins, to Estes Park, CO, yesterday. The drive into Estes from Loveland, CO, yesterday was BREATHTAKING, but I don't have any pics of it, because it was a switchback road that I went 40mph on the whole way and had to keep pulling over to let people around me (with the camper on the back). I thought I was going to head back out that way and I'd take pics, but unfortunately, I just realized I'm not.

The drive from Jackson to Rawlins, WY, was awesome, though. A lot of different terrain and a fabulous day, weather-wise, for it. I'll post some pics tomorrow.

I ended up at a campground called the National Parks Retreat here in Estes which is about 500 feet from the entrance of the Rocky Mountain National Park. I woke up today to elk bugling, which was really cool. Then, as I was having coffee, it started to snow pretty hard. When I finally got into the park, I looked immediately to the left, and saw the elk, but I saw nothing, nada, in the rest of the park. I think the weather and the wind caused a lot of the animals to seek shelter in the trees, and it was kind of a bust. I wanted to see a mountain lion, or some bighorn sheep, or a mountain goat, or, always, a bear. Nothing. So I went into town, got some mexican food, and ended up having a conversation with a woman who was using the restaurant phone to troll for jobs. As I said, I'm quite lonely and starved for conversation, and she and I ended up talking in earnest. Very strange. Not her, just the situation. We all sort of live in our little bubbles, you know?  And I have a tendency sometimes to push the envelope a bit in conversations - I ask hard questions, I state things that make people uncomfortable sometimes. I'm interested in people as people (meaning, I want to know about them, I care about people individually), and although I'll be the first to admit that I'm critical and judgmental, I always find myself suspended in awe prior to succumbing to those bad traits that I possess. This woman.... she was so sweet and so kind.... lived a nomadic, un-ideal, and apparently, from the way she looked, unshowered, life. She was living in a motel room that she paid $20 a night for. She found that the previous tenants were disgusting and said that she and her common law husband had to scrub the tub because it was gross. She had a 12 year old girl who had been molested by her ex-husband, and he was in jail. She said that she had been in the hospital for nodules on her lungs, but her insurance wouldn't approve a PET scan -- which she clearly needed, as she had a history of cancer in her family, but since she was on public assistance, they decided to simply "watch" these nodules.  She explained some female problems she was having in excruciating detail that I could have lived without, which resulted in a hysterectomy. Then, she described how her husband used to walk to the hospital with her because they had no car. But, now they had a car, and she was okay with giving him space, and told me how he'll drop her off at home (at the motel) and go drinking, and that she was okay with that (to which I replied, "Well, why don't you drop him off at the bar, and you take the car home and go get him later -- after all, it's safer if he doesn't drink and drive?"  This did not seem to have occurred to her). Then, she told me about all the jobs she got fired from, and about her church group and how she teaches Sunday school. And that she was going to be a grandmother to her husband's 19 year old son's new baby with his 16 year old girlfriend. I asked her how old she was, and she said she was 37. That just seems like a lot going on for 37. And I just marveled at the incongruencies in her story -- living in a motel but finding the cleanliness of the previous tenants to be unsatisfactory.... the desire to work but continually getting fired.... the poverty level lifestyle combined with her comments about attending Broncos games quite frequently.... the church going mentality but being okay with her husband going out drinking... with the car. I didn't know whether to feel badly for her or pat her on the back for enjoying her life despite what I would consider un-ideal living conditions. And she asked to borrow my phone, which I gladly handed over... and listened to her loving, LOVING conversation with her husband, and how she told him that she missed him and loved him (they had been apart for about three hours), and then she called him "babycakes," which I frequently call my own boyfriend. She was more loving to her husband than my boyfriend and I are to each other. This all unfolded because I was dying for someone to talk to... and I just felt like.... are we more alike than different?  More different than alike?  Separated by income?  Separated by education?  Or united merely just by existing?  I rode the bus in Pittsburgh and saw glimpses inside lives daily that I wouldn't want to see close up. I also saw, like this particular situation, the lives of people who seemed a lot less fortunate than me but who seemed to have a lot more figured out about life than I did. I came away without judging, for once, and feeling grateful to have met her. She didn't seem to want a different situation in her life. She wasn't embarrassed about anything - not that she should have been, but sometimes people perceive that you live differently than them, and get self-conscious. She wasn't, at all, and I'd like to think that one of the reasons why she wasn't is because I treated her the way I'd treat anyone -- as an equal. She was simply living the only way she knew how. And she seemed to know more about love than I did. I think I may have known more about jobs, education, and not getting a DUI than she did, but I think she could have -- and did -- teach me a thing or two about being loving and accepting people for who they are, and loving them unconditionally.

Ya hear me screaming, Scott?!

So, that was interesting. I love random encounters with people I don't know. Especially when they enlighten me.

So, then, I walked down the street, and saw a body shop that offered chair massages. I woke up in the middle of the night last night in excruciating pain, even after my massage on Sunday. I'm really having problems with my upper back, and actually got a chair massage today by a guy who was not just professional in manner but also, miracle of miracles, sane. (I forgot to tell you all that the guy from the other day kept referring to the blanket on me as the "blankie," and also talked about his "doggie" and told me, "I love doggies!"  Not bad, just strange.)  Anyway, this guy was a bit taken aback with the state of my upper back. I hold all my tension there, then the driving is just making it worse. I have a death grip on the steering wheel, you know?  I'm really in some pain. I told him that I either needed a muscle relaxant or I needed to smoke some pot with someone to relax. (Don't get upset, mom... I'm kidding..... sort of). It's killing me. I've never had pain like this. So, I need some type of solution, because it's not going to get better. And I've figured out the rest of my path for this trip, and I'm not going to be home for at least another 10 days.

So, here's where I'm headed:  Tomorrow, I'm leaving Estes Park and I'm going to head to Colorado Springs. My boyfriend wants me to go to Vail and Aspen, and I'd love to go, but even though I'm sure the scenery is beautiful, I'm going to want to shop, and I can't afford to be shopping right now. My main priority is seeing the country, not shopping, anyway. I can get anything that those shops offer online, anyway. So, my boyfriend told me to go eat at the The Fort in Colorado Springs. I'm going to try to get there early tomorrow so I can see a little bit of Colorado Springs -- I'll likely go to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame or something. Then I'll go get a yummy meal - twist my arm, ya know?  Then, I'm headed to Durango just for the night, then I'm going to do Sedona, AZ. I've been wanting to go there for YEARS. So, that's a priority, then I'll head through Albuquerque & Santa Fe, NM, and then into Amarillo, TX, through OK, and into AR to go see my friends and aunt and uncle in Fayetteville/Rogers area in AR. Shona Poopypants, I'm coming to see ya!  I'd love to do San Antonio and Austin, TX, and see some friends there, but I'm going to have to skip it for now. Maybe in the spring (yeah, in the spring with a new camper!). Also, my friends in the Charlotte area that I wanted to see, too, during this trip, are going to have to wait unless I get a windfall here soon.

So, I'll probably be gone for a little while longer. Might spend three days in Sedona and three days in AR. It's wild. I thought I was being dramatic by saying that I'd be gone a month, and thought that I could see the country in 2 weeks. Yeah, not so much. You absolutely canNOT see the country in even three weeks. No way. I felt like I rushed through the towns in Wyoming that I was in, but at the same time, I felt like I was in Wyoming FOREVER and couldn't wait to get to CO. But, I only saw a fraction of Cody, a fraction of Jackson, and a fraction of Yellowstone.

