The Summer Residence

The "Summer Residence" as I sometimes refer to it is home, well sort of. It's parked on the street in front of my house. Now I live in a typical middle-class suburb of a large city and the neighbours don't take kindly to vehicles up on blocks, old fridges in the back yard or RVs parked at the curb. I know the clock is ticking.

I kinda walk along the edge of respectability around here. Sometimes the lawn gets a bit long before it gets trimmed, sometimes the trash can sits out an extra day after being emptied, I admit that there are a *lot* of Dandelions in my lawn and in the winter and if the van can get over the snow in the driveway without going sideways, the driveway doesn't get shovelled.

I know, I know, I should burn in Hell for being such a slob but I figure the place is there for my ease and comfort not to provide me with a second, unpaid career or as a pretty setting for my next-door neighbour. So I know I'm on a pretty short leash regarding the RV out front.

My friend who was supposed to caravan with me to the seasonal site where Lazy Lady is going to life for at least the next 12 months, had his work schedule changed at the last minute, (How very inconvenient of his employer!) which means that I have no way of getting Lazy Lady to her site. Well, technically, I could get her there but then there would be no way of getting me back. I felt rather strongly about that, and so did my employer. So she sits out front aaaallllll week.

And I avoid eye contact with my neighbours.

I'm also a bit worried about the fridge. It's full of contraband groceries smuggled across the border. Shhh don't tell anyone but there's an RV in Canada full of American eggs, cheese (two kinds: cheddar and Swiss), ham and a peach! I need to keep it running. So how level does a fridge have to be, not to self-destruct? The road kinda slopes a bit at the curb and the side-to-side bubble in the cab isn't perfectly centred. It's a bit off. Now I've heard "half a bubble" is OK. Well is "bubble" a fixed quantity (distance/measurement)? How do I know when I've strayed past half-a-bubble into the death to fridges three quarters of a bubble? My level doesn't even have markings on it so I don't even know how much of my bubble is outside the OK zone. Don't laugh, this is complicated not to mention worrisome.

So, anyway, I'm worried about the fridge and also, will it run out of propane? How much propane will it use in a week? If it runs out of propane, will it automatically switch over to DC? If so, wIll the batteries last for the day until the sun comes up and the solar panels can re-charge the batteries? Why don't I just unload the fridge and turn the darned thing off? I dunno. Stupid I guess. All this over some damn-yankee eggs, cheese (two kinds: cheddar and Swiss), ham and a peach!

Well, good news, I'm sure you've been on the edge of your seat. The fridge and the eggs, cheese (two kinds: cheddar and Swiss), ham and a peach! survived.

Next Saturday my friend, his thirteen year old son and I set out for the wilds of East Gwillenbury. Here follows the pictorial record of our expedition.

Entering Grangeways

Pulling up to the Office

Grangeways Main Building

Lazy Lady Parked

Ahhh, that feels good.

Ginger