Breakfast Club

Back in the days when we actually lived here, Thursday mornings started early. For one of us, anyway. Just about every Thursday, Paul would leave the house before dawn to attend his weekly breakfast club meeting.

That's the thing about breakfast clubs. They meet early!

I attended my first breakfast club meeting a month or so before we hit the road. It's a great group of civic-minded professionals who tend to be really cheerful early in the morning. I think it's safe to say that this is one of the things Paul really enjoyed about living in the Bay Area. If he's missed something since we left, this is it. So, when the group asked if Paul would do a presentation at a meeting while we were back in town, he jumped at the chance.

The group was curious to know all there is to know about fulltiming in 20 minutes or less. With dusty Powerpoint skills at the ready, we put together a presentation designed to inform and entertain early in the morning. At precisely 6:15 this morning, we hit the road and headed off to the meeting.

6:15 is REALLY early!

The club meeting was fun. We received warm greetings from friends we hadn't seen in nearly a year. After breakfast, one of our friends introduced Paul and I took my position at the laptop to run the Powerpoint. For the requisite 20 minutes, Paul informed and entertained. He answered lots of questions, and received a big round of applause.

Between the compliments we received after, a common theme emerged. People were inspired. They may not have the desire to live fulltime in an RV, but many of them rekindled their ideas of that big life dream they've yet to realize. It was amazing to witness, and made getting up early more than worth the effort.

With the presentation behind us, we paid a visit to our old neighborhood for coffee with a favorite neighbor. Looking at our old sticks and bricks was trippy. It didn't seem like ours, at all. That was some reaction to a place where we spent nearly 10 years. As we caught up with the neighbor, we soaked in the views of the bay and remembered this wonderful place we used to call home. But, that view never really changes. And, we couldn't put wheels under that house. What we're up to now is so much better. But, it was great to check in and catch up.

By the time we got home at noon, the early day was catching up with us. I did more work for our upcoming Winnie outing, Paul made a grocery run, then we prepared to welcome a couple of friends for happy hour. A few minutes before their scheduled arrival, we sat outside for a moment and were greeted by three smiling children. In a distinctively Dutch accent, the eldest asked most politely if they could come inside and see our motorhome.

First, Germans. Now, the Dutch. Bullwinkle is quite the tourist magnet!

We asked where their parents were, and they pointed across the way. A cute couple sitting on the grass gave us a nod and a wave. With their approval, we welcomed the kids in. The two brothers and their sister thought our moose was just the coolest thing. They told us about their 2 1/2 week RV journey around the Southwest. They've had a blast, and can't wait to come back. Reluctantly, they'll board a plane tomorrow for their return to the Netherlands.

With the tour complete, we escorted our young guests outside. They returned to their campsite and we strolled around the park. We made a pass by the Dutch family and spoke with the parents.

"He's been so wanting to see what these big motorhomes are like inside," said mom. "So, we told him 'The only way you're going to see one is to ask.' When he said he was going to ask you, all we asked was that he be polite."

We assured the parents that the children were most polite. And, mom and dad said they got quite the report from all three kids when they returned. It seems the oldest was quite enamored.

"It has a fireplace?" asked Dad.

"And, you're living in it?" inquired Mom.

You just never know what will impress a kid!

We wished each other safe travels. We have a feeling the Netherlands is going to welcome home a new young RV enthusiast tomorrow.

Rocky's Good

We weren't the only parts of our travel caravan to stop in and see the doc while we're here in Pleasanton. Today was Rocky's day to get checked out.

When you only have one car, and it needs to be serviced, that can present a problem. Thankfully, we are just a few miles away from Stoneridge Chrysler Jeep. More importantly, though, Stoneridge has a customer shuttle! So, upon our arrival to Pleasanton we surveyed our very busy calendar and determined today would be the best day for us to be without our squirrel. Paul made all the arrangements and went in this morning at the appointed hour. Not long after he was dropped back at the moose by the friendly and courteous customer shuttle driver.

Today was the perfect day for us to be without our toad. Don't ask us how, but we've been wrangled into giving a presentation at Paul's old breakfast club this Thursday. So, we spent most of the day pulling that together. On top of that task, we volunteered to be co-wagonmasters for our Winnebago club rally next week. (What were we thinking?) So, we had a few things to tend to for that assignment, as well. These special projects kept us glued to our computers most of this lovely day, but much was accomplished. And, that's a good thing.