I'm in a campground here in CO, too, that's pretty amazing. I'm on the side of a freakin' MOUNTAIN, and it was a little tough getting the camper into where I am. I first went the wrong way and had to back up and turn around on a rough, narrow, steep dirt road. Now, I'm on the hillside and have this sensation of rolling or falling off at night when I'm in bed. I've got chocks on either side of my wheels on the camper, but it's just.... It just feels like bad things could happen if you don't know what you're doing. And Lord knows, I'm just learning all this stuff.

When I went to go take a shower today (I usually use the shower houses provided at the campgrounds instead of trying to take a 6 gallon hot water shower in my camper -- that's enough if you're a guy, but not if you're a girl -- plus, I don't want to use my propane on the water heater when I need it for the furnace), I had to walk up the hill to get back to the camper. I'm out of shape, folks, but I pray to GOD that it's the altitude that made me huff and puff coming back up. If I'm that out of shape, just shoot me now.

Also, I wanted to mention, this blows my mind -- coming from cities where $.25 gets you 8 minutes of metered parking, I wanted to tell you that Cody, Jackson, and now, in Estes Park -- FREE parking. No metered parking, not even in upscale Jackson. I guess in the wide open spaces out here, parking isn't at a premium, and it's a surprising mindshift that you don't have to pay for it. I'm very used to paying to park. I just thought that was an interesting observation about something that you wouldn't normally be thinking about encountering on a trip like this.

Oh, crap, people. I just looked out and it's snowing like HELL. It's okay, I guess, it's supposed to be 60 degrees on Friday, so I'll be able to get out of here. Geez. I don't know, though. I didn't plan to stay another day. Hmmm. We'll see, I guess.

I'll post pics tomorrow. It's kind of starting to get old, because it's just scenery. I'll try to find someone to take a picture of me somewhere.

You all have a good night, and let's hope I don't wake up to a foot of snow tomorrow. Although being stranded somewhere for one more night might not be a bad thing!

Take care!

Amy Z << MORE >>
Posted by Amy Z at October 17, 2007 9:56 PM | Add Comment

A Little Road Fatigue :-(

Day 11
Pooped, mentally and physically
2452 miles driven
Jackson Hole, WY

Howdy. So, had a beautiful drive over here yesterday, but have been feeling "out of sorts" lately. While driving, I kind of tend to zone out and forget where I am and what I'm doing. I'm averaging over 220 miles a day, even if some days I go 700 miles, and some, like today, I just drive around town. It's just fatiguing, doing the whole unhook, hook up the hoses (sewer and water), electric, put the steps down, turn on the gas and furnace, then the next day, unhook everything, turn everything off, and hook back up to the truck. Like I said before -- it's not hard, it's just doing all of it by yourself, and driving, and being mentally alert constantly. I'm also always on guard since I'm traveling alone.

Jackson is a cool little town. I am not getting to do a lot of the things I would love to do out here, because it's kind of off-season. I'd love to go horseback riding, white water rafting, things like that. I might be able to do that as I head south, but I honestly don't know how long my money is going to last or how far I'm going to go. Today I kind of splurged a little because I'm a little homesick, and a little lovesick, and my body is just TENSE from everything that's happened, and from all the driving. I wanted to take a nap, actually, but couldn't bring myself to actually do that, because it was such a beautiful day and I wanted to enjoy it. However, I ended up being in a dark room for a little while, anyway.

I got a massage.

That's extremely indulgent, I realize, but it was just what the doctor ordered. Until you've driven this many miles and done everything yourself, you won't really understand how I felt. "Out of sorts" sums it up perfectly. Kinda lonely, a little lost, definitely tired, and without much motivation or direction for the next step. When I realized that it was a massage that I needed, I also realized how much good it would do me.

However, finding a place to get one in the off season on a Sunday was a challenge. I called almost every place in Jackson, to no avail. So, I'm wandering through some shops, and I was lamenting to a woman who owned a store named "Leslie."  She was SO kind to me, and I was just looking for someone to talk to -- I feel a little isolated, and am starting to talk to strangers in earnest to the point where they're looking for a way out when I corner them and tell them everything about me. So, anyway, as I was talking to this woman -- and intending to buy nothing, I might add -- my phone rang, and one of the massage places I had called had called me back, even though I left no message. This woman named Olga with the thickest accent told me that I could come in. I was tickled, but I wasn't sure I had actually made an appointment, because between my hearing loss and her accent, I wasn't sure what the hell was actually said, really. However, I heard "three o'clock" and went to the location at that time, and sure enough, I had an appointment. Olga told me that my appointment was with "Dana" and I was like, "Oh, good, it's a woman."  The best massage I ever had was from a man, but I'm just more comfortable with women.

So, when I walked in, this older man (who looked like one of the muppets, but the particular muppet's name escapes me right now), probably in his early 60's, greets me and asks me if I'm Amy. "I am," I said. He said, "I'm Dana."  DAMN!!! Those names that can be male or female always get me. However, I wasn't upset, as I like getting massages by men, they're stronger, and I was feeling so rotten that I wanted to get a good one today.

We chatted for a minute, and the next thing I know, he actually plopped down with me and starting talking about RV'ing. It seems that my new friend Dana LIVES in his RV, driving it to work then driving to the outskirts of Jackson every night to set up camp for free. He endorsed different heating systems that are apparently much more efficient than my forced heat system (shame on me!), and also waxed eloquently - and extensively --  on the benefits of using solar panels. Fine, dude. Shut up and gimme my massage.

He happened to mention his "house" being in disarray, and he absolutely struck me as the messy type. As such, I didn't expect him to be particularly careful about modesty, which, he wasn't, but not in a sexual or harassing or weird-vibe-y way. There were no weird vibes about Dana; he was just weird, so there were no vibes about it. The dude did not pretend to be normal. He proceeded to give me one of the best massages of my life, dropping the F-bomb throughout and even relieving himself of some troublesome gas by way of his sphincter once, to which I did not react at all, and thanked heavens that my face was firmly faced down at the time. Yoy.

This guy liked to talk. It's a good thing I've been lonely and actually didn't mind. Normally I like silence when getting a massage, but this guy had some good RV'ing tips, was somewhat entertaining, and was pretty good at the massage, so I forgave the chatter. He rattled on and on about the government, talked about being an anarchist, and then told me his only monthly bill -- and thus his only real monthly expense -- was his cell phone. I applaud and admire anyone who lives simply, but he also told me that he took the toilet out of his RV -- because it takes up too much space and because there are toilets "everywhere" -- and that he uses the shower for storage. There aren't showers "everywhere," people. So I began to wonder if it was a good idea, after all, to let him touch me.

I truly did feel much better after the massage, but as usual, my antennae were up, and I am rarely wrong about my gut instincts about a person. I couldn't make up my mind if he was a hippy, holistic, or just plain old nuts, but ultimately decided that he was a little of each. I think he was harmless, but I also wasn't giving an inch because people like that try to take a mile. And true to my intuition, as soon as I paid, he said, "Hey, I'm going to go grab some chinese food. You want to join me?  I'll buy."  I politely but firmly told him, "No, thank you," and left promptly. I appreciate how nice people have been to me on this trip, and I appreciate the things the two random men I've closely encountered have done for me, but I'm not only drawing firm boundaries, I'm locking doors and windows, loading my gun, and taking no shit.

