There was a strong wind blowing across the lake this evening.  I’m still running a fever, and the wind was the right temperature, so I went and sat down by the lake for a bit.

The sun was going down, the breeze really blowing, and I shut my eyes and took it in.

I don’t know about you, but I’m often reminded of great moments by simple things.  A cold rain reminds me of a day hiking.  Cinamon reminds me of my mem’s (grandmother) cooking.  And a sunset and breeze reminds me of a favorite moment on a ridge.  One of my favorite photos was taken that day, and just a fabulous memory.  So I sat and took that feeling in.

Here’s hoping tomorrow brings the fever to a close, and a nice short ride to my next camping spot.

More photos from the current trip and future trips can be found at:

http://www.digitalrv.net/gallery 

For quite some time now I’ve been waking up super early.  It really started with my whole stomach issue.  For some reason, like clock work, I’m up at 4:30.  Now, with the “Spring ahead” I’m up at 5:30.  Makes me feel a little more normal.  Funny how changing a label can do that.  Still up at the same time.

Went outside a few minutes ago, and saw that the skies are clear.  Should be a great day with many photo opportunities!

Off to shower, shave, have breakfast & the morning medications (i.e. the fistful of pills).  Then we’ll look to push off and spend some time on the Skyline Drive!

Also, if you’re looking for more pictures check out the new photo gallery at the digital rv.  Click here to see my personal gallery.  Want to creat your own too?  Feel free to sign up!

Sorry for the italics popping up all over the posts.  Something weird has happened, and I’ll fix it shortly. 

Maybe it was just April Fool’s Day.  Sure, we’ll chalk the tire up to that I suppose.  A learning lesson.  Going out on to the road means one thing:  Flexibility.  Fortunately we don’t have to be anywhere at a specific time, so not working against a clock!

After pulling out of our campsite / rest area / tire repair zone we got under way again. Couldn’t update the blog last night, as I was on a roaming partner of my carrier.  Wouldn’t you know 10 minutes up the way we were in Verizon’s coverage again.  10 more miles on the tire would have gotten me internet.  ;)  April Fool’s Day for sure!

We’re now parked in another rest area on Route 81 near Hazleton PA.  Stopped here to get on the net and update the blog, get e-mail, take a shower, have some extra breakfast food, check the new tire, check the other tires, and some other stuff.  Whew, glad I typed that and didn’t say it in one breath.

The spot where the blog was updated! 

This morning was very chilly, but already warming up.  The thing that helped.  A super hot shower here at the rest area!  Great spot for sure.  When we pulled in there were several other RV’s.  A big Class A with a huge satellite dish (got internet I bet), another trailer, a van style camper, and a smaller travel trailer.  We’re not alone.

We’ll be pulling out momentarily.  Pushing toward Front Royal at minimum.  The plan was Damascus, VA today.  But maybe not.  I’ve wanted to stay in the Front Royal area again.  Camped there several years ago in our Eurovan, and it was a nice spot.  So before I pack up the laptop I’ll do a few net searches on campgrounds in the area.

Still, you never know.  The next entry might be Damascus, Roanoke, Front Royal, or somewhere I haven’t thought of yet.

Warning! This will be a long one, and probably less on full timing / Airstreaming. You’ve been warned.

Today wrapped in everything, and was truly a total package. Highs and lows, all in under 24 hours.

Setting out this morning was a mixed bag. Sure, I’ve been out of my house in New Hampshire since early March. I’ve had more than a month to wrap my head around the medical stuff. And I’ve known for more than a week that hugging on my pups yields a great deal of physical discomfort. With all that though, rolling out today felt like letting go of everything again. It’s going to take me a bit of time to adjust, and everyone goes through that in their own fashion. Guess I’m working on finding my way.

It didn’t take long for me to feel a little odd on the Mass Pike. But I figured that was expected. Even knowing that I hit a rest stop pretty quick just to do a “check”. Good to drive, truck and trailer good, ok.

We didn’t make great mileage right away, but why would that be required any how? Take time, settle in to the trip, and watch what’s going on.

For the bulk of our driving time a storm was coming. The wind was really hitting the trailer, and I kept speeds lower. No sense in pushing it with odd weather. Initially I thought it was me getting used to towing again, but then at a rest area in NY state I stepped out into some amazing wind gusts. Ok, not the trailer, the weather.

If you’ve read the previous blog entries, you know what came next. A stop at a rest area on route 84 in PA between exits 20 & 26 found the first trouble on the journey. A tire on the Airstream was visibly shrinking, and we could hear the air hissing out quickly. No immediate cause was identified.

