Nearly there...just kidding!

In total, the RV was in the shop for about 2 weeks. Complicated exhaust issue. Dave received a phone call from the shop saying he'd better come and have a word. I got wind of this at work and of course my pessimistic self was nearly in tears having assumed the worst. Upon arrival, Dave was given 3 options at different price ranges. We could fix the issue, and this would cost $2,500. Next please! Not sure what this middle option entailed, but it was upwards of a thousand. So, we went for the $200 option. It's a temporary repair. We should be fine, as long as we open the windows when we're idle for too long. If we don't, we'll just inhale noxious gas and die. Meh. I've had worse. We were told that we are in no real danger as long as we're careful. So long as gas doesn't leak, get us high, and we forget about being careful, we should be fine. At this point, we will be high anyway so we probably won't care. Score either way.

Unfortunately today is one of those days where this all seems a farce. It feels like I'm in over my head. How are we going to save up enough money for petrol, places to stay, food and all the rest that comes with it. It feels like we are going to be stuck here forever, in this beautiful city infested with arseholes. We are nearly at a point where we can start saving. But.

We went down to the RV to do some work on the roof, which is now nearly totally repaired. Half way through we go to put some beer in the fridge and realise the generator won't start. It won't even turn over. We called the garage to make sure they hadn't disconnected the starter or the lead to the battery. No. Couldn't be that easy. So we have a generator that won't work. Do we fork out another couple hundred to get it looked at? We haven't made our minds up yet. The jury is still out. It's one of those times where I feel if I bury my head in the sand, when it pops up, the whole issue will have resolved itself. Right? Yes. This is the way the world works. Phew.

We also have our driving tests booked. I'm on Saturday and can already feel the warm trickle down my leg. I HATE taking exams. The thought of them plagues me until the final moment. It robs me of my appetite and the ability to think clearly, which is most frustrating in an exam. I often wonder to myself how so many people manage to pass their test with such appalling driving, um, retardedness. I can't use the word skill or ability as it gives entirely the wrong impression. But none the less, it is not a given that I shall pass just because those bum nuts do. Wish me luck. I really don't want to have to pay to take it again. Maybe I can offer the tester 'services' in exchange for a pass if I fail. I'll have to wing it, I might have to offer Dave instead. It is Seattle (and for those who don't know Seattle, it has a very large gay population) after all.

One tid bit I missed out of my previous entry was our little trip to a roadside coffee stand. We went down to the RV quite early, so stopped off at one of the many drive up coffee stands that fuel Seattle. We had heard about bikini baristas and have tried to peer through the taped up glass to get a cheeky peek. Well, peek no longer! We pulled up, and I got the horrible feeling we were at the wrong stand. I looked at the customers leaving. Old men. A car pulled in behind. No escape, and still unsure of our destiny. I was a bit frantic at this point. What will she think of us? Will she think we're a weird fetish couple? We pulled up at the window and I tell you what, they don't mess about! She was in a thong and bra, and was extremely nice. She didn't blink twice at us as I tried to coolly ask what coffee flavours she had. I was all about putting across the vibe of "I don't care, I do this all the time. I'm in no way uncomfortable at all. Don't even know the meaning of the word." I think I failed. I think my red face and compulsive giggling gave me away. She asked Dave if he wanted ice in his coffee as the water was very hot. He said yeah and turned away. Now, she had to bend right the way over to get this ice out of a cooler. Dave's male spidey sense caught it just a moment too late. He turned just as she was coming back up from showing me her breakfast (thank you Mum for that gem of a saying). I bet every man who frequents that stall wants ice in his coffee, and I'm damn sure it's not too hot, in any way. So, we got our coffee and wondered if there was any sign to the unsuspecting that this was a bikini barista hut. It was called The Beehive. Understated, but the honey is definitely hidden away inside. The trick - look for the floor to ceiling window. If it has one of them, it's got a surprise inside!

Til next time I guess. The next surprise, the next step, the next opportunity.

Popping the hood (bonnet, sorry)

Now. Now the whole thing is starting to feel real. It's no longer this wisp in the distance, an idea that might not make it off the ground. We've got the rig, we've told everyone we're going. We're in it now whether we like it or not. For the first time in my life, I had an idea and have followed through in a timely fashion. Up until now, I was good at pipe dreams. But, as the old saying goes, those in motion, stay in motion. And I've got to use this momentum as it might never roll quite this quickly and succinctly again. So, I hold on to my rolling rock for dear life and hope for the best. And on this rolling rock, sometimes I will be on top and sometimes I will be crushed by the sheer...no, no, no, far too dramatic. Sometimes you're ahead, and sometimes you're behind, and both produce interesting stories.

We have now had the engine looked at. Well, it is being looked at at the moment. We have been quoted anywhere from $500 - $1500 for potential repairs. It depends what they find over the next day or so. The transmission needs to be flushed, spark plugs and caps all changed, a new battery, a new transmission pan, and here's the clincher - potentially a new exhaust. With an RV, these things are custom made. They are very  long and very individual. If it turns out that this needs to be replaced, the whole rig will have to be sent off to a muffler shop where they will hand make and weld us a new one. This is the difference between it being in the hundreds or heading into the thousands. All extremities are crossed, and so should yours be!

Luckily I have come to terms with the fact that this is now a project, a fixer upper, a money vacuum. With the money we have saved and spent on it, we could have gone back down to South America for another few months. But this is the path we have chosen, and I still don't regret it. I'm looking forward to doing a bit of travelling in a country where I speak the language and am familiar with the customs. Being out of your comfort zone is a phenomenal experience, and this one will test it in very different ways. We essentially have a second home, and it can be wherever our whim takes us. It might not come with a gardener and pool boy, but I'm prepared to live without it. Plus, I think pool boy is just a euphemism for 'younger man I'm having an affair with.' I've already got myself a younger man, so I'm fine in that department too!

We have made lists of everything we need to buy, everything we need to do. The buy list looks like this so far:

To Buy

GPS - ?

Hand blender - craigslist or goodwill

distilled water

new battery

vent covers

Heavy Duty storage bags

plastic bottles

plastic cups & mugs - goodwill

plastic plates

pressure gauge

tool box & car tool box

LED touch lights - amazon

Oil (5W30)

compass

torch

atlas

folding chairs- walmart

funnel

vacuum - walmart

electric heater - amazon

bed sheets -goodwill

cover for sink

BBQ

air filters

oil filters

The stuff in red we have purchased. We made the dreaded trip to Walmart. We have been very... conservative (the term Dave and I use is not so culturally sensitive), with the money we spend. I trawl the internet looking for the best deals. Sadly, it comes down, a lot of the time, to amazon.com and walmart.com. I look forward to the day (if there ever is one) that we don't have to check and abide by what is $2 cheaper here or there. Although, I do get satisfaction out of paying less than I would have.

We had our first relaxing afternoon in it a couple weekends ago. We brought hot dogs to cook, sat and had a beer, vacuumed, made the place feel like ours. It was amazing. It was the first time I looked at the rig with affection. I can see us in it, and now I'm excited. Dave managed to get out during the week and on to the roof to do some repairs. It has rained every Saturday since we bought the bloody thing, making roof repairs impossible. But this weekend it is going to be in the 80's and sunny. Hoorah!

Now we just need to get the tires inspected. That is the last potentially expensive surprise. Could be another grand, or maybe we get lucky. I'm not hedging my bets either way. It will be what it will be.

Que sera, sera!