May 14th to 21st  

Saturday:  Tina’s,  we load up all the wall pictures to go to Tina, and the patio set and the ‘home stone’.  We also decide it is laundry day and not every daughter gets to have her mother come home with a bag of laundry to do….Did I say bag?  well we moved a footlocker of clothes and it felt too heavy.  When I open it and smelled mildew I remember this box being under the slide during the rain back in Woodburn.  Obviously we took on some unwanted water and so we just put the whole box in the truck and we’’ll figure it out later.  Tina is just 70 miles down the road.  WE spend a quiet day visiting and treating laundry, and treating more laundry, in the end we salvage about 10 lbs of cloths and leave the other 30 lbs to go in the garbage, no regrets.  and Tina gets to keep the footlocker for her camping gear

Sunday:  Daniel/Sonya/Aiden/Nathan  We had planned a day at the park for Daniel to bring Aiden and Nathan and Sonya and for him to take the bookcases and picture that came down for him.

over to go swimming. And we grilled up some hamburgers.  Those were the best burgers ever. and everyone was happy to go over to the pool.  Aiden had gotten a swim vest since his last pool time and after a little reluctance he warmed up to the idea of swimming and in no time everyone was tossing him around like a hacky sac.  We sent the tired group off and collapsed ourselves.

Monday Pie day.  We should have taken a picture.  Mom told us Machados has the best pies, so we go by and ‘no cherry’  but maybe tomorrow, so we get a Marion Berry. then head over to Moms to see about getting the bamboo screen off her back deck.  

Tuesday:  Pie day part 2. Back to Machados and, “no cherry’  so a mixed berry.  Melanie comes over for a visit and brings Ro and Luci.  These girls take a little warming up to butter but eventually they relax and we have a nice visit.  And a load of yarn is gone, do you know how much yarn weighs?  I am just very glad to see this going to a new home and Mel will see to the distribution of all the yarn to good homes.   Then come 5 we go down to Roseville to RBC (Roseville Brewing Company)  Its share your favorite beer night and we have half a growler of Buttface from the Ram back in Tigard.  I’m thinking if I get really lucky I can score a growler of the Grapefruit IPA before the night is over.  One of the regulars brings in smoked cheese, yummy! and there are snacks to be had.  Dinner at The Draft which is an indoor sports arena and eatery and brew spot.  We were just a bit too late to watch a ball game as the players were heading out as we came in, but the burgers were good.

Wednesday:   Driving School.  From the beginning of this adventure we talked about sharing the driving, but I will admit I felt pretty intimidated by this huge trailer or small house that we were pulling down the road, and I knew I wasn’t going to be parking this monster anywhere.  So I tried to get lessons in Portland before we left but the teacher up there only teaches motor coaches….you know the big greyhound bus sized rigs.  So I knew they had a teacher in the Sacramento area and I got signed up as soon as we arrived in Auburn and today is the day.  Gary Weisz arrived at 9:00 and we had the Lake House all buttoned up and hitched up and ready to go….Well I was a little less then ready, but I was wiling to learn.  I’d had the opportunity in talking with Gary before hand to tell him that downhill really scares me.  I have both feet on the “passenger floor brake” and both hands clenched every time we head down a hill.  He assures me that we will address that before the day is over 4 hrs from now.  So I get the pre-flight checklist and we are buckled in, Capt,Dan and Butter in the back seat and Gary and I up front.  I head out of our beautiful spot with clear instructions from Gary on how to maneuver the beast and how to ease over the speed bumps.  He directs me right to the Auburn airport and I practice making left hand turns in very big blocks around the industrial area at the airport.  After what felt like an hour Gary says we are going to find something more interesting to do and he directs me out and around to some nice back roads until I see a sign reading 12% downgrade…..whooo up.  But I am instructed to drop the truck into 2nd gear and just take it easy,  Go slow and use the brakes to take it 5 mph under where I want to be and let the truck slowly creep back up.  Its a short little hill and I feel all kinds of proud to have made this.  We drive around the back roads for a while and I get quizzed on every underpass….always be aware of bridge heights,  always be aware of those big yellow speed signs because those are “my signs”  A 35 MPH corner is a 30-35 MPH corner for me.  I am too wide, too high, and too heavy to be out on the road.  But I am here and I can drive comfortably and safe.  Gary tells me to head on out to the highway and we hard headed down to Auburn when he tells me to exit on ForestHill road....."you're not taking me out Forest Hill?" I say, and yes, that is where we are going.  Now it is all up and down hills and they are bigger and they are longer and while I feel like I have driven 100 miles it is just about 15 to an old cement plant where Gary can set out cones and I start backing up, first with the cones on the left, then with the cones on the right, then with the cones making a diagonal parking place.  Its really a very interesting process to learn backing up a trailer.....i can see it, and I know that I will eventually get it.  But It is getting on the 1230 and time to head home and learn how to pull through park.  Putting the Lake House back where we were 4 hrs ago and I am exhausted!!! I feel like I have driven for 10 hrs.  Thanks to Gary and see you tomorrows.  We start thinking about food and head over to Sizzler and run into Glenn and Gwen just as the pioneer meeting is breaking up.  We stay and visit for a bit and they come back home with us so they can see the Lake House.  Now Glenn sees why I wanted driving lessons.  We got word from Maureen that Mom's cataract surgery went very well and she is home napping.

