Into the Woods

Here we go.

We are headed out on our first Airstream adventure in a few hours. First, we're driving to a truck stop along I-10 to weigh our rig and make sure the weight is distributed evenly. I asked Brian if he knows what the numbers should look like and how to fix it if they don't look right, and he has assured me he does know and will be able to make adjustments to correct any problems. After all that, we head up the mountain to Canyon Point, about thirty minutes east of Payson. It's right along the Mogollon Rim (but not too close, Mom).

Just in case you'll miss me, be prepared to not see a new blog until at least Friday. We have instituted a strict no phone/no computer zone in the Airstream, at least until it becomes our permanent residence. Hey, maybe someday! :) This no electronics rule will not be difficult to enforce because our phones are the worst and we are T-Mobile customers; we barely get coverage outside the Phoenix metro area. So no Minecraft, no texting, no mechanical designing, and no social media-ing. This is how we get away from it all.

It's exactly what we want. Peace.

If Only

I went to the Arizona MVD this morning to register our trailer's title. I got there about ten minutes before it opened and joined the line outside. I counted and was twentieth. I know no one likes to go to the MVD. No one has liked it for like fifty years. I don't know why it's so bad; I'm sure the employees at the counters work hard and the higher-ups configure the processes as best they can with the resources they are allocated. It's just one of those annoying things that all of us who drive or own cars must do in order to keep the general population safe.

While waiting in that long line, and while waiting in the other long line after the first, I couldn't help but think that it should be this difficult to get a gun. I thought about the mandatory tests we must pass before we can drive and the insurance we have to pay on our vehicles in case of accidents. Then I thought about how I bought this trailer from a private seller, and I have to register it with the state. On the other hand, if someone buys a gun from a private seller there's no law mandating that gun be registered to the new owner. Don't you agree we should have a record of that?

Life's not fair. I know that. But this isn't about fairness. It's about public safety.

Yes cars are dangerous, but they serve the purpose of getting us to where we need to be more efficiently than walking, running, or riding a bike. Take a moment to consider the purpose of a gun. Shouldn't ownership of and the privilege to operate something that's only purpose is to severely harm or kill be more highly regulated than a car? I certainly think so. Why wouldn't anyone feel that way?

Some do, and they drew up this enlightening chart. What a coincidence it came up in my Facebook feed this afternoon.

I think most gun owners would agree that when you own a gun, you should register it with the state. Just like a car owner, if you bought it legally and everything checks out, you have nothing to worry about so just get in there and go through what will likely be a slow, but valuable, process to help protect everyone. Additionally, requiring people to pass a test on gun safety and operation in order to get a license to shoot a gun sounds like something that should have been required since guns were invented. And why shouldn't gun owners be required to carry liability insurance on their guns? Especially since we are all painfully aware that "accidents" do happen.

Ready to Roll

This morning we brought home the Airstream. If you know us, you know this had to be quite an ordeal. Nothing is easy with us. We must over-analyze and over-complicate things. In our defense, all we want is to do the right thing the first time. That takes patience.

Thankfully, it's Sunday and all we had was time. Lining up the truck with the hitch wasn't difficult to do, but newbie hitchers move methodically and slowly. There's a lot to consider, a lot to measure, a lot to remember, and a lot that could go wrong. Plus, an uneven gravel surface at the RV storage lot isn't the best place to set up your ideal towing system. So, we did the best we could for the five-mile ride home, but it wasn't the smoothest. Everything was fine, but I learned porpoise can be a verb. We were, however, able to set things right in the comfort of our own street.

I also wiped down the inside of the trailer, opened all the windows, and the kids and I sat in it for about an hour while Brian went shopping for a new tool he needed. We even entertained a neighbor! I guess our other neighbors were unimpressed as they just waved or picked up their paper or drove into their driveways and shut the garage door behind them as though there wasn't something bright and shiny right in front of their eyes. It's fine. It's not like we have block parties or anything. Whatevs.

