And the Countdown Begins - 12 Days

Oddly enough, the past few weeks have passed without me doing much for the trip. It was only just this past weekend that I was able to shoulder the yoke and get the ball rolling again. Some of that has to do with inertia; some of it has to do with Springtime and everything else that clamors for attention - the lawn needs mowed, shrubs, veggie plants and a tree needed planted - that kind of thing. But time is ticking, and the countdown has begun! Twelve days until this Dog and Ponytail show is on the road!

As I sorted through the Camping Box, I noticed that lots of the stuff that we use for tent camping is just not necessary for RV camping - and, conversely, there are things a person might use when cooking in a microwave that wouldn’t necessarily hold up well over an open flame. (My plastic Tupperware plates, for example). Mom somehow fit an entire set of aluminum pots and pans along with a cast iron skillet into the Camping Box. I’m not going to take those out - who knows if I might want to fry up some onions one evening. (I love caramelized onions. Mmmm.....) But cast iron and aluminum aren’t exactly microwave-safe. I could take some of my stoneware bowls, but since they’re breakable and so heavy (never mind that cast iron skillet), I decided what I needed was Corelle. You know, that very light, hard plastic dinnerware that is nearly unbreakable and works well in the microwave.

I don’t want to sink a lot of capital into this RV trip. When I get my Airstream or Rockwood trailer, then I’ll consider truly stocking it, but for this trip, it's off to the thrift stores. At the very first Goodwill store, I found two Corelle bowls in one pattern, and three bowls in another. Gosh - I didn’t know I was going to have to choose an RV pattern! I chose the set of three; the ones with the blue and green bands around the lip. As I was carrying them out to the car, where the dogs patiently waited, I realized that these bowls were just the right size for my favorite breakfast (oatmeal with peanut butter and chocolate chips) or my favorite lunch (yogurt with nuts), but they would be a little small for what I had planned for dinners. I’d have to extend my search and look for a serving bowl or some such thing.

The dogs greeted me as if I’d been gone for a day and a half, not the fifteen minutes I’d actually been on the hunt. I’d parked next door to the Goodwill, in the parking lot of a business that was closed on Saturdays. When I reached for the doorhandle, all three dogs jockeyed for the best position to greet me: Winnie snaked her head around the back of the driver’s seat, Tim jumped up from snoozing in the passenger seat, and Star stood on the console, hunched over like a vulture. I took my sunglasses off and put the bowls down, and all three dogs enthusiastically licked my face. As I wiped my face and put my sunglasses back on, I noticed a car parked a couple spaces away. Two women were in it, watching me and grinning from ear to ear. Fellow dog lovers! I laughed and waved, and they did too, and then, with the smile still on my face (along with a little bit of dog slobber, I imagine) the dogs and I were on our way again.

I finally found what I was looking for two thrift stores later. No luck finding a serving bowl, but on the off-chance I might find a liquid measure, I cruised the kitchen gadget aisle, and discovered a brand-new Tupperware microwave cooker. I’m sure you’ve seen them - the ugly, tan, hard plastic kind that has a lid that also serves as a dish. Each piece was marked $1.99, but when I got to the register, the clerk decided since it was obviously a set, she’d charge me $1.99 for both pieces. Not bad - three bowls for .79 each and a microwave cooker for $1.99. I think I can afford that.

So, now I’m set to pack up the Camping Box. Now that I’ve taken things like the battery powered lantern, the aluminum coffeepot, the single burner propane stove and its propane canister out of the Camping Box, there’s much more room in there, and I think I’ll utilize that room by packing my dry goods into it. As far as I know, the RV I’ve rented has no rodent problem, but after my visit to the used Airstream, I’m much more aware that such problems may exist; and if I keep all my dry goods, like my oatmeal, peanut butter, rice and such in the Camping Box, I won’t have anything to worry about.

Thanks, Mom!