After that swing thru Chicago, we decided to visit Madison, Wisconsin…a town we have passed thru dozens of times but never actually stopped. Unless you count the time we were thrown out of a Walmart there!! Liz’s niece is attending Pharmacy School at UW, so we booked a spot at a gr8 city park and spent several days. These included a bunch of bike rides, a few meals with Caroline, some wandering around the UW campus, etc. Really enjoyed the town and all its amenities … We look forward to going back!!
While in Madison, we realized it was time to FORMALIZE something we have sort of been casually working on for the 9 years we have been on the road. We are on a “WEIRD MUSEUM TOUR!!!” A lot of really cool, but relatively “normal” museums. But some are definitely WEIRD. In Madison, we found the International Mustard Museum. Previously have been to such oddities as the American Pigeon Museum (in OKC), The Viking Long Boat Museum in Fargo, ND. The Hodag Museum (more of a legend and a store) in Rhinelander, Wi. The UFO Museum in Roswell, NM. The House on the Rock.
Along the same lines, we finally stopped at a place we have also passed by for years: The SPAM Museum in Austin, Mn., which included a SPAM SAMMY and a SPAM history lesson. At some point, I might collect all of the “WEIRD MUSEUMS” together into a collective fantasy for those of our readers who want to emulate our lifestyle. Or not.
Also weird was the Monroe Wisconsin Cheese Fest. Not that the festival is any more weird than any other small town extravaganza…well except maybe for the food offerings such as a Limburger and Onion Samich. Perhaps weird, and maybe even a little delicious…certainly memorable! What WAS weird was that we got to participate in a WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT, with the Guinness folks present and officiating. This was to be the WORLD’S LARGEST POLKA DANCE. Without a doubt, the number of participants exceeded the previous record by several thousand AT LEAST!
Our visit to Monroe was inspired and hosted by friends Rich and Becky Beem. Rich grew up in Monroe. Rich was something of royalty at the festival…at least judging by the number of people to whom he said “hey.” As a result of our affiliation with Rich, we got to meet … The HEAD CHEESE MAKER at the festival, and watch as curds were created…and consumed by us and a few thousand other event-goers within hours thereafter.
And, while on the subject of Polka Dancing, our path and timing happened to coincide with the Oktoberfest in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. We SOMEHOW managed to get a spot in the local campground…when I called to see if this was possible, the woman said they had a parking lot for dry camping, which would have been fine, but then she said, “Wait…I see that one of our seasonals left a couple days early…their spot is yours if you want it!” Really lucky, that, so DONE!!!
Oktober Fest featured lots of opportunities for Bratwurst and Beer, as well as almost continuous Polka and German Dancehall music in a big tent. We did our best in the afternoon, but when evening came around all the local college students arrived, and turned the dance floor into a Polka-version of a Mosh-pit. The various folks like us of a “certain age” decided NOT to risk broken bones with the youngsters, so we sat the evening out.
One experience not to be believed or replicated elsewhere was one of the many found on the fest’s extensive beer wall…”Shitty Beer.” The actual name…you cannot make this sh*t up! And, it actually was!!!
When we got back to the Chicagoland area for our DOC appointments we decided to have some of our Chicago Friends from the Neighborhood over to the bus for a BBQ. Normally, we’d get together with the coordination of one or another friends for a soiree at a favorite restaurant. We ended up with one of those STUNNING fall weather days, and had a great repast and lots of good conversation.
Also while in Chicago, Facebook’s Algorithm Changed our Trajectory!
I have always been amazed that Facebook suggests pages to Liz based on things I am browsing for. But that is sort of after-the fact suggestions…I am looking, and she is related to me and might be looking for an XMAS present. Not a real stretch—-a little creepy, but not a stretch! But this time was even moreso amazing!!! I started seeing ads for a music festival featuring several bands I would LOVE to see. It was in Florida in May. Now, we weren’t planning to BE in Florida in May … in fact the festival coincided with Doc appointments in Chicago, so we would be a long way from Florida! Yet, FB persisted.
Eventually, I started to think: why do we HAVE to be in Chicago? Doc appointments can be rescheduled; our house has wheels…why NOT go to the festival!!! Not only that, I mentioned this to a couple college buddies, and THEY are going also!! So, Facebook CREATED the demand by refusing to even let me THINK I was not going. That is some powerful algorithm!
So we ultimately made it back to Minneapolis, and made good and sure that the NBA channel worked for Dad.
