Saturday Night RV Test

We tested our new (to us) RV out on Saturday evening. There is a KOA approximately five miles down the road. That seemed a safe distance from home in case things went awry.

We should have left a little earlier Saturday, but it took me over half the day to get ready for the maiden voyage. There's a lot of stuff to pack up just for a bit of camping.

The KOA was very nice. It had a children's playground, a "petting zoo" consisting of two goats and some peck your fingers off chickens, and a murky, moat-like "fishing" pond that went in a circle with ducks swimming in it. There was a bridge over the pond and we threw bread off the bridge to the ducks.

There is no chivalry in the animal kingdom, let me tell you. The male mallards would steal a crust of bread from the females just as quick as their bills could gobble. It was a case of you snooze you lose.

There was also a pool and hot tub, both closed. The pool made sense to me for being closed but not the hot tub.

The husband had realized after we got on the road that he had left the instruction manuals at home. He wanted to turn around, but I was sure he could figure things out. There were a few things he couldn't hook up, but they were minor and we were quite comfortable.

J brought her friend D along. They had a good time together. The husband and I played board games with them while A pouted, because the games were too hard for her. I did play one game of Uncle Wiggily with her. She won. Perhaps I let her, but I'll never tell. I don't make a habit of letting her win, because she needs to learn how to lose also.

I cooked dinner on my four burner stove. Four burners! Woo-hoo. It worked better than the stove in my house. It was a little awkward at first because the space was so small, but I soon re-learned the dance of the RV. It's a carefully choreographed ballet where everybody maneuvers around each other while resisting the urge to yell, "Get the hell out of my way!"

After dinner and halfway through board games, SJ had a meltdown. He hadn't napped all day long and it wasn't surprising. I got him to sleep in five minutes flat.

Before bed that night, the husband asked me if I wanted him to turn on the heater. I replied that the RV was warm enough and that we didn't need it. After listening to me on not turning around to get the RV instructions, I'm surprised he listened to me on this one. I wish he hadn't.

Everyone else was warm enough, but I froze my butt off all night. I kept waking up with my teeth chattering. Every time I tried to get in a comfortable, warm spot, SJ woke up and I had to get him back to sleep. I couldn't stretch my legs out and the back of my knees cramped up. It was a VERY long night.

I will say that our mattress was surprisingly comfortable. I was worried about it as it looks like it has been run over by a steamroller.

In the morning, I cooked breakfast. Allison and the husband went to the petting zoo. After I got dressed, I took SJ to feed the "gucks". Considering the pond looked a little like a slimy waste dump, I think his word for them was more descriptive. He didn't care what the pond looked like. He was outside. He was free and he was throwing food at a new kind of animal.

We packed it up after about an hour of outside time. It was about an eighteen hour camping trip, just long enough to figure out what needed fixing on the RV.

The kids had a great time which always makes me feel like the weekend was successful. And Old Horse, I figured out a way you can make your pile. Put a sensor on a puppy that emits a noise when the puppy is about to sneak off and take a crap in the back of your RV. Get on it soon, please.