I hate to be negative and suspicous about people, but I just can't take any risks. I could really find myself in a bad situation if I let my guard down. Anyway, I THINK I'm headed to Dubois, WY tomorrow because my boyfriend likes the town. He wants me to see it. They have a Bighorn Sheep organization there along with some tours, so I might do that because Bighorn sheep are cool. Other than that, I think I have to get my other three camper wheels greased, or repacked, whatever you call it -- the rims are heating up while I'm traveling, and that's not really supposed to be happening (I know, MORE freakin' repairs, it's killing me!). Other than that, I have NO agenda. If anyone wants to suggest a destination in WY or CO, I'm up for hearing it. My first real destination was Cody, my second was Yellowstone, and my third was Jackson. After that, it's kind of up in the air. I have a few places I want to see in CO, and I definitely want to do Sedona, AZ, if I can. Other than that.... I have no idea. It depends on the money, and where my boyfriend and I are about things. It's producing the desired result between us, though. He really misses me, and I just want to be home with him. So, hopefully, in pulling back, it will help us to right the ship and point it in the right direction. We just needed a little time and space from each other. It would be easy to give in now and go home, but I think I'm going to stick it out, just so we get the clear perspective that we each need. I think, at this point, after two weeks have gone by, a person starts to miss old habits and wants to go back to doing them. I don't want to get sucked in by that, and want to actually get perspective, and I want to make sure that Scott and I are both sure about what we want and what we're doing, and that we've sufficiently processed the things that we needed to process. So, I know I need to stay gone, at the very least, another week. I don't want to come home until at least the week of the 21st, and if I could stay longer, I would. I'm not sure I'll be able to. Money has become a real issue. Gas is still the major expense, although I went out for a nice dinner last night and got a massage today. That took a decent chunk out. I'm trying to be conservative with my spending, and I have been, but I'm craving creature comforts, especially because I'm lonely, fatigued, and a little stressed out.

I had a buffalo filet last night for dinner. Good, but not outstanding. So far, the restaurants I've gone to -- at this point, few and far in between -- haven't blown me away. I'd like to be trying several places in town to get a feel for the restaurant scene, but can't afford to, so I'm just picking one that should be good and going with it. Eating out is one of my favorite things to do, but I've found that I don't miss it, because as I said, it's sometimes a waste of money. A lot of money for a mediocre meal. Finding a good restaurant is a crapshoot sometimes, and even the reputable ones sometimes don't measure up to my high standards. I'm craving variety, though, because I sure didn't bring much. I didn't bring any perishables, because I wasn't sure how consistently I'd have electric, and was afraid they'd perish. And with the trouble I'm having with my fridge, I'm probably not going to bother to buy any, either.

I think if I had to pick between Cody and Jackson, I'd probably pick Cody. Cody had more soul, but Jackson is more scenic. But there are too many tourists in Jackson, even in the off season. I know Cody gets quite a few, too, but the town had more authentic flavor. I was sitting at the bar at the Silver Dollar Grill here in Jackson eating last night, and these two girls beside me had caught the bartender's eye and he offered to buy them drinks so they would stay. He said, "Where do you girls go to school?"  "Pitt," they answered. "We're here doing an internship."  I looked over at the them and laughed, and said, "Trust me, that bartender has NO idea what 'Pitt' even is, let alone where it is, but I do. I worked there for 5 1/2 years."  So, I connected with girls from "home."  The one girl was from Conneaut Lake, and the other girl was from Rochester, NY. When I told her that I used to live in Rochester, she gave me one of those looks like, "Yeah, sure you did."  It did seem like I was one of those people who has done everything brought up in conversation, just to one-up everyone else. But I did live in Rochester. You know?  What can I say?  It's true. So then they saw my Steelers PNC bank card when I paid, so I think they at least believed that I was from PA. It's kind of funny. When you're desperate for conversation, you imagine that people don't really want to talk to you, and you get self-conscious. Meanwhile, they probably said, "Oh, that girl was really nice," and I walked away feeling like a big dork.

Despite how I've felt today (and last night), I feel pretty grateful and privileged for being able to do this. No matter how far I get (or don't get!) or when I have to go home, I'm doing something not a lot of people do. It's a good experience, and every time I overcome an obstacle or figure out a problem, I get a surge of self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment. I really feel that I'm expanding my skills, even if it is just hooking or unhooking a sewer hose. It feels a little like "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."  I'm hooking and unhooking a sewer hose, but I'm learning life lessons and figuring out my beliefs and shaping my life by doing so. I know my friend Matt will make fun of this, but my life will never be the same after this.

My encounter with the freaky massage therapist today, too -- I had to laugh. Every time I travel, it's never about the sights or doing the tourist-y things, but always ends up being about the encounters I have and the things I take with me when I leave. This guy inspired me to keep going, and made me considering living in a camper and traveling around. He was interesting -- among other things.

So, anyway, here's what you've all been waiting for - pictures!!

These first two pics are for my friend Melissa, who gave me Monet. Melissa cracked me up the other day by comparing Monet in my pictures to the pictures of the garden gnome all over the world. There's no background in these pictures except for the camper, but she sure looks cute here, anyway. Monet is half Persian, so that's why she's got that little smushed-in face. She's so cute!

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Posted by Amy Z at October 14, 2007 9:32 PM | View Comments (5) | Add Comment

:-) Lovin' my adventure.....!

Friday, October 12, 2007
Day 9

Slept like a freakin' baby last night. Sleep is important, because I'm going all day, whether it's driving or sight seeing or working and doing some type of maintenance on my "rig". And I need to be alert when I'm towing the camper -- with two animals in my truck -- so, it's important to be well-rested and on my toes. So, that was the start of a pretty durned good day.

Had one of the most fabulous breakfasts I've ever had in my years of eating breakfast, too!  At the Running Bear restaurant here in West Yellowstone -- eggs, hash browns, bacon, and wheat toast with strawberry jam. Gave me enough energy to drive 160 miles in Yellowstone today!

But first, here's a glimpse of what I'm driving and where I'm staying:

My "rig"

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Posted by Amy Z at October 12, 2007 10:39 PM | View Comments (4) | Add Comment

NOW I'm havin' fun.....!

Hey, everyone!

Okay, it's day 8. I meant to get the mileage off of my truck before I turned in for the night, and I forgot. I also keep forgetting to get pics of the side of my camper for you. I'm also going to take interior pictures so you can all see my digs for this trip. I'm set up pretty well, and got all kinds of supplies before I left, and I really seemed to do pretty well covering all the angles for never having done this before. I've got a lot of good supplies and tools with me that have served me well throughout the trip. Duct tape can, after all, fix anything.

So, finally, things are going pretty well. People keep saying, "Well, you got all the kinks worked out..." and I'm not sure that's the case. It's difficult to anticipate what can go wrong, but at least I've done what I can for the time being. I slept well, which practically never happens, then got up early, and went to the repair shop to get three new tires on my camper, and ended up putting front brakes on my truck, too. This did not upset me as it's part of the SAFETY priority I've got going on. I'll just have to get a job ASAP upon returning home so I can pay for everything I bought for my safety (I really think I need a new pair of ostrich boots -- just to be on the safe side, you know?!!  You never know when you might need a pair!).Got an oil change, and was on my way. I love getting my truck fixed in small towns out west. They have all the parts in stock, and there's never a wait. This fix took the longest, and it was only about an hour and 20 minutes. I spent $391 on it, but the peace of mind is worth it.