After we got the hitch set up in the ideal position (or what we believe and hope is), we headed to the empty college parking lot to practice our driving skills. We worked on our backing-up routine (Brian drives, I direct), turning corners, and testing the manual trailer brake that we hope we'll never need to pull.

We brought it back home, looked over a few more details and systems, and then we took to the highway bound for GiGi's house. If you think we're excited about this, you should see GiGi. She and Grandpa owned several motor homes and trailers over the course of their time together, so I think all this is making her a bit nostalgic. She even gave us her old trailer-sized coffee maker, toaster, heater, and snacks for our first trip.

It was a long day, but we got a lot accomplished and gained some confidence. The plan is to not be newbies for much longer. Here are many photos from our productive day. And those of you who are sick of hearing about this Airstream, well sorry. This is big news so you're just going to have to deal.

"Dad, what you need to do is this."

Matthew was actually quite helpful, especially as a spotter. His voice really projects.

Almost the whole way home, I looked in my mirror to make sure the trailer was still there and not tipping over.

Does Elizabeth look nervous?

carefully carefully, Airstream Driver

Home!

Matthew "making lunch"

It was a little warm.

so happy

trying out the screen door

Not only am I driving a Sequoia, I'm towing an Airstream!

our rig

GiGi giving her seal of approval

Surprisingly, it was her first time in an Airstream.

another pretty cool day

To Julie!

This evening I celebrated my friend Julie's 40th birthday. She invited "her peeps" to a wine bar. So she set up her own party, yes. :) Julie's one of the most giving, most selfless people on the planet, so we were all proud of her for doing something for herself for once.

Everyone loves her. You can't not love her. She has the biggest, most compassionate heart, and she opens it to all. She loves everyone, and if she's not loving them at a particular moment, then she's feeling for them. She's someone you'd never be angry with because she'd never do anything bad. Quite simply, she is good. Pure goodness.

Though I knew a few of her friends, I didn't know others. I met Julie at the kids' school, and even though no one else from school could be there tonight, it was nice to get to know others close to her and be part of her inner circle. She is loved, and I'm grateful she loves me back. Like so many of mine, she's a special person whom I'm very fortunate to call a close friend.

Happy Birthday to you, Julie.

I Get So Emotional, Baby.

I really need to get a grip. Or maybe I don't. I haven't decided yet.

We got our Airstream. And just last weekend, we got the Sequoia. We have what we've been dreaming about for years, and whenever I think about it I get a lump in my throat and my eyes start to burn. Suddenly they're all teary. It's happening right now, actually.

I don't know if it's the fact that we finally did something that we really wanted to do for a really long time or if it's the whole dreams coming true kind of thing, but whatever it is, it keeps getting to me. I think, We did it! or We're really going to do this! or It's finally time. 

I know a lot of people don't get the Airstream thing, and that doesn't matter to me.

"One of those old silver things?"
"They look like tin cans."
"You could get a lot more trailer for your money if you bought any other kind."

I don't bother defending our choice because people who say things like that to me don't understand. They will never see an Airstream the way we do--as an iconic product that's a symbol of American ingenuity and entrepreneurship that provides families with the freedom to go anywhere, anytime. For years, the four of us have practically jumped out of our seats in excitement every time we saw an Airstream on the road. If our dream was to go RVing, then we might have looked into other options, but from the start we were interested only in Airstreaming. There's a difference, and it's more than superficial looks.

It's a different way of thinking, a different attitude towards spending time in the outdoors, and it's a very devoted community to keeping Wally Byam's dream and philosophy alive. We want to be part of that.

We don't have "toys" to haul and don't need lots of room because we don't want to take a lot of stuff. When we go away, we want to live simply. Granted, I don't want to live so simply that I carry my tent, clothes, food, and sleeping bag on my back through the wilderness, but the relative simplicity of an Airstream is what appeals to us the most and what had us dreaming of owning one someday.

