Midwestern Spiral

As we wandered northwards towards Minneapolis and Chicago, we watched Chet in the NBA playoffs on TV along the way. The season ended before the championship, tho most people (except the team, I am sure) think the Thunder made HUGE steps and got a lot deeper into the playoffs than anyone expected. Objectively, their regular season record went from 2023’s 40-42 to 57-25. They were the TOP playoff team in the west. They were the youngest team to EVER win a playoff series (in 4 games v. NOLA). As I told Chet, we Cubs fans know best how to say, “Wait ‘til Next Year,” but in this case, we REALLY MEAN IT!

We also had one final laugh before putting Basketball aside until the fall: The national broadcasters have an almost universal…and idiotic…inability to pronounce Chet’s name. No, NOT “CHET…” that’s pretty easy. It‘s the last name that seems insurmountable to such mouthmen as Michael Smith, Grant Hill and others. “Holmgren” doesn’t seem that hard, but we have heard, variously, “Holmgrem,” “Holmgreen” and more. Every time I hear one, I wanna scream (or screen or scrim) at the TV!!!! My sister sent me the ultimate, tho…a young OKC fan was asked who his favorite player was, and he answered, “Hologram!”

Full Disclosure… I have to say, I just have not gotten into the game of Basketball…I have not watched a single minute since the Thunder exited the playoffs. Its athletic and exciting to be sure, but I am always left wondering how a slight brush on the arm is somehow a foul while a genuine mugging a moment before is not. It IS fantastically fun to watch Chet and his teammates, who genuinely enjoy the game and play it well…we THOROUGHLY enjoyed being Chet-heads and groupies!!! But Sports just isn’t meant to be arbitrary, with matches, games, sets, rounds or however the event is referred to, decided by non-players with whistles.

And, the fans, of course, are CERTAIN the vagaries in the calls are part of some giant conspiracy theory to help (or hinder) a particular team. Why is it we seem to need to find conspiracies in randomness, when said randomness goes against one’s team, or views?

No… sports is about ATHLETES. And hot dogs. And Ice Cream…definitely about Ice Cream. ?

Anyway, after leaving OKC, Our first stop was in Minneapolis, where our Favorite Campground opens for the season on 26 April. The goal: A Visit with Dad… This was really good, as always. Dad turned 95 and we had attended the party (as described in our last post). This time, “just” some meals and conversation, including a status report on some of the projects he’s working on.

Next, we made it to Chicago, where there was an evening event we wanted to attend…a memorial to our friend, Bob White, who passed suddenly and recently (I wrote about that last newsletter). The evening was at the Dance Club’s – we were members for many years — May Dance. We first met Bob at this club, in fact, in about 2007.

Liz and I both needed to acquire the appropriate attire (as we had donated our formal wear when we hit the road in 2016). Liz found a dress on sale in Des Moines, on the way to Minneapolis. I acquired a Tux MAIL ORDER!!! Believe it or not – it fit great, and looked pretty good – of course just about anything would look good standing next to Liz…who inevitably draws the eyes away from the dude in the (mail order) tux!!

Lest you think we ALWAYS look that good, consider this shot depicting our actual “Trailer-Trashness!” It takes a brave friend to invite THAT (and us) to their driveway!

The memorial was very special – there was a moment where the Dancing was paused…all the club members (and Bob’s friends) stood in a circle; and within that circle was placed a circle of candles and within THAT circle were placed Bob’s Patent-Leather Dancing shoes. Then the band played “Save the Last Dance for me.” Not a dry eye in the house, nor on the bus as I write this…

While in Chicago, we managed to see and break bread with many friends, while also missing some. Next time!

We also had to deal with a mechanical issue on the bus…occurring at a very bad time! The Fridge had stopped working properly on propane…which is needed if we are not plugged in. And, we were planning a full week in a parking lot in Chicago, so this was not something we could ignore “until later.” Ultimately, we decided to go with a 12v Boat Fridge, recommended by another BlueBirdBrain.

The problem, tho: Where and how to get it delivered, installed and dispose of the non-functional carcass? I called National RV Refrigeration, a business in Shipshewana, Indiana…the Amish have a little niche in servicing and replacing RV fridges because the Amish have been using Propane Refrigeration for many years!! Even tho we weren’t buying it from them, Vernon and Glen agreed to receive the fridge by freight, install it for me (for a very reasonable amount of money) and dispose of the carcass (which I knew meant they’d rebuild it and use it/sell it).

This involved a bit of a road trip – we left our bikes and assorted other stuff at the campsite in Chicago and drove down and back with a new, super-efficient fridge in 24 hours. As a bonus, the new fridge is deeper and shorter than the old by virtue of not needing the large heat-transfer fins found on propane units. This gave space for a shelf under the fridge, which the Amish folks built for us.

This is a WIN-WIN big time!  Bigger Better Fridge AND netting more space, too!

We use this shelf to hold a cutting board and the stove top cover, which is removed when using the burners. I spent a few hours trying to make the new shelf look better than just raw plywood – and felt very directly the loss of our friend, Bob White, who would have made and stained a beautiful frame in about 5 minutes while we were parked in his driveway and before we enjoyed a drink in their beautiful back yard.

Sometimes amusement comes when one least expects it. For example, when filling our diesel tank.

The latest need occurred as we were about to enter Illinois from Indiana, after fridge replacement. This is a border sharply delineated by increased diesel prices…and since we were low (not empty), taking advantage of Indiana prices seemed prudent. We exited the interstate just after the informational sign announcing a key moment in history for which we have Gary, Indiana to thank: Gary is the birthplace of MICHAEL JACKSON!!! That’s actually imPOtent to the story about diesel…”

“How is that imPOtent?” you ask?

Well, I went inside to have the clerk turn the pump on for use with my discount card, and she asked, “How much do you want?”

OF COURSE, I answered…. “Don’t stop ‘til I get enuf…”

She did not even react…even though I could hardly stop snickering! I am SURE she was much too young (and/or I am much too old).

Pump now live, I did my best emulation of the “moonwalk” to avoid the inevitable diesel shower as the bus’ tank reaches full. It’s a REALLY bad design…the fill neck…I have found you can stand in just a certain spot to avoid MOST of the spray. The few drops that do find their way onto my shoes or pants, I tell myself, are an aphrodisiac…though not for Liz, she states categorically!!

While in Chicago, we visited all our docs…both of us received a more-or-less clean bill of health, and authorization to “Keep doing what we’re doing.” I am not sure the Docs would have said it exactly that way, if they had seen our shopping cart at Binny’s Beverage Depot, which is around the corner from the Doc Offices. Perhaps they would have suggested doing a little less than we have been doing?

Next was the opportunity to host a convening of BlueBirdBrains…IN CHICAGO!!! The week after Memorial Day, we co-hosted a Blue Bird “Rally” in Chicago (with Gary and Molly Shilling) on behalf of a group we belong to: Vintage Birds. The idea was to engage a corner of the McCormick Place Convention Center Truck Marshalling lot as ground zero for all the experiences one can have in a great city like Chicago…our home for over 40 years b4 we hit the road.

More on that in the next post!