I haven't, by the way, spent a friggin' penny on souvenirs or anything like that. Not even a damn magnet. I've had other things on my mind. I did find a bead shop in Cody where they'd make necklaces and bracelets according to your specs, and don't you know, they had camper charms. I was tempted, but the bottom line was, I'd probably never wear it.

Anyway, when I was getting the camper and truck worked on, I kind of felt bad. I didn't know what to do with the cats. No matter where I put them, they'd have been like, "What the hell??!" So, I figured leaving both of them in one carrier in the truck was probably the best. They'd be together, they'd be secured, and I didn't think they'd have much commotion in the truck. Yeah, right, because all kinds of power tools don't freak out cats. The truck was on the lift in the garage for an hour. You know my cats were pissed. When I got in the truck they looked at me like, "Thanks a lot, shithead." 

So, anyway, then I headed west (again, still!) and through the Shoshone National Forest west of Cody, WY, and then headed into Yellowstone. I didn't know what I was in store for in Yellowstone, and ended up being SO excited about all the animal encounters. It's like being IN the Discovery Channel. About a mile into Yellowstone, this is what I saw:

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Posted by Amy Z at October 11, 2007 10:38 PM | View Comments (3) | Add Comment

P.S.

Pictures are coming tomorrow. I promise!
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Posted by Amy Z at October 11, 2007 12:33 AM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

Day 7, Havin' Fun

October 10, 2007
Cody, Wyoming
1,924 miles traveled
Money spent on gas:  $708
Money spent on repairs:  $189
Money spent on lodging:  $140
Money spent on food:  $83


So, today, I finally had some time to myself. Now, it wasn't actually to myself, mind you. I had to run to Wal-mart to get some supplies, and I had to figure out a couple things on my camper - namely, the water heater, and also, trying to figure out how to drain the fresh water tank before I get into territory where it may freeze. The manual they give you is generic and applies to several models, so sometimes it's a search mission to find the right valve or where to light the pilot. None of it is difficult; it's just that I haven't had time to actually sit down and figure it all out. Today, I did.

However, that didn't leave me much time to go through the Buffalo Bill Museum. It has 5 wings -- one on Buffalo Bill Cody, one on the Indians, one on the natural history of this area, one on western art, and they also currently have a firearms exhibition. I had heard it was fabulous and almost skipped it, and only had time to go through the section on Buffalo Bill and the Indians today -- passes are good for two days -- but went, and I have to say, it was worth it. I would like to go through the rest of it tomorrow, but am supposed to head out to Yellowstone. But, according to who, you know?  I've been racing against weather and time. Most of the campgrounds in and around Yellowstone are either already closed or close by the 15th. Jackson, too. However, I found two campgrounds that are open longer, so I could stay here in Cody longer without compromising how long I want to stay in those two areas. I'm not sure what to do. My boyfriend brought up the point that there's not really a whole lot more to see in Cody, and that's true, but I like it here, and I feel safe, and I'm still not fully well rested after all the driving and upheaval I've had.

After the flat tire incident, my boyfriend and I were a bit dubious about the tire and rim, since that's the second time in a month that that particular tire has blown. So, he told me to keep an eye on the rim -- feel it, see if it felt hot. So, as I left out of Buffalo, WY, I was stopping periodically to just check the tires and also to check the rim felt hot. Right outside of Worland, WY, don't you know, I felt the rim, and it was almost too hot to touch. I was like, "Sonuvabitch!!!"  I couldn't believe that I was again having yet another problem. At that point, I just decided, "Fuck it. I'm stopping, and I'm getting it looked at."  My safety is the most important thing. I just don't care anymore what it costs or what it entails. I just want it fixed.

Turned out it wasn't more than the wheel just needing greased. But I made them take the whole thing apart and check it out, and they they greased it and put in a new seal. It worked great, but set me back about 90 minutes. I didn't care. And while I was at the repair shop, the guy fixing the wheel told me the other three tires on the camper were dry-rotted, which I sort of knew. However, someone pointing it out to me made me pro-active. I said, "You got that tire in stock?  You got three of 'em?? Put 'em on."  They didn't have it in stock, so when I made it to Cody, I unhooked the trailer and set up, and tomorrow morning, I have an appointment at Rimrock Tire to get three new tires put on the camper, I'm getting the oil changed in my truck, and I'm getting the brakes checked on my truck, too. I'm just not dealing with any more bullshit. I'm gonna be on top of this shit. I just don't even care how much it costs, I'm busting out my credit card. Whatever might possibly become a problem, I'm fixing and having checked out before it becomes a problem.

It's windy here tonight -- it's unsettling in a camper. I'm sure I'll be okay, but it's wild to be in a camper and have it rock the way it is.

So, anyway, the town of Cody is great -- great shops, friendly people. I had a really good time tonight at a little bar called the Irma. Met this woman named Petra, from Germany, but has lived in Cody for a while. She gave me the scoop on where to go in Yellowstone and what route to take over there, then she introduced me to some of the locals and we just had beers. It was good. I enjoyed myself, but came home before it got too late or I drank too much. I just can't seem to drink much anymore without feeling terrible the next day. Trying to tow a camper while hungover would be a horrible thing, too, so I didn't want to do that. I had a great time with her, though. Fun lady.

I really like it here and might actually stay another night. There's some shopping in town that I haven't gotten to, plus there's a couple other things I'd like to see in addition to finishing up the museum. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do. Will probably decide that when I'm up in the middle of the night due to my ever-present insomnia.

I feel like this entry is kind of boring, but I wanted to get something up here since I sort of skipped last night. However, once again -- fatigue is setting in, i fight it constantly, because even though none of this is difficult, I'm doing it all on my own, I'm not sleeping well, and driving hours and hours a day is a bitch. So, I'll make the decision overnight or tomorrow as to whether or not to stay, and I'll adjust my repair shop appointment as necessary, and I'll write something infinitely more interesting tomorrow.

And again, thanks to everyone for the comments. I will respond to everyone individually, hopefully tomorrow. I just have been driving, doing, or sleeping. I haven't had enough time to do that, but I will. Thanks again.

Hope everyone is well, and thanks for your interest in my trip.


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Posted by Amy Z at October 10, 2007 11:49 PM | Add Comment

Finally! A good day!

Okay, I am tired and a little jubilant, too jubilant to write!  I had a great day -- not because I didn't have anything go wrong -- on the contrary, actually. But, I have gotten proactive about things, and am on top of everything at this point. I'll elaborate in the morning. Right now, I just need a good night's sleep and to linger over coffee in the morning instead of getting up and heading out!  I have been driving, driving, driving, then stay over for one night, then drive, drive, drive. It's day six, and I have FINALLY gotten to my first actual targeted destination:  Cody, WY. It's fabulous!  I've had a great time here today, and I'm staying another night. Shopping is fantastic, and I had a great meal for dinner. Kitties are happy, and we're going to get our bearings, fix the camper and maintain the truck, clean, get organized, and do a few more touristy things. Life is good right now.