We even had a chance for a BBQ with Minneapolis-based College friends
Then we headed out (on Halloween…just ahead of a snow event!) to Oklahoma City, where we planned to spend almost a month. There were several home games where we looked forward to watching Chet play, but also a chance to have TWO Thanksgiving meals with my family.
The first was an event Chet hosts every year for Foster Families, and the second a more traditional Thanksgiving with my sister, Brother-in-law and their kids (although not Chet, as the NBA schedule had them on the road on Thanksgiving-Actual).
For one of the games in OKC we were joined by Rhoda and Brian Gibler…Bluebirdbrains passing thru OKC on the way home to Oregon.
We had a couple days together…Liz tried to provide a nice local wine for the occasion…not a lot to choose from in OKC!
After which, the whole month went off the rails completely…
It was the third Home Game, and we had invited Lynn and Dave Gray, Oklahoma Friends whose ranch pastures have hosted Good Trouble more than once, to join us. We had a great dinner, spent some time catching up, then went to the game. We had GR8 seats arranged by Chet/the team sitting with my sister and a friend of hers. The opponent was the Warriors…worthy for sure!
I have seen him fall lots of times in ways that would break me in half
In the first period, Chet fell SUPER AWKWARDLY. Now, I have seen him fall lots of times in ways that would break me in half, but this time he did NOT get up. They did finally help him up, but the trainers tried to do the shoulder-carry thing, and their shoulders were at Chet’s waist, so some taller teammates came to help. He was basically carried to the Locker room, and shortly after my sister left the seats as it became clear Chet was not coming back out.
Long story long (as I am Wont to do), Chet fractured a bone in his pelvis/hip, and was going to be out for at least 6-8 weeks. The Docs were encouraged that he would not need surgery and would make a full recovery and assured him he WOULD be able to come back THIS YEAR!!! On the bright side, perhaps the only player in the playoffs not exhausted from a full season of basketball!!! Weird and unlucky tho, when for the second time the docs said, “gee, that’s an injury we rarely see in Basketball.” And for at least 4 weeks, there needed to be pretty much enforced 100% immobility!!!!
At one point, they called me the “Pillow Fairy”
This shifted my sister into MOM-Mode again, where she basically made sure Chet got his 7 meals a day. This shifted us into “Run Errands” mode. At one point, they called me the “Pillow Fairy” as I had acquired just about every size and shape of pillow that could be used to help Chet find a comfy position in his immobility.
While he was still on the Ortho Ward, we asked Chet if he’d mind visitors. He said, ” ABSOLUTELY, especially if you bring contraband…” Knowing FOR SURE this would not be something from a dispensary, I asked Chet what need we could (legally) fulfill. He said :
COOKIE DOUGH ICE CREAM WITH SNICKER DOODLE COOKIES!!!!
Apparently the team nutritionist was not providing ANY sugar or processed foods. Rationalizing that the patient’s mental wellbeing was AT LEAST as imPOtent as his nutrition, Liz and I procured the “Contraband” and snuck in the back door of the hospital to deliver it.
We also had the honor to help with Chet’s Thanksgiving event for Foster Kids. By help, I mean mainly trying very hard not to be the “Weird Uncle” everyone talked about afterwards!
Chet INSISTED that he wanted to come to the event, and the team and family made it happen for him. They figured a way to get him in the car and up to the event space. A stool to sit on (not coincidentally right by the dessert table where all the delicious options had been baked by Chet’s sister, Claire).
When they gave him a microphone, Chet joked that under the circumstances, he wasn’t gonna be walking around to say hello, sign hats and shirts, etc. but the kids could come to him at the front. I know the kids appreciated he was there…a couple of Chet’s teammates and coaches even made cameo appearances.
This blog would not be complete without at least SOME discussion of Bus Repairs. Good Trouble has been REMARKABLY Trouble Free, but still we have a list of things that need to happen proactively. And always a surprise or 2.
While in Chicago, I spent some time organizing parts for a visit in December to our mechanic in Alabama. I was planning to replace shocks and airbags on OUR schedule, not under duress….they were 40 years old, after all! I agreed with the mechanic that we would order some of these parts (the weird ones he’d have trouble getting from his normal sources) and have them shipped to him to await our arrival.
This went off the rails almost immediately, when the vendor of the shocks shipped them to an address on file (we had ordered shocks at one point for our old bus!) instead of the shipping address I had clearly indicated on the order.
Of course, we SOLD OUR BUILDING IN CHICAGO 2 years ago.