My lack of foresight left me without a spare tire (that will be dealt with this week), and uncertain about how to deal with it. But I remember that my coverage with Foremost insurance on the trailer included a road side assist number, so I called it.

While waiting on the repair person, I made several calls. Rich L. gave some great advice. Thanks Rich. Glad I could tap your full-timing experience. I also called my dad’s place and told them what had happened. My dad had mentioned needing a spare in the near future for the trailer just before we’d pulled out. Whoops. April Fools Day!

The waiting game went on for quite a while. Finally help arrived at 6:30. Still, can’t be anything but grateful for the assist.

While waiting we met the attendant for this rest stop, Amy. Hi Amy! Thanks for the assistance and conversation. There’s one great part about travel. Meeting good people along the way, striking up a conversation, and finding out stuff you didn’t know before.

We asked Amy what the policy on overnights was here. No troubles at all. So, given the time of the tire change, and distance to where we were headed, we decided to call the rest area “camp site number one”. Got to be flexible when traveling. Stuff will come up.

At any other time I think this would have been one of those, “stuff happens” type moments. However, the events of the past year, and the past few months in particular, left me feeling a little sorry for myself. I sat in the trailer watching “Scrubs” thinking, “I need a few good months.” Basically I’d like some “issue” free time, even the small issues. While survivable, I just feel like all the stuff has had a cumulative effect, if you follow my thinking.

I guess while waiting my biggest thought was I could have used a hug. As I noted above, I guess that’s part of the letting go process.

Tomorrow is a new day. Not discouraged at all. Rather just typing around and seeing what hits the screen. There’s some excitement and anticipation too, so don’t think there isn’t. But this whole thing will take some getting used to for sure.

Well, we pulled out of Sutton later than expected.  But we’re now on the road.  My friend Tom came up from FL to ride along for my first true outing since getting sick last year.  So far, so good.

Currently we’re in NY State on I-87.  We’re about to get on to I-84 and head west.

I will say, I had a moment or two of anixety when we got on to the Massachusetts turnpike.  Given that while I was sick I became anxious and couldn’t drive for a while, I’m not surprised.  But so far, so good (I know, I already said that).

It’s been real windy this morning, so I’m keeping it 55 - 60.  Taking my time about it.  There’s no rush.  Home is right behind the truck now (have to keep telling myself that), so if we don’t make a destination, where I am is the destination for the night! 

Ok, longer update when we stop for the day.

By the way, this update is being done with the Verizon Wireless Data card & the KR1.  Pretty slick.

Hmmmm.  That title kind of pushed it.  Oh well.

As you’ll notice, the Airstream Chronicles is getting a new look.  Be patient with us as we grow.  :)  Wanted to differentiate this blog from the sister site’s Digital RV Blog. 

An extremely busy prep day! And it all went well. I was on the road running errands from 8:30 this morning until 3:30 this afternoon. Normally folks wouldn’t be excited about running errands, but it’s a step for me.

Last year when I was feeling horrible I stopped driving for a while. The extreme dizzy spells, head aches, and above all severe abdominal cramping and odd feelings in my chest made me afraid to drive. Now I know what all those things were. Dizzy spells from the allergies (in severe cases it’s not uncommon), head aches the same cause, abdomin was due to the Eosinophilic gastroenteritis, and chest issues due to the Eosinophilic esophogitis.

Knowing what’s doing what to you really takes a great deal of stress off the system. For me, the symptoms and lack of diagnosis made me super anxious. And the dizzy spells made me worry I would not be able to control my vehicle. I didn’t want to cause any accidents.

So running around today, on my own, was a great feeling. Getting your feet back on the ground after such a tough year feels good! I’m still slowing “wading into the water”, but I’m getting there.

With all that said, super busy day folks! Had to hit Best Buy to find a HEPA filter. Found a good sized Holmes filter. Then to Wal-Mart for Dust Mite bed covers & pillow covers (thanks for the suggestion Rich L). The first Wal-mart didn’t have them, so I had to hit another one many miles away. Next a propane fill up. Then on to my former residence to drop off a vacuum cleaner and pick up mail. Not done yet…..Rite Aid to pick up another prescription (the Airstream is a rolling pharmacy, anti-allergy and anti-inflamatory). Finally to the last Wal-Mart where I found my new dust mite bed thing.

Whew!