Someday is now, and that's proving to be a lot for me to take in. This weekend, we're hitching it up and bringing it home to prepare for our first trip. I may stare outside the window for three whole days, Kleenex in hand.

Soda Jerks

Do yourself a favor. Go to MacAlpine's in Phoenix.

I had to exchange some promotional materials with a Moms Demand Action friend today. She lives all the way in Cave Creek, which is probably close to an hour from us, so we decided to meet in the middle. I suggested this cute, old-fashioned soda fountain shop near downtown Phoenix, and she was all for it.

I'm not a foodie, but I do have somewhat of a restaurant life list. It's not long. It's not filled with five-star restaurants, either. But the Phoenix area has quite a few notable spots that I long to try. I've knocked a few off the list over the years: Pizzeria Bianco, Cork, Cafe Boa, Vincent's on Camelback, and Matt's Big Breakfast. Some of the others still on the list are House of Tricks, Quiessence at the Farm at South Mountain, Sweet Republic, and Tammy Coe Cakes. I'll get there. In the meantime, I was happy the kids and I put a check mark next to this place today.

MacAlpine's has been on 7th Street since 1928. It was originally a pharmacy, but now it's a restaurant known for its sweet treats. I don't think the decor has changed much, and the retro boutique and antique stores attached on both sides help transport you to another era. You'd love it.

You'd love the sodas even more. Though they have 99 different syrup flavors so that you can create any concoction you could ever want, we all chose one of their suggested combinations with a cute title. Matthew had The Dark Side (vanilla and chocolate ice cream with a chocolate root beer syrup). Elizabeth had the Harry Potter-inspired butter beer soda (vanilla ice cream with butterscotch syrup). I had The Classic because, you know, I'm so classic. It was vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup. Classics are classics for good reason. My friend Kathleen had the I Dream of Jeannie (vanilla ice cream with Dreamsicle syrup).

I tried three of the four, and they were the best floats I've ever had. Kathleen said hers was scrumptious, and I believe her. Now you need to believe me and get to MacAlpine's.

Camping Research

There is so much information online that it's overwhelming. At the same time, it feels like there isn't enough. I'm researching for our first Airstream journey next week, and it's exhausting.

Originally we thought we'd go to Usery or Lost Dutchman to try out the trailer for the first time, but the weather here right now is ridiculous. Yes those campgrounds are close to home and don't require us to maneuver many winding roads or steep climbs, but did you hear me say it's 107 degrees? I'm not camping in the desert in 107 degrees. There are hardly any trees, it's all dusty, and it's freaking hot. So the mountains it is.

We decided on Payson because it's the closest cooler place. The forecast calls for rain on Monday, though, so I took a brief, manic detour in my research to find out more about the Grand Canyon. I think that trip may be a little too ambitious for our first time, so I'm back to focusing on Payson.

To avoid the rain and allow it to dry out (That should only take a few hours since it's still Arizona.), we'll head up the mountain on Tuesday and back down on Friday. Hopefully our batteries last that long as there are no electrical hook-ups. We'll conserve. We're good at that. There are some hikes we've wanted to check out for a while, so we'll do that and maybe go play in a creek. We'll explore, play, and relax.

In the meantime, I've been looking through campground maps, online campsite photos, and site details. Attempting to find the perfect campsite to reserve without seeing it in person is enough to drive a person mad. I'm trying really hard to locate our spot but probably not hard enough on staying sane. There's so much to consider. Back-in or pull-through? Shady or sunny? Will the Airstream's door face the campsite or the other way? These things matter to me, so I'm doing my best to find just the right spot, and I'm afraid of leaving anything to chance at least this time. Thank you, camping websites and Google Earth.

I think I've done all I can today. My eyes won't stay open, and campsites are starting to jumble together in my brain. My pal Aimee is heading to New York City next week, and she said she's studying Central Park like there's going to be a test! We're cut from the same mold, and I think we should both call it a day and get a fresh, focused start tomorrow morning. We'll probably find exactly what we're looking for as soon as we get back from our morning runs. Here's hoping.