Joei Carlton

Back to the Grind

I’ve been home long enough to get back to the daily grind and it ain’t pleasant.  Spent the first week unloading and putting away all that camper stuff.  Since the complex GAVE AWAY my parking spot to someone with a larger camper and I was not put near electricity (which I need to offload my camper) I took someone else’s spot and I know there’s going to be a fight at some point and I’m going to be in the middle of it.  I spent a couple of days loading up with groceries, had a dinner party so my dining room table would get cleared off of my 3 months worth of mail.

I also applied for a job teaching memoir writing at the Whalley Senior Center.  All I have to do now is fill out the paperwork to get another RCMP investigation done and drop it off. My last investigation was done less than two years ago but I just might have gone berserk in the last couple of years and swindled all those old people - oh, forgot - I’m ONE of those old people AND I now have to take an 8 hour course (paid for by ME) in First Aid.  There goes ANY salary I would have made in the first 2 or 3 weeks of teaching and, since I know me so well, I’m sure if any problems do come up I’ll be the first one out the door calling 911 - but I applied, they seemed interested in my teaching skills so I might as well increase my life’s experience.

Yesterday, finally a ray of sunshine, my friend (and neighbor) Danielle and I went to the RV Show in Chilliwack.  Met up  with another RV friend, Joan, who just returned from California.  I, of course, was looking for another place to camp for next winter and realized on my way there that the vendors would be featuring summer locations.  I entered several drawings and I think I’ll be receiving a one-week stay in a Palm Springs campground. It’s probably a new campground or a recently upgraded one and they are looking for takers - so I’ll take.  Saw nothing that would interest me in the way of a new camper - I’ll stick with my old faithful truck camper. Easy to load, easy to offload, easy to drive around even though a few campgrounds do not allow taking the camper off and living in it off the truck. Their loss since I won’t be staying at ANY of those campgrounds ever again.

Had a nice chat with (vendor) Sheila, owner, editor and publisher, of the RV Times and (vendor) Al Cohoe from the Lifestyle Conference at Okanagan College and one of my favorite people in the whole world who was flogging the conference.

Today it’s back to the rainy days and I’ll be spreading my income tax stuff all over my dining room table - but this time I’ll get it done…..or close enough.  

Let me check that calendar to see when I’m back on the road……..Joei

HOME

My last long day’s drive was 388 miles from Grants Pass, Oregon to Tacoma, Washington - the last two hours done in on and off rain.  My sister asked why I drove so long in bad weather and I told her that the next day was going to be worse and I wanted to get as close to the border (and home) as possible.

When I arrived at the Flying J in Tacoma  I recognized why I rarely stop there.  It’s small. Not many parking spots. It’s too close to the noisy trucks. The television room has chairs that Noah used on the Ark and sold to Ikea and Lincoln was happy to be assassinated in because it put him out of his misery. I watched Saving Private Ryan before heading for bed.

Sleeping was not good.  It rained overnight and was very cold.  I awoke to rain mixed with ice pellets.  Left early and drove in and out of rain and snow.  About 20 miles south of the border was a snowstorm that I could barely see through.  Fortunately there was little hold up at the border.

I knew that if I went straight home I would start unloading my camper and would miss lunch and possibly dinner so I stopped at Tim Horton’s for chili.  It only took a couple of hours to unload.  I parked my camper in our RV lot - my spot (next to a power pole that I need to offload my camper) had been given away and I e-mailed our Guardian of RV Lot and told him that the spot he assigned me was not acceptable and if I didn’t hear from him by the next morning I would take any currently available spot and he could argue with the person whose spot I had taken……I moved the next morning into another, offloaded my camper and I haven’t heard from the Guardian since…..but I’m ready for a fight.

I spread 3 months worth of mail on my dining room table and was slowing going through it.  I knew that if I didn’t invite some friends for dinner my dining room table would never again see the light of day.  My dinner (and game)  party was last night and we all enjoyed it.  Had a couple of glasses of wine and no one had to drive home…..everyone lives in this building……what fun.

And somewhere inbetween all that stuff I  had my tooth repaired at a dentist that I could walk to - they did a great job and because I didn’t have any insurance they gave me a discount.  My own dentist was on holidays for a week or more…..I might be changing dentists             AND

Managed to spend a couple of days doing grocery shopping so my larder is well stocked.