I will give you details tomorrow and post pictures -- in the morning! I've got what I need to post pics and I'll be in a less lazy mood in the morning. Right now, I'm grateful, happy, feeling adventurous, and am fat and satisfied after the meal I had.

Thanks again for all the well-wishes. It's motivating, inspiring, and very, very much appreciated.
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Posted by Amy Z at October 9, 2007 10:29 PM | View Comments (1) | Add Comment

More Drama

Day 5
Monday, October 8, 2007
Buffalo, WY

Well, first of all, I just want to say thanks to everyone for their comments. You've buoyed my spirits and made me feel like I'm really doing something cool. Right now, though, I feel a little overwhelmed and beat up.

I passed by Mt. Rushmore today. It was fine. Just like in all the pictures. I'm a bad tourist. I find a lot of tourist-y things quite boring because it looks just like it does in pictures that I've seen and on tv. So, I don't find the need to "oooh" and "ahhh" over that stuff or take zillions of pictures. I prefer to mingle with locals and check out local haunts and get the authentic feel and flavor of the areas I'm visiting. So, I literally just passed by Mt. Rushmore today. Waved at it. You can see it from the road, so why pay $8 to go in?!  LOL  I was kind of a hurry to get into Wyoming and I'm still racing the onset of winter weather. Things are okay here now, in the 60's during the day, but dropping down into the mid-30's at night. So, I want to get through here before the winter weather comes to stay.

I actually found the landscape around Mt. Rushmore much more appealing than the actual monument. The Black Hills are beautiful. I took pictures, and have figured out how to upload them to this blog, but still don't have the cord to download the pics from the camera to my computer. Next stop, in Cody, I'm going to look up a Radio Shack and get one, so be patient, they're coming. I also saw Crazy Horse today -- in my rear view mirror -- again, these things were not my reason for being, they were kind of side attractions on this trip. My real focus is Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Those are the places I'm excited about seeing. After what happened today (more on that in a second!), I'm definitely eliminating California from my itinerary. I think I'm focusing on the "alternate" itinerary, provided my money holds out and nothing bad happens again.

I was debating which route to go to Cody, WY, on. You can take 90 west to Sheridan and cross the Bighorn Mountains to the north on route 14, or you can get on 16 in Buffalo and head across the mountains to the south. There are signs that say that 16 is "faster," "safer," and "easier" than the northern route. I was told by the campground that I stayed at in Deadwood, SD, to go the northern route, but when I saw the "faster, safer, easier" signs, I got off in Buffalo and decided to go rt. 16.

As I'm going through town, I notice a cop with his lights on in back of me. I'm going, "Me??  ME???"  Why the hell would a cop be behind ME??  I'm totally legal, from head to toe, and completely outfitted with everything I need. There was no reason for a cop to be pulling me over. I didn't even miss a TURN SIGNAL.

So, I pull over, and the cop comes up to me and says, "So, uh, did you know you had a flat on the camper??"  I just looked at him. I wanted to say something fun and clever like, "Yeah, dude, I like driving around with a flat. What??"  But, of course, he took me by such surprise that what came out of my mouth was something more like, "No, you've got to be f*cking sh*tting me?!?!"  He goes, "Yeah, you sure do. You're down to the rim back there and it's sparking and smoking so bad I thought it was going to catch on fire. I've had people calling in about you all over town." 

My heart sunk.

I didn't hear a thing. I didn't feel a thing. And, I didn't see anyone waving at me or pointing or trying to get my attention. It concerns me in case it happens again. I can't see the camper wheels on the right side with my mirrors. I can see the wheels on the driver's side, but not on the right side. I didn't let on to the cop, but was near tears when I got out of the truck. When you're alone and new to all of this and things aren't going well, it can be overwhelming.

I got out and looked at the tire. Well, what was left of it. The tire was completely ripped off the rim and wrapped around the axle. SHREDS were hanging off the rim. The rim was all bent and busted up. The wheel well and plastic panel above the wheel were broken and cracked and ripped off. And there was black marks all over the side of the camper. I felt deflated, kinda like my tire.

Luckily, I brought a spare. 

However, using the spare meant buying another one, to the tune of about $120. I was lucky, nothing bad happened, and I was in a town, and the cop and another guy changed the tire for me and directed me to a tire company that provided me with a spare (at the above cost, of course) and they checked my tire pressure and made sure I was good to go. So, I got taken care of quickly, again, but spent a bit more money this time. However, there was a KOA campground down the road, so I decided to stay in Buffalo tonight, and am going to walk to a steakhouse that's about a stone's throw from here for dinner tonight. But I'm SO dismayed about the flat, and I'm also getting paranoid and a little freaked out about all the problems. I didn't think that I was going to travel this far without incident, but I didn't think the incidents would be so early on and so frequent. It's unnerving. You know?  If I had to actually assess what's going on here, I wouldn't attribute it to karma or blame God or anything like that. I'd say, this is a 10 year old camper that maybe wasn't up to the trip. I keep joking that I'm going to trade this camper in along the way. Who knows -- it could happen!  I'm just at a point where I'm not trusting it. My truck has been fabulous. Runs like a top. It's a workhorse. The camper.... It's so comfortable inside, but mechanically and structurally, not so sound. I'm also concerned because over Labor Day weekend the exact same tire went flat on the camper, so I'm concerned it's something inherent in that wheel.

This morning, I tried to light the water heater, and there was something about it that I just didn't like. The fire right underneath my closet just wasn't sitting well with me. The next thing I know, I heard this loud BAM!!  I jumped sky high, ran towards the back of the camper, and looked, and I hadn't shut the door securely when I went outside to light the pilot on the water heater, and the wind blew the door open and up against the side of the camper. It was nothing, but I'm jumpy, I'm nervous. I'm also having issues with the refrigerator, nothing major, just annoying. When I unplug from the electric, it tries to switch over to gas and ignite. Well, the gas is turned off except at night when I run the furnace. So, you know, it's no big deal, but the "check" light keeps coming on, and I have to reset it. It shouldn't try to switch to gas unless I manually switch it, so it's just another thing to annoy me and deal with. I'm sick of dealing with major and minor crises daily. I just want to enjoy my trip!

On the plus side, the Bighorn Mountains are exquisite. I went past Gillette, WY, and immediately saw them when I got on the other side of Gillette. So beautiful, snow-capped and majestic. There were antelope EVERYWHERE on the way in today, and I also saw a dead turtle alongside the road (?!?!). I've also seen a couple of dead coyotes. I keep showing Princess -- she wants to get out, BADLY, and I keep telling her she doesn't want out as bad as she thinks she does!  She'd be coyote bait!  It makes me shudder to think about that.

Anyway, I'm actually WALKING to a restaurant tonight, and I want to get over there before it gets too dark. It's just a stone's throw away, and again, I don't want to unhook the truck since I'm only here at this site for mere hours.

Again, thanks for everyone's well wishes. I feel a little downtrodden, and I needed to hear those things. I just feel extreme vulnerability. I wanted to make it to Cody today, and I was going to stay two nights just to feel a little secure somewhere. So, that didn't happen. I just feel like I need to set up camp somewhere and feel just a little security before moving on.

Talk to y'all later!