  

Thursday:  Driving School part 2  Gary is back at 9 and we are hitched and ready to go.  Another 4 hours but this time we get out on the freeway and I learn to focus on my lane and not the trucks all around me.  Very good advice.  Then its back up to Foresthill and Gary comments that he hasn't had to remind me on speed, or down shifting, or using turn signals....it must all be sinking in.  Back to putting this monster in a park backing up.  Today I ask Gary if I can see this whole process from the outside.  So Captdan gets behind the wheel and he drives and I direct.  This makes it a 50-50 thing, because I need to be able to direct him as well as he directs me.  This process is going pretty well actually and we are told there is no teacher as good as experience, so we are told to just practice whenever possible, and so ends the second day of Driving Class.  Gary Weisz is a terrific instructor and the RVDriving School is something I will recommend to everyone out on the road with an RV.

Oh yeah, and we finally get that cherry pie!  It is the best, except after 4 slices (2 each) the pit count is at 6, that is too many pits.

Friday and our stay in Auburn is drawing to a close.  We go to check in on mom and take 3 boxes to store in her shed.  We are making different decisions every day about what we carry along on this journey and what we leave by the wayside.  This is shopping day, the list of things that have come up over the last 2 weeks needs to be takin care of.  Down the hill to Camping World and we got a fridge fan to prevent cold spots in the fridge.  I got a taller folding step stool so I can reach all the cupboards and some desiccant to take care of the moisture.  Then Harbor Freight for a socket to fit the lugs on the wheel so Captdan can check the torque on occasion.  Then Radio Shack for push on adaptors for the coax so we don't have to deal with old, worn cable connectors.  Costco to fill up the truck and see what the milage is like with 200 miles towing  (8.6mpg)  Then to the Apple store!  I have decided to go Apple.  When I got up in the morning my computer had updated to Windows 10 and I was very unhappy!!  Fought with it for 4 hrs and decided I'm going to Apple, so after a lengthy talk and much comparison I walk out with a new MacBook Pro with a 15" screen and 512GB drive and 16GB memory.  I'm happy....I think!  We assess out stay in Auburn, got almost all the deliveries made, Glenn got a brand new smoker and we told him we want him to practice so there are samples when we come back through.  Daniel got the bookcases, Tina got the pictures and Mel got the yarn, feeling lighter every day.

Saturday and we are up early (well not too early as we are only going 70 miles) and I am driving, this means I am parking also.  we'll see how that goes.