Late in the afternoon we got the call to come pick up (and pay for) the Jeep. This was its first "major" scheduled service, so the bill was, as expected, a hefty one. Our trusty squirrel has performed flawlessly during our first year of fulltiming, and we want him to stay that way for a long time. So, we were happy, or at least OK, with shelling out more than a few bucks to keep Rocky at the top of his mechanical game. It's all part of our high-budget month in California!

The shuttle came and picked Paul up and he rescued our squirrel from the hospital. To his delight, the Jeep was detail clean. In fact, when he passed through the gate on his return to the fairgrounds, the guard made a comment about how our new Jeep must have set us back a few pretty pennies.

"New?" Paul questioned. "This 2005 has more than 30,000 miles on it." But, the guard's compliment made the sting of the big service bill a bit easier to take.

Between the noticeably smoother ride home and the unsolicited praise of our "new" Jeep, Paul was pleased and impressed. When he came through the door he had a big smile on his face. I asked how everything went. And, he summed it up nicely.

"Rocky's good," he said.

As are we all.

An Unexpected Meeting

A bit of unexpected pleasure came our way here at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds the other day. I was sitting in the moose when I watched a Pace Arrow pull in. Something in the back of my mind told me that this was a familiar rig. But, I thought nothing of it.

An hour or so later, I fired up the laptop and went searching for the park wifi network. There on the list I saw two new networks. One was named "Penny". The other was "The Pace". Suddenly, I knew why that Pace Arrow looked familiar: It was Penny the Pace!

Penny the Pace is the rolling home of fulltimers Phil and Joy. Their blog, Backroad Chronicles, is over there on our blogroll. I've read about their adventures since I started reading blogs and looked forward to the opportunity to meet them in person. At the risk of sounding like a stalker, I left a comment on their blog letting them know that we were in the same park.

It took awhile for both of us to be home at the same time. But, yesterday morning the time was right and I wandered over and said hello. Before I knew it two hours had passed. (Oh, we know how that goes!) At some point Paul came home from his errand and wandered over to be part of the party. Phil and Joy are simply delightful. And, Penny is a comfy rolling home. We made plans to keep the conversation going over a late breakfast or early lunch one day this week. We look forward to that.

Later yesterday we spotted a 40-footer coming into the park that I recognized as someone from the Escapees forum. At the risk of being perceived as a stalker, I'll have to wander over and say hello. I'm on a roll.

And, by the way. If you're ever sitting in a park and see our moose pull in, by all means stop by and say hello! Or, if you spot a wifi network named "Bullwinkle", we're probably close by. We look forward to meeting you!

Doctor's Orders

Part of the purpose of our stop here in the Bay Area is to do the annual health care thing. This kind of stuff isn't anything I liked before we hit the road. Since then it's been looming on the horizon. I wondered how we'd make it all work, but knew we would, eventually. So, here we are at yet another fulltiming milestone: our first check ups on the road.

We've come a very long way to make these appointments, any way you slice it. We're here to see friends, too, of course. But, the reality is there's nothing central about the Bay Area. In the next year, we'll partner up with new medical professionals in a more central location. So, chances are this is the last visit to these doctors and dentists that we've come to trust and actually like.

Paul started the process earlier this week. And, I met with my primary care physician this morning. When she asked what was new, she got an earful. After hearing what I'd done since we last met, she exclaimed, "How healthy!"

Now, that's a reaction we've yet to hear. It was affirming to have my doc endorse our new lifestyle. She's so very right! We've both felt a lot healthier since hitting the road, and today's visit backed that up. She seemed very excited about our adventures and declared, "You're my hero!"

Woo hoo!

Everything checked out just fine. I have to have some routine blood work done before we head out. So, that's one more thing to schedule. I'm so glad we have the time! One of the doctor's orders made me so grateful we've chosen this lifestyle.

We talked for a few minutes about osteoporosis. (Yes, I've reached the age where doctors start to talk about things like that!) My doctor explained that Vitamin D has been determined to be big factor in avoiding and managing this potentially debilitating disease. No surprise, she said. Most women don't drink milk and don't spend enough time outside in the sunshine. As a result, they don't get enough Vitamin D. Of course, I take calcium with Vitamin D daily. My doctor smiled and told me to make sure I get outside in the sunshine every day.

