At freightliner

We are in Kansas City and Dave discovered the other day that there is a leaking wheel seal on the coach. He called Freightliner, and they said they could get the coach in to fix it if we would get in today first thing. So crack of dawn we are up and get to the shop around 8:00.

We leave the coach and go on to see my aunt Martha who is in a skilled nursing facility dealing with lung cancer. Martha’s brother and sister-in-law are here, a cousin who is like a sister. Nieces, nephews, etc.  Martha has to have radiation treatment today. She refused the treatment the other day because she is hurting already, and the position they had to put her in for treatment hurt terribly. On a scale of 1-10 she said it was a 15.  We all encouraged and coaxed and cajoled her into trying one more time. Today we get her a combination of pain meds and zanax before she goes to radiation. Cross our fingers it helps.

This whole trip has been rough on everyone. Family members stressed out. Through it all Dave has been wonderful. He’s driven people around. Gotten meals. Taken people to dinner… to get toothbrushes… He’s been unobtrusive, staying out of the way, all the while helping. But he would like to be more help. To be able to fix things.  Ultimately none of this is fixable. But he has given comfort and I think that’s the best we can do.

Meanwhile, around 2:00 Dave checks on the coach and they haven’t started on it. He’s worried about the cold, a coach is not like a truck, there are systems that have to be maintained at a decent temperature, and its cooooold here. In the 20’s.

Martha and her son and I go on to radiation, Martha does great, no pain. So she agrees to do the rest of the treatments. Success! We celebrate with milk shakes from Burger King. Simple pleasures.

Dave finds out at 5:30 that they haven’t started on the coach! Freightliner says to bring it in again “first thing in the morning” and they will get to it. Argh. We go back to the coach. It is freezing ass cold out here. The coach is solid cold inside. We and decide, ok, we will just spend the night here, then we will be here already “first thing in the morning”.

I’m excited. This is so neat. I get to spend the night in a parking lot for the first time, something I’ve been wanting to do forever. We are surrounded by a hundred semi trucks. Our “big” coach looks like a toy here. Its no problem for me, but Dave has to figure out how to make the whole thing work. We’re boondocking in the middle of Kansas City.

So tonight we have the generator running, three space heaters on, electric blanket on high and finally the coach is warming up to normal operating temperature. We’ve had leftover pizza for dinner and chocolate for dessert. Hah. Dave says it will be noisy with the generator. I don’t care. It’s fun!

I’m so happy. About Martha, about getting to spend the night boondocking, about having the best husband in the world. (And possible snow, but don’t tell Dave)  I’ll have to take a benadryl to get to sleep tonight.

Life is good.