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Posted by Amy Z at October 8, 2007 8:03 PM | View Comments (5) | Add Comment

Day 4, Safe

Okay, about $500 spent on gas so far, about 1476 miles traveled. I'm in Deadwood, SD, and I'm not so impressed with the town as I am impressed with the KOA campground I'm in. I'm not a fan of chains or gates across entrances ANYWHERE, of ANY kind, but I have to admit, I feel quite safe here after last night. I'm SO relieved. And, if you judge the size of a crisis by the price it costs to fix it, as I do, then last night was not quite the crisis I thought it was. Although I was scared by 1) the weather, 2) the damage to the camper, and 3) Creepy Van Guy beside me, when all was said and done, I spent about 40 minutes this morning at the Triple H truck stop in Murdo, SD, getting my camper fixed, and they put the metal piece back on the side and then screwed it in all down the side and siliconed anything that might leak. That sucker ain't never coming off again, although the other side might!  They also fixed a couple leaks on the roof -- apparently that storm did a little damage last night. I was SO worried about how much it was going to cost and if I was going to have to cut my trip short. They handed me the bill. $26.50. They sheepishly looked at me and said, "Is that okay??" really tentatively. I looked at them, pursed my lips like I was being serious but really was trying to keep from laughing, and said, "Yeah, I guess that'll be all right."  I wanted to HUG them!!  Coming from the city, I anticipated being there until noon with a bill of $350 or so. I was ecstatic. Although I didn't let them know how cheap I thought the fix was, I did say, "You just saved a damsel in distress," and promptly filled my truck up with gas there. And now, I'm telling the world, frequent the Triple H Truck Stop in Murdo, SD, if you happen to be in the area. I know that's a long shot in and of itself, but I recommend them wholeheartedly. My boyfriend said to me, "How much do you think they're going to charge you?" and I said, "Well, not over $250, because that's my deductible," but as they were working on it and I watched what they were doing, I sensed that it could be cheaper, in the $75 range or so.... .or even less. My dad was a mechanic in a small town and I know how these things go -- especially when you're a woman alone (today, it worked in my favor -- last night, not so much!). I just sort of sensed after this fix got going that I wouldn't spend as much on it as I would have in the city. I'm grateful. Town of Murdo, thank you. It was a much-needed relief after a stressful evening.

And I ran into Creepy Van Guy this morning, too!  I told him my mom called the cops and he didn't seem to know they were around. You know, the thing about something like this is, you just never know what you may have prevented by being strong and smart. You don't know what COULD HAVE happened when it didn't. Better safe than sorry. I thanked him again for his help and left. In the daytime, without the storms, he wasn't as intimidating or scary. I still didn't like the van, though.

So, anyhoo, I'm in the KOA Campground in Deadwood, SD, and I'm feeling SO much better, so much more relaxed. My camper was a muddy mess after last night being out in the storm and running in and out of the camper -- and not caring about what I was tracking in there. So, I got here, had some coffee to warm me up and calm me down, and cleaned my camper, which made me feel more organized and less scattered, too. I think I've decided to hit Mt. Rushmore tomorrow and then head to Cody, WY. I'll then spend two nights in Cody. I went down into Deadwood tonight for dinner -- just wings, I was in the mood for bar food. The town is a tourist trap, but I kind of connected with the bartender at the Saloon #10. He bought my drinks and did a shot with me. I came back to my camper after that, I wasn't out to drink much, just to have dinner, talk to some locals, and relax, which I've done precious little of on this trip so far (Iowa, yes, but until I get this camper thing down pat, I won't be relaxed). It was good. My boyfriend would probably be upset about the bartender guy, but I'm not lonely, I'm just looking to TALK to someone. I talk to friends and family a lot by phone, but in general, I'm by myself, and it's nice just to talk to someone and try to connect with someone and establish some sense of familiarity when you're traveling by yourself, randomly, pretty much across the entire country. So, you try in whatever way possible to have some kind of "roots."  Of course, because I'm a worry-wart, I then started to worry about this dude slipping roofies in my drinks or whatever, because I'm paranoid and completely untrusting because I've seen EVERYTHING, but at the same time, there's always that urge to connect with others when you're traveling. Alone. So, I did. It was good, and it was nice, and now I'm back in my camper, safe, warm, and with decent weather, a complete 180 from my situation last night. I'm happy. It's funny how life in suburbia with $250 dinners out can give way to being happy with mere survival. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm not rich by any means, but when I work I can afford some decent things, but there's nothing better than simply not worrying about meals, shelter, and safety. That's how I feel right now, and I'm extremely satisfied. I also enjoy how last night's crisis has made me feel stronger, more resilient. Like, I can handle things. I had it coming at me from all directions last night. Dealing with just one crisis at a time from here on out will feel like nothing. And, in going this long and this far, I anticipate having something else go wrong. That's just how it goes. It's going to happen. I'm okay with it, but I don't have to like it.

So, Mt. Rushmore tomorrow, then to Cody, WY. Then Yellowstone, Jackson, and my boyfriend's favorite town in Wyoming, Dubois. Weather is supposed to hold through the week. Sometimes towing my camper is daunting. Sometimes I don't even know it's back there. It's all just a big learning process for me. I've never done any of this before. I will need to learn to unhook and re-hook the camper. I didn't unhook last night, and I'm not unhooking tonight, but eventually I'm going to have to do that.

Also, I went through the Badlands today. It's the first time I've actually SEEN anything other than farmland on this trip!!  It was great. Saw some muledeer and some bighorns, which my boyfriend said was rare. Very cool. Beautiful. A little scary towing the trailer through some of the passes there, which I'm sure I'll see more of as I move through WY and CO. It's you vs. Mother Nature, for sure, and she's majestic, fierce, unpredictable, and unforgiving. I'm learning, but I'm afraid not quickly enough. Your life can be threatened in an instant here, and I'm trying my best to anticipate and be on top of any potential crisis. The one thing I learned yesterday was not to travel past 5pm. If you have an issue when you're traveling after that, you have so little daylight -- and decently warm enough weather -- to deal with it in. I was right up against the storm last night trying to deal with that metal strip coming off. Daylight was fading fast, and the storm was coming in, and I was scared. You know?  So, that won't happen again. Plus, if I had stopped earlier yesterday, when my instincts told me to, I may have never had to deal with that panel coming off the camper AT ALL. Regardless, we're good now, I've learned some lessons, and it won't happen again. Just like me -- learning the hard way. I'm not a person who can listen to someone -- I have to do it and screw it all up, then go, "Okay, I guess I should have listened....."  It's not hard-headedness - it's just the need to scientifically prove things to myself. It's not a bad habit, but it does cause me pain when I don't trust someone else's experience.

Also, I noticed today going through the Badlands that my hitch was making squeaking noises, like it was rubbing. I kept thinking, "Hmm, maybe you need to grease the ball on the hitch."  Got back here, and looked it up in my owner's manual and read that that was definitely not the case. Went and checked my sway bar, and my uncle had tightened it WAY too tight. So, that's just one of those things I'm learning along the way, figuring out for myself, and realizing that men don't always know what they're doing. I'm not dissing my uncle -- I'm just surprised that I knew that and he didn't.

Personal note to Matt:  I noticed that Rapid City had an Olive Garden, but I was sure it was too fancy for what I was doing and skipped it. I would imagine that I'll get to one at some point. I hear they're good. (LOL)

Hope everyone is well, I appreciate your comments, and I appreciate you being interested in my well-being and my so-far boring trip!!!  I will post pictures soon -- I am missing the necessary cord right now to download pics, but will grab one somewhere soon.