"With a whole continent outside my front door," I told her, "that won't be a problem."

I didn't need another reason to love being fulltimer. But, today I have one. This amazing lifestyle allows me to, among other things, get my daily dose of Vitamin D.

And, that's a great way to follow my doctor's orders.

We Did Good

We laid pretty low today. Paul braved the freeways to go to a doctor's appointment. I chose to stay in and decompress from our stressful re-entry to the Bay Area.

This evening, we took a stroll around the campground. As we wandered back toward the moose, a 40-footer Fleetwood backed in a couple of spaces away from us. We struck up a conversation with the captain and his guest, and we heard the story. This particular model was the one he'd always wanted. And, as soon as it arrived in California a couple of years ago he made his offer and bought it. Shortly after, his dealer declared bankruptcy and closed. Right behind, the manufacturer followed suit. In the blink of an eye, this gentleman's new dream machine was an unwarrantied orphan.

That would suck.

Turns out, he thinks he has a lemon. He said he has a list of more than 40 things that are wrong with this 40-footer. His levelers don't even work. His experience as the owner of this big rig has been a nightmare. He's tired with it all. And, it shows.

"I did wrong," he said. "Next time, I'll buy a Tiffin."

Man! That would really suck. You spend your hard-earned money on the RV of your dreams, and in a nano second you lose your dealer and your manufacturer. And, there's nobody there to service your lemon. While so many RVers have a love-hate relationship with their rolling homes, this guy has nothing but hate. He wishes he'd never bought the thing.

So, so very depressing!

After hearing our neighbors tale, we spent a moment giving thanks that we bought not just one, but two rolling homes from Winnebago. It's a company that has weathered the downturn well and is a fine position to gain market share in the future. Both dealers we purchased from are still in business. Our warranty has been honored across the country. Sure, our newest moose has a short list of things to be fixed. That's the way it is with a new rig. But, we don't have to worry that our dealer won't be around or our manufacturer is a thing of the past.

We feel great about our decision. We bought two motorhomes that suit us very well. This newest moose is the most comfortable rolling home we could possibly imagine.

Yep. We did good.

We LIVED Here?

If we had a dollar for every time one of us asked that rhetorical question in the last 24 hours, we might not be rich, but we could definitely fill our moose with fuel at the next Flying J.

Our first day back in the Bay Area has us asking that question again and again.

This place is nuts!

We wondered how it would be to come back to the place we called home for nearly 10 years. And, now we know.

It's weird.

There are seemingly a billion people here. And, guess what? They all want to get on the freeway the same time we do! And, although using your cell to talk or text while you drive is illegal here, everybody does it while cruising down the road at least 10 miles over the speed limit. And, turn signals? They are completely optional! And, oh yeah. If you drive a Prius, none of the rules apply. That's right. You own the road.

A simple little task, like an afternoon Wal-Mart run, takes all the courage and energy we can muster. And, for those of you familiar with the Bay Area, we have yet to venture inside the 680 corridor. This is life in the suburbs!

Let me remind you, dear reader, we lived here for almost a decade! We took it all in stride then. We were out there with the masses driving to and from work and zipping around town like crazy people trying to get everything we couldn't do during the week done on the weekend. We didn't give it a second thought. And, that's probably a good thing. Had we given it any thought we probably would've ended up on a couch somewhere in the fetal position.

But, now, something has changed. And, it's not the place. Nope, we're pretty sure the Bay Area is pretty much how we left it 10 months ago.

It's us.

I don't think we really realized it, but we've slowed down. In a good way. We see everything. We pay attention to it all. And, in a place like this where everybody else has their blinders on, it can be overwhelming. After 10 months on the road anywhere but here, we know this isn't normal. Human beings really aren't designed to live like this. Everywhere else the pace is slower. There's space to kick back and relax. Everyone doesn't move at 70 mph in the slow lane.

There's a lot to like about the Bay Area. That's why so many people live here. And, that's what screws it up. Too many people! And, having been part of that mass of humanity we know what many of these folks are thinking: That this is one of the best places to live and work in the country. Nothing could be better.

As we were cruising up pothole-filled 680 at the speed of sound this afternoon, I so wanted to roll down the window and shout, "THERE IS SOMETHING BETTER OUT THERE!"

