Bad Luck Beast
I am so screwed by this weather this whole week! Rain, pouring rain, endless pouring rain. And the Beast has a beautiful hole in the roof plus a leaky window. I am so screwed.......
My plan had been to get one more good trip in this fall - 2 weeks in October to go down to the Gulf Coast. Since I ran out of time on sabbatical, I wanted to hit the one remaining part of the country I have yet to explore. Then I figured I would have 3 good years use out of the Beast, and could give her up. In February, I will also have my Honda for a decade - almost the longest relationship of my life. Since Honda City will take RV's as trade-in, and I was told I could trade both in for a new car, that was my plan.
But God is just laughing at that plan right about now. Last week, as I was preparing to go camping with friends in Portage then on to Waupaca for a Women's Retreat, the Beast was sounding rather sickly. In May I put a ton of money into repairs, including a new gear in the steering column. However Wednesday she groaned loud and clear as I was turning out of the storage spot. She drove pretty rough, but no worse than during the whole last month of my sabbatical, so I decided she could still get me through the weekend - which she did.
God was just starting to give me some signs though, that it is time to give up the Beast. Sunday I was driving away from Pine Lake Camp toward the main road. The dirt road leading out is just a little wider than the Beast, so I was busy watching a couple walking down the road and keeping my eyes open for incoming traffic.... so busy watching the road that I didn't look up to see the tree that had fallen partially over the weekend. AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH..... what is that horrendous grating and scraping noise?? Could that be what it sounds like when God laughs? Looking behind me, I saw the couple turning toward the noise and a tree leaning across the road and a chunk of plastic lying underneath it. Where the hell did that tree come from? It wasn't there on Friday when I drove IN to the camp!
The walking man climbed up the ladder on the back of the Beast to check the damage for me.... a cover for some kind of vent was now the decimated plastic lying on the road. "You've got a hole about 15" by 4" near the awning. Any idea what that vent might be?" The words came from the top of the ladder as I just imagined the worst. "How far do you have to go to get home?" It was raining lightly, but I knew there wasn't a whole lot I could do - even back in Milwaukee, since the Beast's home is outdoors.
The couple wished me well and said they hoped there was nothing that could be damaged by leaking under the hole. Later down the road when I came to a parking lot where I could pull off and survey the damage myself, I still couldn't figure out what that vent leads to. It's not the air conditioner or the bathroom vent or the antenna. It's just above the door and there's no opening into the RV anywhere at that spot. I have found no leaking, so I imagine the rain is just gathering somewhere inside the roof of the RV... but eventually it's going to have to go somewhere. I am so screwed.
Yep, so much for plans. The groaning of the Beast had already convinced me that I don't really trust her for a long trip again, but now I'm just hoping I can trade her in before the roof turns to mush and falls in. We've had rain every day since the hole. Tonight it has already poured forever, and there are more storms moving in. Could the timing be any worse?
My only hope is for a miracle. Perhaps a freak tornado will strike the Public Storage where the Beast lives? Then my insurance can cover the whole darn thing. Yeah, right .... I think I hear God doubling over in laughter at that idea.
At this point, I don't even know what to hope for.... except that I don't have a mushy ceiling when I go check on the Beast again. Yesterday I went to empty everything out, so she's ready to trade in.... if only I can beat the worst of the damage. sigh.......
She has served me very well. I guess I just hope she can die with some dignity yet.
My plan had been to get one more good trip in this fall - 2 weeks in October to go down to the Gulf Coast. Since I ran out of time on sabbatical, I wanted to hit the one remaining part of the country I have yet to explore. Then I figured I would have 3 good years use out of the Beast, and could give her up. In February, I will also have my Honda for a decade - almost the longest relationship of my life. Since Honda City will take RV's as trade-in, and I was told I could trade both in for a new car, that was my plan.
But God is just laughing at that plan right about now. Last week, as I was preparing to go camping with friends in Portage then on to Waupaca for a Women's Retreat, the Beast was sounding rather sickly. In May I put a ton of money into repairs, including a new gear in the steering column. However Wednesday she groaned loud and clear as I was turning out of the storage spot. She drove pretty rough, but no worse than during the whole last month of my sabbatical, so I decided she could still get me through the weekend - which she did.
God was just starting to give me some signs though, that it is time to give up the Beast. Sunday I was driving away from Pine Lake Camp toward the main road. The dirt road leading out is just a little wider than the Beast, so I was busy watching a couple walking down the road and keeping my eyes open for incoming traffic.... so busy watching the road that I didn't look up to see the tree that had fallen partially over the weekend. AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH..... what is that horrendous grating and scraping noise?? Could that be what it sounds like when God laughs? Looking behind me, I saw the couple turning toward the noise and a tree leaning across the road and a chunk of plastic lying underneath it. Where the hell did that tree come from? It wasn't there on Friday when I drove IN to the camp!
The walking man climbed up the ladder on the back of the Beast to check the damage for me.... a cover for some kind of vent was now the decimated plastic lying on the road. "You've got a hole about 15" by 4" near the awning. Any idea what that vent might be?" The words came from the top of the ladder as I just imagined the worst. "How far do you have to go to get home?" It was raining lightly, but I knew there wasn't a whole lot I could do - even back in Milwaukee, since the Beast's home is outdoors.
The couple wished me well and said they hoped there was nothing that could be damaged by leaking under the hole. Later down the road when I came to a parking lot where I could pull off and survey the damage myself, I still couldn't figure out what that vent leads to. It's not the air conditioner or the bathroom vent or the antenna. It's just above the door and there's no opening into the RV anywhere at that spot. I have found no leaking, so I imagine the rain is just gathering somewhere inside the roof of the RV... but eventually it's going to have to go somewhere. I am so screwed.
Yep, so much for plans. The groaning of the Beast had already convinced me that I don't really trust her for a long trip again, but now I'm just hoping I can trade her in before the roof turns to mush and falls in. We've had rain every day since the hole. Tonight it has already poured forever, and there are more storms moving in. Could the timing be any worse?
My only hope is for a miracle. Perhaps a freak tornado will strike the Public Storage where the Beast lives? Then my insurance can cover the whole darn thing. Yeah, right .... I think I hear God doubling over in laughter at that idea.
At this point, I don't even know what to hope for.... except that I don't have a mushy ceiling when I go check on the Beast again. Yesterday I went to empty everything out, so she's ready to trade in.... if only I can beat the worst of the damage. sigh.......
She has served me very well. I guess I just hope she can die with some dignity yet.
posted by Kris at 8/22/2007 08:14:00 PM
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