Everyone, take care!!

Amy Z << MORE >>
Posted by Amy Z at October 7, 2007 9:45 PM | View Comments (4) | Add Comment

South Dakota, Busted - October 6, 2007

Well, I was going to give you all a rundown of miles traveled, money spent on gas, and all the little adventures along the way.

Well, unfortunately, after eleven hours of driving, I had a big adventure which kind of trumped all that other truly fascinating information that I was going to supply.

This is good, people.  

I had been driving in South Dakota for quite some time, getting ready to stop at a campground in Belvidere for a much needed rest. I was talking to my boyfriend on the phone, and looked in my right hand mirror, and saw that the blue stripe that goes down the side of my camper was basically falling off. I had no idea what it was made of -- if it was just a graphic stripe that came loose in the wind (there is some serious WIND tonight in SD), or if it was a more solid piece that went over the body of the camper, or what. I got off on the first exit, which happened to be very close, and as I did, the wind tore the entire stripe off the camper. 

I got out of the truck, and debated chasing after the stripe -- thinking, "The hell with it -- it's an awfully big piece of litter, but why bother?"  Until I looked back at the camper, and realized that the insulation on the camper was showing.

As in, the strip was made of METAL. 

As in, a integral PART OF THE CAMPER metal stripe. I put on my flashers, and realized that if I were going to get this fixed, I may indeed need this piece of metal. So there I was, chasing this 24 foot metal strip across the road and down over the hill. When I reached it and picked it up, I realized that it was going to take a feat of athleticism to get back up the hill to my truck and camper with the wind wrapping this metal strip around me. Then, what to do with it??  As it was already bent, I figured, "What the hell, bend it some more," and pushed, shoved, and kicked it into my camper, struggling and fighting with it as the wind wanted to just whip it (and me!) away. I figured that I was in deep shit:  there was a one foot strip of insulation exposed down the entire 24 foot length of the camper -- and it was supposed to storm that night. And, in a lovely twist of fate, it looked like it was fixin' to start any minute.

I didn't think it would be good to continue to drive to the campground I had booked, 50 miles away, with the insulations showing, so, I figured I'd tape up the insulation so that it wouldn't get damaged on the drive. I went a little further off the exit to pull over somewhere where I was off the road, and as I started to duct tape the insulation -- and realize what an impossible, lengthy task it was going to be -- I glanced down the road and saw a sign that read, "RV Park and Campground."  I thought that was God giving me a little mercy here. If so, it is just a little mercy. I drove down to the campground, went in, paid for my site, and asked the guy behind the desk if there was a place around that might be able to help me get the camper fixed. He gave me the suggestion of a local truck stop, which has, as he said, a pretty good "back room" (don't they have "back rooms" at movie stores?!?). Anyway, I got the name of the place, thanked him, and went to set up my site. I got the metal strip out of the camper, put two picnic tables on top of it to straighten it out and so it wouldn't blow away, pretty much threw the cats in the camper and got hooked up to the electric, and had the grand idea to duct tape garbage bags around the insulation in case it rained.

The wind made this task far more difficult than it needed to be. Unbelievable. As the wind was whipping the garbage bag around, and I'm trying to hold it in place with one arm, and pull the duct tape off the roll and tear it or cut it with the other hand, I'm looking down the length of my camper which started to look like it stretched on for miles. Then, I'm looking at the sky, which is starting to darken and look horribly ominous, and I realize that this task is not only not going to be finished in time, but that it also might not get finished at all. I'm thinking, "Okay, if this insulation gets all wet, or ruined, I'm just pulling into a dealership and trading the damn thing in instead of getting it fixed."  I've been eyeing up smaller campers, and in light of the problems I've had the last two trips (Over Labor Day, the tread came off of one of the tires and we limped into Pittsburgh on the cords of the tire to get help), it seems to make sense to get a newer camper.

So, lo and behold, as I'm doing this, and getting frustrated, and getting ready to cry, and as the sky starts to spit not just rain, but hail as well, a man pulls in beside me -- IN A VAN -- and heads straight for me and drawls, "Looks like you could use some help with that task!"  Folks, let me just tell you, there is NOTHING in the world creepier than a man in a van. HOWEVER, I was SO grateful, because I needed help DESPERATELY. I was also SO wary, as a woman alone, needing help, allowing a man to know that I was indeed alone. Because if I was with someone, would they not have been out there helping me?  Duh!  Yeah!  So, there I was being helped by "John" from "Pennsylvania" with the intense southern drawl, when the inevitable question came up:  "So, are you by yourself?!"  Tempted to say, "No, dumbfuck, my boyfriend is inside watching the game, he knew I could handle this myself..."  I summoned as much confidence as I could and said, "Yeah, I do this all the time."  Okay, maybe I just sheepishly said "Yes, I kinda am."  Regardless, he got the idea, loud and clear. He told me some unlikely story about having come across Wyoming "on business" and how he was headed east to "finish up some business."  Uh-huh. Yeah, sure. The SAVAGELY RAPING AND MURDERING business, maybe??!!  (Did I mention I was in MURDO, South Dakota?  Do you know how much that word resembles the word MURDER??!)  The vagueness and incongruity of his comments sent my antennae WAY up. WAYYYYYYYYY up. However, he helped me finish my task, and I got the insulation taped up somewhat securely, and for that, I was grateful. I truly was. I TRULY, truly was. However, the wind was whipping at us, the lightening was striking all around, it was hailing, and the rain was coming down SO hard. Just brutal South Dakota weather. Brutal. And oh, I was in shorts and a tank top because it was 90 degrees when I left Iowa this morning. Now, it was south of 50 degrees.

So I thanked him, and told him to have a good evening, and I came back into my camper and tried to get settled, but I realized how unsettled I was. I was scared about the weather, and I was dubious about this John guy and wondered if he'd try to further bother me. I grabbed my phone to call my boyfriend, and had NO cell phone signal. None. Gone. Forget it. Don't even try. Nice setup for a horror movie, huh?!  I figured, if I don't have cell service, what are the chances I'm going to have internet?  But I decided to try anyway, because my boyfriend knew I was having problems, then we got cut off, then I hadn't called him back, nor had I called my parents which I had promised I'd do tonight. So, if I couldn't get in touch with them, they'd be frantic, but I sure as HELL wasn't going to go out in the storm to try to find a pay phone. It was cold, nasty, and completely, completely scary outside.

So I fired up my laptop, and incredibly, I had GREAT internet service. As soon as I got online, there was a knock at my door. "Amy," he said, "It's John."  My heart just sunk. I didn't know what to do, but I didn't want him to know how frightened I was. Finally, I said, "What do you need, John?" in the most authoritative voice I could muster, and didn't go near the door. He said, "I have some literature for you."  Yeah, great line. Scared. To. Death. I let him wait outside in the pouring rain, hail, and wind. I didn't want to NOT open the door, because I didn't want him to know just how scared I was. I did, however, want him to know that I was wary, and thus, alert and prepared to do battle if I had to. I finally opened just the main door, not the screen, and he handed the "literature" through the sliding hole in the screen. I grabbed it, said, "Thanks, John, see ya tomorrow!" and slammed the door right in his face. He gave me info on camping and touring through Wyoming and Yellowstone. Seems benign enough, and maybe I'm too untrusting, but I think if you truly are a good samaritan, and you know a woman is alone, you don't freak her out by delivering "literature" to her. You know?  I mean, it was fine, but it may not have been fine. And I was already frightened by what had happened to the camper, I was frightened by the weather, and now, I was frightened by creepy John, and I couldn't call anyone to tell them where I was or what had happened.