Glad to be home.  Getting stuff washed, vacuumed, sorted, paid and put away…..but ask me again in three months how it feels being home.  You’ll get a different answer but by that time I’ll be back on the road for the summer.    Joei

Almost Home

With any luck I’ll be home in a couple of days.  Thanks to good weather and little traffic it has been a fairly good trip.  I almost wiped someone out but that would have been his own fault.  I passed a truck, looked in my side mirror to see the truck well back so I put on my blinker and started pulling back into the slow lane…..and a red van was pulling into the slow lane right along side me……needless to say he pulled onto the gravel and went around me. He was gone in a flash flying low……and good riddance.  Another van tried to pass a tractor trailer on the inside while the truck was pulling back into the slow lane…..the van backed off in a hurry.

First day on the road I drove about 350 miles.  I stopped in the Flying J in Lodi, had a salad for dinner and broke off a cap.  It wasn’t a back cap.  It was not a front tooth but close enough that I can’t smile without looking like the wicked witch of the west…..a black pointy thing and I whistle when I use “F” words…..any “F” words.  Not pretty and doesn’t sound good.

From Lodi I drove to Corning, California. It was only 145 miles but it felt endless and I was exhausted with a mild headache when I arrived.  I guess my 350 mile drive days are over.

The drive today was about 250 miles to Grants Pass, Oregon.  Delighted to have made it over Mt. Shasta and the Siskiyous with sunshine and, once again, little traffic.  I’m now in one of my favorite campgrounds and the only campground I stay in as I travel north and south on Highway 5.  I have cable television, wifi, clean showers, my heater if it gets cold. The only thing I’ll be missing is going to Fire Mountain Gems for beading material because tomorrow is Sunday and they’re closed.  Don’t want to stay over another night because I want to get my tooth looked at as soon as possible.

Tomorrow I’ll stay overnight at the Flying J in Tacoma.  I’ll do a little shopping in Marysville, Washington, pick up my mail and drop off the extra books that haven’t been sold at my storage unit in Blaine, Washington and then over the border and home.

Hope the rest of the trip is as easy.   Next update - from Surrey, BC.     Joei

Good Bye Hemet

My time in Southern California is, once again, coming to an end for this year.  I’ll be glad to leave this campground (Golden Village Palms) behind, probably never to return.  With the change in management came some very UNPLEASANT new rules and regulations and since I wasn’t prepared for these new rules (in short - didn’t do my homework) I kind of floundered when I left for those weeks in January.

My main problem was not being allowed to take my camper off the back of my truck which left me without the use of my truck for a month.  A rule that should have come off the books 30 years ago when 4 electric jacks were standard equipment on truck campers.  The swimming pool is at least 5 or 6 degrees cooler, which didn’t help, since the weather was the pits most of the time.  They seem to have cut down on staff because it’s just not as clean as it used to be.

On the plus side, if I hadn’t left for a few weeks I would not have contacted my cousin whom I hadn’t seen in about 30 years living in Indio.  I would not have contacted my former roommate, Joyce, whom I had not seen in about 10 years and thanks to Joyce I reconnected with her brother-in-law Don (whom I dated when I was 18 and he was 20). He too is an RVer and loaned me (delivered and set up) his 5th wheel so I could come back to this campground in Hemet.  I left my truck camper on his property for safekeeping.

Today I have to head back up to Don’s place and get my camper.  He will pick up his 5th wheel on the weekend and Tuesday I hit the road.

It has been a productive few months.  My new mini read - Down on the Farm - is now available and the first orders are being shipping out today.

There will be a few things that I’m going to miss.  I have a few friends here in the campground that I’ve enjoyed, especially my friend Anna - fellow writer, creator and a lover of learning new things.   I’ve enjoyed the guitar-playing, song-writing singing by Idaho resident, Dave, who has treated us to his talent at various potlucks and, of course, I’ll miss my old/new friend Don.

I’m hoping for a safe journey home.   Joei

Almost Complete

Another project is almost complete.  Down on the Farm is in it’s final editing - would have been done weeks ago if OpenOffice.org along with Microsoft Publisher 2007 didn’t fail me at a crucial moment.  I had to retype the entire book directly  into Publisher rather than import the chapters but it’s almost done.