But, nobody would have noticed. They're all wrapped up in their way-too-busy Bay Area life.

There is something better. Much better. It's in Bend, Oregon and Port Angeles, Washington and Couer d'Alene, Idaho and Polson, Montana and Cheyenne, Wyoming and Ellis, Kansas and Monett, Missouri and Little Rock, Arkansas.... You get the idea.

You just have to get out there and see it.

And, we're so glad we are.

Guten Tag

After finally making it across the desert and into California, we spent a quick overnight in Bakersfield and then headed north toward the Bay Area. We've driven this stretch several times before. These roads were very familiar. We knew what to expect.

Or, did we?

Our first stop out of Bakersfield was for fuel at a Flying J about 15 miles north of town on CA-99. I had examined the satellite images on Google Maps and knew there was one precious RV lane at this station. It looked like an easy in, quick fill and out.

Until we got there.

As we pulled up to the station, we spotted a Bounder in the lane filling up. Everything looked good for us to pull our moose into the lane and nuzzle up behind the kangaroo Fleetwood. Just before we pulled in, we spotted a couple of people in the RV lane that were pointing and waving. We stopped in the road and tried to suss things out. If the Bounder had problems and couldn't move, we weren't going to pull in. After all, with a squirrel on our butt, we can't back up this moose. As we looked carefully we realized these two motioning folks had cameras in hand. And, they didn't seem to care which way we went. And, as we broadened our view, we noticed they had lots of company. There were people swarming all over the Flying J. And, they all had cameras!

Not sure exactly what we were pulling into, we figured it was safe to pull our moose in behind the Bounder. Suddenly, the paparazzi were upon us. Snap. Snap. Snap. Many in this swarm were pointing, clicking and gawking at our moose. Yes, we were more than a bit uncomfortable.

There were busloads of them. Two, in fact. We couldn't fathom what was up. But, this was California. It could be anything!

Paul stepped out and started a conversation with the Bounder folks. With our front door open, I watched a few members of the swarm come our way. Soon one of them was at our front step. I said hello.

"Hello," said the lovely woman with a thick German accent. "Could we take a quick peek?" she asked with a hand gesture that let me know she didn't want to take too much of our time.

"Sure!" I exclaimed. "Come on in!"

With that, my friendly visitor cackled something in German that I could only interpret as "SHE SAID YES! COME OVER HERE AND SEE THIS MONSTER!"

With that, she and three friends were walking up the steps.

"Guten Tag!" said the first gentleman.

"Guten Tag!" I replied.

With our moose in travel mode, I was afraid there really wasn't much to see. But, our guests were impressed. Not sure they could understand what I was saying, I explained how the two sides pushed out and made lots of room, and how comfortable our moose could be. They motioned that they understood the physics of slide outs and had huge smiles on their faces. The tour continued through the bathroom and into our bedroom, with all the stuff we pile on the bed when we're in travel mode. Not pretty, but they got the idea.

They had huge smiles on their faces. They couldn't believe their eyes.

They all made note of our cats. "Katzen!" they exclaimed. Like I had a clue how to speak their language, I replied, "Ah, yes. Katzen!"

Again, more big smiles.

One of them explained they were Germans visiting America on a three-week trip from the Pacific to the Atlantic. They had just left San Francisco. They are on their way, eventually, to New York. She interpreted for her friend who has an RV in Germany.

"They are much smaller in Germany!" she said.

We got the idea. After all, it was obvious that this swarm of tourists had never seen a Flying J, much less a 40-foot diesel pusher with two fulltimers and their katzen towing a Jeep and getting ready to suck 45 gallons of diesel fuel out of a pump.

We are something!

With our quick tour complete, our new friends got ready to leave the moose. They stopped to marvel at our kitchen. The gentleman caught one last glimpse at our 37-inch blank flat screen.

"Fine! Fine! Fine!" they all chimed in unison.

We thanked them for visiting our country and wished them a safe journey. The English speaker in the group wished us safe travels and a good life.

With that, we filled the tank and chalked up our most memorable fuel stop ever. Without a doubt.

The rest of trip was uneventful, if you don't count the craziness of I-5, gusty winds, Bay Area traffic on a Saturday afternoon and navigating our way to an unfamiliar and tight suburban campground.

All in all, though, it was a very good day.