While driving I noticed something. I went through a few construction zones with tons of dust in the air. Sure enough, I felt icky later, and realized what it was. So I kicked on the Titan’s recirculation for the air, and felt better shortly. The Titan has a filter for the recirc. Good deal. When I returned here and sat out for a while my eyes teared up and went red again. Now that I’m feeling better after the whole year it seems I’m almost extra sensitive. Not sure, but that’s how it seems. Not just me either. People around me can’t miss how red my eyes go, and how fast it happens. Hopefully with the new medication I’ll see further relief.

More allergy talk (sorry all, got some more thoughts)

Ok, back on the allergy stuff for a moment more. Last year I really felt horrible. There were days I remained curled up on the floor in pain, and fear of what was happening. And yes, I went to multiple physicians who dismissed me, and chalked it up as being anxious. That’s even with super high white, red, and Eosinphil counts. The explanation. “You must just run high.”

I read a friend’s account recently of his spouse’s recent reaction to allergens after not having problems for quite some time. Degrading health, severe migranes, in bed for days, extreme stomach upset, etc. Basically, unable to function fully. After speaking with my friend on the phone I found out how bad it was. In the end, sounded very familiar to me, and that felt good. Not that someone else experienced it, but that my reaction to it was the same. And if I’d gotten real help sooner I wouldn’t have lost so much time to the issue last year.

Given how bad my allergies are (never had them before), and the fact that I’ve got a weird auto-immune disorder, I’m pretty proud of myself. At times I wanted to call emergency services on a daily basis I felt so bad. Breathing issues, chest pain, and cramping that I never imagined could happen. Now that I’ve put some distance with those physical feelings I’m blown away by what I can physically endure.

So, I’ll really be testing myself with this little trip south. Pollen is up, I’m settling on to medication, etc. I figure though, now that I know what it is I’ll just have to see how it goes. I need a trip badly. After being stuck feeling ill for a year I really want to shake off that feeling, and know that I have the option to not be stuck inside. Worst case scenario, I pop into the Airstream, turn the HEPA filter on, and let myself feel a little better.

Anyone know how to hermetically seal an Airstream???

Today was an interesting and hectic day. Many things to do last minute, and had to do them in too many different places.

When I got up this morning I found the bright red eyes & congestion again. It had been rebuilding this week since the Dana incident (miss you Dana & Madison dogs).

So, had to follow up with the allergist sooner than I thought. The claritin isn’t helping with whatever’s in the air. I noticed yesterday and today that I was more or less affected throughout the day. I’ll find something that works soon, I’m sure. The allergist called in some type of new spray, so I’ll get that tomorrow. Guess it’s better than the Claritin.

Today I also decided to do a few minor maintenance things with the Airstream. Cleaned out the window screens (to the best of my ability). Short of detaching the windows you can’t really get the screens out. So, a vacuum hose, clorox wipes, and paper towels were used at all angles and positions to get at the screens. Something to be said for those nice big windows on the CCD’s, eh?

In addition to screen cleaning, door squeaking needed to be addressed. So I headed out to Wal-Mart to round up some graphite lubricant. Thanks for that note Rich Luhr!

I hit the Wal-Mart near Auburn.  Been there several times now, and I’ve got to say, nothing like our stores in New Hampshire.  The aisles are a mess, and things aren’t where they are supposed to be.  In the hardware section for instance, I counted 9 different rows with paint cans spread out through each.  Stuff just randomly shelved.

Why did I count all the paint can rows?  Well, after going through them 3 times to find the lubricant I figured while I was waisting my time I’d do something constructive.

After being frustrated at that Wal-Mart, I checked another in Whitensville.  I’ve been to that one several times in the last few weeks too.  And it’s in the same shape as the first mentioned.  Once again, nothing could be found.  Very different from all the ones I’ve been in at my home in NH, and on the road in VA and WV too.  Maybe it’s just this area.  Guess Wal-Mart isn’t the total monolith everyone thinks it is.  There’s room for a great deal of inconsistency. 

Finally I hit a local hardware store.  Boom, first try I found the graphite, and another grease for my hitch setup as well.  Looked at the aisle labels, walked down the aisle, and found what I wanted.  Hooray for local hardware shops.

Only a few days til I push out for a bit.  My friend Tom will be flying in Friday morning, and Saturday we’ll start driving.  I have some reservations now with the “allergy eyes” every morning.  But we’ll see how well the Titan’s recirculation filter works, and the new medication.  Worst case scenario, Tom gets to practice pulling an Airstream.  Might make him want his own.

Oh, finally, seeking a HEPA filter for the trailer.  Any ideas would be welcomed.  Something small that really works.  I’m not going to make a clean room out of the trailer, but I would like it to be a “cleaner than outside” room.  Gotta have a place to feel well after all.