The new covers have been uploaded to my Mini Read section, Paypal has been added and my first orders have been received.  Picked up a load of ink today so I won’t run out in the middle of printing.  Did some price checking on cost of ink.  Staples was the same price as Office Depot but I have a Canadian Office Depot card and it works down here in Southern California.  Good to know.  I will be getting 10% back on the cost of the ink AND as a little bonus I got a 500 pack of HP 24 lbs paper - about a $10.00 value in Canada.  Really paid to shop around.

I’ll finish the editing tomorrow (or possibly later tonight after cribbage), print it out tomorrow and mail out my first order.

Got an e-mail from the RV Lifestyle Conference organizer today.  He wants to know what classes I would like to teach.  Time just marches forward - just the way it’s supposed to be.

All is organized.     Joei

Another Birthday

Well birthday number 66 has come and gone and I’ve survived - and little older, a little wiser but unlike Route 66 I’m still going strong.

I spent February 11 on a bus trip going from Hemet in Southern California (where I’m camping) to Culver City Studios and the Bonnie Hunt Show.  For the uninitiated Bonnie is one of the sweetest, funniest afternoon talk show hosts and I really hoped that she was the same way in person…..thankfully she is adorable and the interaction with her crew was priceless.  As promised we started off the a root beer and hot dogs and I was fortunate enough to get an aisle seat.

Her guests yesterday were Molly Ringwald, Dr. Stork from The Doctors - I’m sure half the audience wanted to run off with him and Andy Something-or-other from Animal Planet bringing his own guests with him - an Arctic Fox, a turtle, a cat of some kind (I think a Cherval) and an elephant - yup an elephant right there on stage munching on a whole watermelon and drooling all over the stage.  Good show, great guests but I’ll repeat - her interaction with her crew was the funniest. I LOVE DON LAKE.

At the end of the show Bonnie walked up and down all the aisles and shook hands and thanked her audience for coming to the show……..Don’t want to end on a sour note but her show will end in May…..I can think of a lot of other shows that should be canceled.  Bonnie’s show should continue…..everyone needs a good laugh.

Bus trip was the way to go…..let someone else do the driving.

Watch for me in the audience on Monday, February 15th.  I know I’ll be watching.   Joei

Moving Right Along

I have temporarily resolved my computer problems.  I thought the program wasn’t working because I couldn’t convert a couple of chapters of my new mini read from  Open Office to Publisher 2007 and a friend helped me get the chapters into the book.  Once I started reading the printout I discovered that the problems were occurring all the way through the book.  I deleted the entire booklet and I’m retyping it directly into Publisher. Seems to be working and a lot less frustrating - it’s a lot of work though.  After a just a few days I’m about half way through it.

I’ve also had an offer that I couldn’t refuse.  My cover/website designer Brion of www.bookcreatives.com has offered to do my mini book covers and has sent me copies of the 2 covers.  Laughed so hard my eyes were watering.  Showed the covers around and everyone approves so I’ve decided to change the cover of How I Lost 3 Pounds in 30 Years of Dieting Without Going Hungry as well as a new cover for Down on the Farm.  Can’t wait to finish this one and go on to the next.  Have at least 3 or 4 more on the drawing board and (hopefully) they will all have the same character on the cover.  A new line with my own trademark.

Lots of activities in the campground that I’m enjoying and, being that this is my special week, I’ll be heading over to the Bonnie Hunt Show on Thursday.      Joei

Back to Production

I’ve known for a long time that I am far more productive when I’m comfortable with my surroundings and being back with friends in this area is proof.  My new mini - How ya gonna keep’em DOWN ON THE FARM after they’ve seen the farm - is ready for it’s last editing.

Worked until midnight last night and 5 chapters have now been put into Publisher.  I’ve only done one other book so it took a while to figure much of it out. I’ll finish the rest of the book sometime over the weekend.  The evening before I worked on the front cover and, again,  sometime over the weekend I’ll be doing the back cover.  Have a few ideas for that one.

My PHD teacher friend, Joan, will be doing one last editing and I’ll be printing out the book in no time at all.  The next job will be to get it to my computer/website guru, Brion Sausser, at www.bookcreatives.com and get it up on my website.   I’m away to the races.