So, I got back online, and miracle of miracles, my mom was on instant messenger!! (I am SO glad I taught her that!!). I instant messaged her and told her everything. She called my boyfriend and told him what was going on, then she (smart lady!) called the cops here in Murdo, SD, and asked them to check on me. A Murdo cop who greatly resembled Rosco P. Coltrane just left, and he made me feel better, telling me that this weather wasn't supposed to be severe, and he said that Creepy Van Guy next to me appeared to be sleeping because it was all dark over there. Although this is such a small town that he's the only cop on duty and is off at midnight (and he's not coming back on until about 10am tomorrow!), I asked Rosco to drive through the campground a few times tonight, because creepy Van Guy doesn't know the Murdo cops aren't on duty all night, and I figured he'd be less likely to commit a murder this particular evening if he sees the cops cruising through the campground periodically. Anyway, Doofus Copy Boy also said the guys down in the "back room" at the truck stop should be able to help me tomorrow. Sure hope so. I'm a-scared!!  So, for all you people who think I'm so brave for doing this, and that I'm not afraid of anything, I say, bullkucky. I'm scared shitless right now, sitting 1250 miles away from home, creepy John camping beside me, torrential downpours with hail and wind all around me, the prospect of needing to fix my home for my travels (and pay for it!) as soon as possible, wondering how and where to continue my journey, and not being able to be in touch by phone with anyone -- including the police. Remember, my MOTHER contacted the Murdo cops, because I couldn't -- I've got internet only, no phone, so if there's an emergency in the middle of the night -- I'm screwed unless my mom happens to be up and I can get online before someone kills me. So, yeah, I'm scared. But what do you do when you're scared?   You deal with it. I mean, I HAVE to. I have to. I have no choice.

How much sleep do ya think I'm going to get tonight?  I'm exhausted... but I know I'm not sleeping. Not with John the Creepy Van Guy beside me.

So. Day three of my trip. South Dakota. Busted. Mother Nature kicked my ass today.
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Posted by Amy Z at October 6, 2007 10:08 PM | View Comments (3) | Add Comment

Iowa or Bust -- October 5, 1007

Okay, I'm tired, it's late, it's been a whirlwind two days, so I'm going to make this quick. I made it to Iowa safely and have been hanging out with my aunt and uncle for a day and a half. Played croquet tonight -- not much to do in Iowa!  All right, all right, it was actually kind of fun!  The weather has been outstanding -- in the 80's. Tomorrow I'm heading out to South Dakota, which is going to be a ten to eleven hour drive. I don't mind the long drives -- it's very meditative for me, and the cats were fantastic on the way here. Princess and Monet, my beloved kitties, are my traveling companions, and are the "pussy" part of the "Portable Pink Pussy Party Palace" (what I call my camper), so don't get all excited, I'm not being vulgar. Anyway, they both got into one carrier and slept the whole way, which is astonishing, because they're usually pretty fussy on the two hour trip to my parent's house, so I expected chaos on this trip out here from Twinsburg, OH, where I live. Somehow, though, they seemed to sense that they were in this for the literal and figurative long haul, and decided to sleep it out. They seem to like hanging out in the camper, too -- not quite as much room to move, but lots more to see -- and different scenery all the time.

For those who don't know, and I know I haven't been able to update everyone with what's going on in my life, I recently got laid off from my job, and it coincided with my boyfriend needing some "space."  Please note, we are not chastising my boyfriend for this, as he was married for 24 years, and two weeks after his divorce was final, I moved in. As a result, he never grieved that relationship or processed the emotions that he needed to process. So, we're on his side. We want him to be well. Okay?  So no bashing of the boyfriend on here. He's given me a fabulous opportunity by supporting me in my decision to go travel around the United States with my 24 foot camper while he gets perspective and tries to heal. And I'm greatly looking forward to this trip, as I've been more places in Europe than the U.S. What a fantastic adventure!!  So, I'm okay with giving Scott some time to work things out in his own way and time, because I would need that, too, if I were him. Also, this is the best possible scenario for a situation like this. I could be mad at him for needing space, and he could be resentful of me. It's not like that. We're both supportive of each other and hope to come back together in a month or so ready to love on each other and give each other 110%. It didn't have to be such a positive, we-can-do-this-our-way situation, but it is, and I thank him for being cool with what I'm doing, just as I know he's grateful for me being cool with what he's doing.

So, I'm traveling. I left on Thursday, October 4th (that was just yesterday, for those of you who aren't good at keeping track), and my first stop was Iowa. My aunt and uncle live here, and I thought it was a good first stop - I've never towed my trailer that far, and going to see relatives first, in case I had trouble, made sense to me. Luckily, I had no trouble, so tomorrow I'm heading up into the Badlands in South Dakota, and want to get through SD, Wyoming, and Colorado before the weather gets really chancy. It appears that I'm going to luck out next week. Nights are going to be a little chilly, but the days are supposed to be in the 60's. I'm used to the chilly nights in my camper, so I'm not worried about that.

I do have two concerns, though:  First, safety, and second, money. Anytime you're towing a 24 foot camper by yourself with the distractions of two animals in the truck with you, it's good to try to be on top of any situation that could cause you any danger. The cats were calm, cool, and collected on the way out here, and I have mace, a club, and a gun for any non-driving questionable situations that might come up. I also have a first aid kit and a snake bite kit. A few prayers from those good enough to say them might go a long way to help me, too.

As far as the money goes, I've found, frankly, that it doesn't go very far. First day's gas total:  $180. Tolls, $30. I just put another $70 in my tank today to start out with a full tank tomorrow. So, let's re-cap:  Total amount of money spent on gas so far, day two of the trip:  $250. Oh, and I didn't actually GO anywhere today. So, that's going to add up quickly. As a result, I have my ULTIMATE travel plans, ALL the places that I want to go. Then, I've got my IDEAL travel plan, the places that I would like to hit, if at all possible. Then, I have the ALTERNATE travel plan, the places I absolutely MUST hit and those I can eliminate if I can't afford to go everywhere I want to if my money gets low -- which is going to happen, sooner than I want, I'm sure. Then, I have my ABBREVIATED travel plan, if I have to just visit a few places and then head home. If I have to do that, though, I'm going to cry. I accept donations. I really need to do this for my personal, spiritual, romantic, and professional (yes, professional -- more on that later, but I can't go back to work doing what I have done in the past, and I'm looking for professional inspiration along the way during my trip) well-being. I also want to actually give my boyfriend some breathing room. Being gone a week and a half is not exactly enough time for him to sort through the types of issues that he needs to sort through. So, you know, if anyone wants to donate to the cause....!

So, anyhoo, that's the scoop. I'll be updating this as often as I can, and I'll also be posting pictures, provided my blog allows it -- I just threw this up tonight, and don't know all the capabilities yet, so we'll see. I'll post them somewhere else if needed.

So, hope all is well with everyone else, stay tuned for more info on my trip, and stay in touch!

Miss and love everyone!
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Posted by Amy Z at October 5, 2007 11:12 PM | View Comments (2) | Add Comment
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