TubaOrNotTuba

With a quick black tank dump we were ready to leave the KOA head on down the road. This was a day of driving like so many others but we knew where we were going and we knew who be there when we got to the end of the road by mid afternoon we were at destination. We are in a parking lot which belongs half to a residence and have to a small Community College the parking lot is a wonderful place if you ignore the world around you which is what we’re trying to do if we don’t see them they won’t see us right? We had a family supper some of my siblings and then we sat down to catch up on all the notes of what life is like living here. I used to live here a long time ago so I know I know my way around the city streets. However the world has arrived here and we were warned that there are two tent cities within a couple of blocks. In other words lock up before you go to bed. We may come from the country or not city bumpkins tomorrow it’s supposed to be sunny and we have no big plans. We’re on vacation. I mean I do vacation as as a vocation but this is a little different I’m back in with some people call my old hometown. I somehow doubt that many of my high school comrades are hanging around the streets if I see even one person that I know I will consider that to be a victory we should see how it goes. We are here for family after all and the family part has nothing to do with where I went to high school. People have warned us that it will be cold tonight but we are inside with good sleeping bags the heater and a great deal of faith in our own ability to tough temperatures have dropped below the standard 15C. Winter is not here yet even if we are.

When you travel all day without knowing where you are something seem out of sync. I really had no idea where I was for much of the trip. The only answer came when we came to a toll bridge of which there is only one in the whole region. I have no idea why this is a toll bridge. It’s a tall structure built over a canal to allow ships to pass and from my point of view there is no way they built it without a great deal of government aid. Collecting tools from passing cars is nothing more than nuisance. Especially since they do not seem to post the price of the toll until you are already at the gate and then if you do not have the right means of payment I guess you take up residence there. Perhaps you will be the new tool kakar. Anyhow we got through that little test and now we’re in AKA. The sign at the entrance is familiar to me as is the way they make their streets have very home sounding names and a lot of spoon speed bumps. Perhaps they have a great deal of fast traffic when I’m not here for us it was 5 kilometers per hour nothing more nothing less. We’re also hooked up to shore power for the first time in many many days feels almost well I don’t have a word feels almost like being in a place where I have unlimited electricity I know that’s a lie but we have all the lights on and we’re pretending that we’re safe at home. I did notice that a lot of our neighbors have Starling if only we had sod ahead. Another time I guess. Our evening meal came from a restaurant that serves ribs I now know that I can get rib sauce all over my face. Almost like a paint job. Little mallard matter the ribs were delicious and I am now ready.

Somewhere along the way I heard that we should not try to teach an old dog new tricks. I actually agree. Most old dogs already know enough tricks get through life. This afternoon I watch an old Cocker spaniel, a friend, clamber onto a chair with the same agility of any young child that is to say odd to watch and fun to see it realized. The dog took over her throne and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon. Like anyone I’ve heard age. We’re off to the city to pick up family at the bus station and there was only after we got to destination, they realized there had been another small dog in this rig with us. Never saw the dog but I heard rumours. That is how it goes. This was an evening in a restaurant with family. What I can tell you is that there are alternate ways to eat an oversized burger. You just have to ask. It was fun to introduce myself if you will. To discuss things that I had learned to do a long time ago and that I had almost forgotten the stories were new and I realized that I spent a long time making sure that technology arrived to where it is now. Was I a pioneer? Not exactly but I did do things that had not been done before, so I guess that counts. This blog is proof that I started something they did not give up. And now we’re back in the RV ready to sleep for another night. The airplanes have not quite finished their late-night arrivals but soon. I will probably sound asleep. We’re running on battery time right now and have no real way of knowing at what time the lights are really going to go out.

We spent the whole day in the city, with family. And the only ones that seemed out of odds with it all were the two dogs who had no idea who we were or why we were there. I have learned that certain foods require a great deal of attention when you cannot see what you’re doing. Case in point a simple chicken breast which has a lot more corners and hidden pieces than people remember. I had to get let someone else go and search for the meat because on a white plate white meat looks all the same. We were in the city center twice. Much harder for me to know that where was that used to be. No street signs no familiar corners and no easy answers to questions that I had. Really a good thing that I was not responsible for navigation other than holding the inevitable phone with a map on it. We’re back now in the RV for second night of parking in the street. Hardly there were a young couple just behind the rig tonight when we got here and I have no idea what they were doing but I was told that one was dressed like a mouse. Go figure. Maybe it’s something that only happens here in the big city either haven’t seen that kind of thing in the country in a decade. Not much else else I can add. Pretty much time for me to go to sleep. In passing the house batteries did tough it through the night and we still had lights and water in the morning. A victory given our dependence on shore power.

I try not to bring it up often but I used to spend a great deal of time beating on heads with sticks. Before you jump to conclusions I was a drummer. Or to use a fancy word a percussionist because I played them all. Anyhow the reason they let me hit the heads was because I had a reasonable good sense of rhythm. I could start and and at roughly the same speed. Many are called and few are chosen as they say. So today was a road trip day and we are now in another province. And along the way for many hours we listened to the radio. Satellite radio. And what struck me was that there was something odd about the playback speed of songs. Almost as if when you get the beat some would drag on the edge of the turntable and slow it down or speed it up. Certain aspects disappeared completely. The pauses between verses and songs for example. And the end result marcella can make one quite dizzy. Not always a good thing when you’re trying to avoid some of the other aspects of motion. Dare I say sickness. Anyhow we’re now in the room and I have Wi-Fi and I can relax again. An opening to the world. And I can choose music that does not vary in speed throughout the song. I really want to know what is going on with that satellite radio stuff because it is the first time in my life I’ve come across something as odd. I was listening to old rock’n’roll favourites and although they may not always have got the beat they certainly did a better job than what I heard today. I cannot picture how some would dance to it although it could be amusing I will keep listening for more of this.

I do try to maintain a healthy lifestyle at least when it comes to eating fruit. We keep a dish in the centre of the kitchen table most of the time and in it you will find the usuals bananas clementines apples oranges and whatever else comes up at the local market. Right now we’re back into peach season. Although the fruit is not grown locally as far as I know we can usually find a few for a few weeks each year. I tend to go through them quickly because it does not take long to eat a peach. In passing hats off to a particular rock group that use that as an album title. We also eat a lot of grapes although we have never gone to the local vineyard to try and harvest for ourselves. Apparently the ones grown here on the island tend to be a little tart suitable only for cheap wine. I do wish that we lived a little closer to the South. Imagine going out and harvesting your own grapefruit. It would not take long to fill a basket. And we never seem to buy the really strange fruit. For example I have peeled and eaten a Kiwi but I have no idea what the plant looks like. And I’m not sure if coconut counts as fruit. Oh well. You will notice that I do not turn these into slushies. I do however like to mix my fruit with yogurt or ice cream because after fruit dairy is great.