I’m thoroughly enjoying being in a bigger camper.  Cleared off part of the table last time to have Joan in for dinner.  She brought washable plates that I don’t seem to have in the camper and homemade cookies for desert.    All’s well.    Joei

Home, home in the campground

Long day yesterday. Finished loading my stuff into Don’s 5th wheel and he delivered it to the Golden Village Palms in Hemet.  I followed in my truck and the last couple of miles I pulled in front to lead him directly to the front gate. Can’t remember the last time my camper was off the back of my truck and I forgot how bumpy the ride is without it - needs some weight in the back - but we made it without any problems. 

I booked in for 5 weeks. Because I’m using a different camper (in someone else’s name) they gave me another 1/2 price week.  Can’t beat that.  I couldn’t believe how easy Don made backing up that camper into a tiny little spot look. It took over an hour to set the 5th wheel up because we couldn’t get the television working and I had bitched and moaned so much about not having cable that he certainly wasn’t going to leave me without it.  Everything was done by about 2:30 and at 3:00 we went out to lunch - he dropped me off at the camper and went to take his son out for a birthday dinner.

Speaking of birthdays I have another one coming up in a few weeks.  Last year I spent my birthday at the Ellen DeGeneres Show and this year I’m heading to the Bonnie Hunt Show.  Booked it today.

Although I’ll find another campground (probably in Mesa, Arizona) for next year I’m glad to be back in Hemet. Ran into several friends who (said) they were glad to have me back.  Set up my computer last night, watched television (Desperate Housewives - my favorite) and damn near froze to death because I don’t like heat at night.  My little electric heater warms my little pisser in less than an hour - this humougus camper needed hours and I turned it off before it even warmed up 5 degrees.  Ah well…..can’t have everything.   Glad to be back amongst friends.    Joei

Last 2 weeks

My last 2 weeks on the road have not been what I expected.  The Western Horizons Membership park was anything BUT luxury.  No cable, no internet that worked and members weren’t the least bit friendly.  They might have been happier if they had cable and internet.  Needless to say - I didn’t join.

I drove around to about 10 different parks in Quartzlsite.  The one park that had a few spots I didn’t want to stay in - everything was old - no people around - and the campers looked like they were there since the last flood - as Noah would say “The Great Flood.”  I left and drove to Yuma. I arrived late, thanks to a camper just pulling into the Sam’s Club parking lot I knew that I couldn’t stay in their lot. Apparently the police come around at midnight and tell you to leave.  That would have scared the heck out of me, to say the least.

I found a campground, paid for the week and then discovered that they didn’t have cable either.  The people were super friendly and made my week a little more pleasant than normal.  The neighbor parked behind me invited me to dinner the night I arrived. The next day we went to the Home Show in Yuma - which took about an hour to go through and at noon we left for Quartzsite - so I got to pick up about $20.00 worth of beads - stuff I would have paid 3 or 4 times that in a regular bead store.  I was happy. 

For the weekend my new/old friend Don drove down to Yuma to spend some time with me.  Thoroughly enjoyed our visit and on Sunday drove down to Algodonis, Mexico - not sure of the spelling but we left his truck behind gates on U.S. side and walked over.  It seems only the pharmacies, doctors and dentists do any business there….and it is a flourishing business.

The rest of the week went slowly in the campground. Played bingo, cribbage, did some beadwork with a neighbor and left in a violet storm yesterday.  Lots of rain, heavy gusts of wind that threatened to blow me off course but I saw nothing of the flooding that I watched on television last night.  I was very grateful to be off the road. 

I’m currently at Don’s place in Morongo Valley, north of Palm Springs.  This afternoon I’m unloading my stuff into his 5th wheel, off-loading my camper from the back of my truck which will stay in his gated yard and he’ll be delivering his trailer back to the campground in Hemet where I’ll stay for the next month.  I’ll find a new campground next year but for this year heading back to friends, Golden Village Palm with it’s a–hole manager and Don will have a 45 minute drive to come visit me.  I think that’ll work all the way around.  Tonight - skinny dipping in his pool and hot tub.  (Just seeing if you’re paying attention)

By the way…..woke up to snow on the ground in Morongo Valley this morning. With this weather I couldn’t have stayed in Canada - but look at the fun I would have missed.    Joei