As soon as I realized the problem, I called the vendor, who admitted the mistake and offered to reship, while he tried to get the product shipped to Chicago returned. This would have been the day after they were delivered, so should be easy. The problem is, the house in Chicago is still for sale, having been renovated by the agent who bought it from us. That agent is, to be polite, a PIECE OF WORK…at least based on the difficulty of the interactions when we sold him the building and proven again by this situation. I gave the vendor his number and email address, and the vendor called and asked if he would please print and put a label on for UPS to return the erroneous shipment.
The agent’s response: “I don’t have a printer.” If Webster needed a picture for the definition of As*hole, I could provide one!
So the vendor asked if I could have a former neighbor do this. OF COURSE, I said, and immediately asked Rich, who had taken care of our place for the first 5 years we were on the road. Of COURSE, Rich said he would be glad to!!! Now, the vendor had to get the As*hole to return the product at least to the porch of our former building (which seemed to me a lot more trouble than just printing a label, but what do I know!). To my knowledge, the vendor has yet to receive his product back…I feel really bad.
Why the Real Estate Agent felt the need to do this is quite beyond my comprehension? The vendor made a mistake, and a normal human being would help fix the problem, don’t you think? Some people just work at being as troublesome as they can be… Hopefully bad kharma will attach to the as*hole as he surely deserves it!!! (If you are, by chance, looking for real estate in Chicago, do let me know…I will steer you AWAY from such trouble. )
Anyway, The re-shipped parts arrived and we arrived in Alabama for the work to be done. This time, we had an epiphany!
We have been coming to this mechanic since he helped us out of our first jam 9 years ago. Usually we stay in the bus in the yard if there is an overnight involved; sometimes in the shop if the bus cannot move. This time, the repairs were anticipated to take at LEAST 2 days, so we booked a HOTEL ROOM nearby. This meant Liz could enjoy the pool, the spa or take the car to Michaels to enjoy the yarn…she did NOT need to come to the shop, sit in the car and watch the cows in the adjacent field. Why this never occurred to either of us before is unclear…for a small investment in a local hotel, we can anticipate ANOTHER 33 years of marriage!!!
As for the repairs themselves, nothing particularly unexpected.
Bags and shocks (suspension parts) were intended and easily replaced (and its amazing how much smoother the ride is with new suspension parts!).
We replaced several Transmission hoses…one was leaking a tiny bit, and we figured the rest were the same age. This was a slight problem as two of the hoses needed weird fittings on the end which had to be provided by a hydraulic shop in Mobile. Our mechanic handled it tho, so no problem.
We also had a leaking wheel seal, which was easy for them but not for me to fix…it’s a precision repair involving a sledge hammer!!!
And, now, we are settled in for a month or so at a park in the “Redneck Riviera,” near Gulf Shores, Alabama. We’ll be here until early January…we are flying to Virginia to attend cousin Virginia’s wedding. Nice symmetry there!
Next (shortly after New Years), we’ll head down to the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas (or North Mexico, depending on your perspective). We booked a “6&6 Site” there, where basically, you can occupy the site for up to 6 months, and you can leave your unoccupied RV on the site for the rest of the year. This is a deal used mostly by Snowbirds who come down from north, or even from Canada for the winter, but do not choose to haul their RV back north.
Essentially we view this as a VERY inexpensive storage option (about $2,000 all in…for the whole year divided between residing and storing). In our case, we will NEVER stay there for 6 months, and we will NOT store our bus there for 6 months, but we WILL leave our bus there — in a safe gated spot surrounded by snowbirds in a moderate climate such as Texas in the winter — while we hop on a plane for an extended leave. Our intention is to go to Central America (Costa Rica? Panama? Belize?) for about 6 weeks. We had always intended to spend part of each year overseas, but COVID and other geopolitical events sort of stopped us for awhile. Now it’s time!!!! We haven’t booked anything yet, and we may not book or even decide where until the week b4 we leave.
So, now you are caught up!
I can’t promise more frequent missives, but I CAN promise we are still out there having fun!
Until next time, we hope the holidays are Happy and Fulfilling for everyone and the new year is the best ever!
It’s interesting to me that the most important detail was left out of your retelling. Immediately before the okc/warriors game, concerned you were messing with the good luck juju for the team, I asked why you weren’t wearing your normal attire, the #7 Holmgren shirts. Your response was, “we will find out after the game if they’re good luck or not”. Less than five minutes later, your nephew was on the floor in pain with a broken bone. Coincidence? I think not. Wear your damn shirts!
I fear we DO bear some responsibility. Does it help to know that I haven’t taken the shirt off since…it’s pretty much stuck on, and no longer bright blue, tho.
Ah, the mustard museum. We have been there and savored the experience.