ASing Sabbatical – Part 2

Ms Fix It and I returned to the road as of Monday, 20 July 2020. This was certainly later than planned, but much has happened since our last blog in March. Here’s a quick update.

The condo renovation was completed later than expected, but not before Ms Fix It fired the general contractor, and we finished part of the renovation ourselves. Fortunately, the electrical and painting sub-contractors were great, skilled craftsmen who stayed with us until the end. Thank you Rueben and Ricky. See the details in “The Condo Renovation.”

Sarah had scheduled her C-section toward the end of May; however, she went into labor during our three-day SidArthur drive to Florida. We arrived at their house on 14 May, and within an hour she, Michael, and Happy Charlie Gomez returned from the hospital. Sammy had stayed with uncle CJ’s family for the birth, and she also returned home just as the family arrived. This reunion was wonderful to witness.

The plan was always to stay with them as long as Sarah needed us to assist with recovery and until their project list was completed (refer to “The Gomez Family Project List – Part 2”) . Her recovery was unfortunately complicated and delayed by multiple issues related to her gall bladder and a return to the hospital for a week. The gall bladder problems began months before with two attacks during her pregnancy, and a full recounting requires a face-to-face discussion, considerable time, and multiple glasses of wine.

Because we stayed in their house, SidArthur was again put in storage. Ms Fix It had located a truck storage yard and made arrangements for month-to-month parking until we were ready to leave Florida. My first impression was that her choice had been a serious mistake. The yard was a 1,000 feet long one-way-in and one-way-out unpaved and heavily rutted roadway. There were approximately 85 parking areas on both sides, each capable of accommodating a semi-trailer. While some spots in fact had a semi trailer, most others contained as many as three vehicles/storage trailers or piles of various material and debris. We saw everything from an old Airstream to open trailers with chemical storage tanks to a helicopter. The chaotic and disheveled appearance gave it the distinct junk yard look, which had been my initial thought.

We were pleasantly greeted by the couple who managed the yard and assigned to the tenth spot on the left. There was absolutely no way Ms Fix It or I were able to back Arthur in, so the male part of the management team lifted the trailer with a ball hitch attached to the front end of a Bobcat. We were extremely grateful. He was done in no time and made it look so easy.

For ease of mind, we visited the yard and Arthur often over the time of our stay. Entry and exit was controlled by an automatic and sturdy security gate. Occupants paid for a personal gate remote, the cost of which was refunded upon leaving. We learned how incredibly busy the yard was because many small businesses, such as landscapers, were using the yard daily for storage of their business and personal vehicles. This level of heavy traffic gave us increased confidence that vandalism or other nefarious activities wouldn’t likely occur unseen. Over our ten-week stay, the only strange thing that happened was someone kept affixing Fruit of The Loom stickers from their new underwear on the rear of Arthur. One could only guess why.

Two other items of interest occurred while in Hollywood. First, the Arlington, TX condo was rented at our asking price. That amount not only covers the mortgage payment but also the monthly HOA, property management fee, and a contingency for future maintenance. What a relief, since we’ve discovered the cost of gas and stays in RV parks easily add up to an equivalent mortgage payment. Second, Jon and Katherine are having another boy sometime during January 2021. No name has been picked yet, but they assure us it will begin with an “M”. This will be our second grandchild born during the COVID-19 pandemic. Who would have ever guessed.

Ms Fix It reserved the date of our departure with the storage yard managers in order to ensure the Bobcat would be available to help us pull Arthur out of our spot. Once we were ready, the Bobcat showed up with two flat front tires and an explanation that someone had absconded with the required ball hitch. He planned on moving Arthur using the bucket only to lift the ball receiver, and securing the trailer to the bucket with lifting straps. I voiced my nervousness and concern; however, he came back with, “Trust me. I do this all day long and know what I’m doing.” This time he didn’t make it look easy, and we both cringed and gasped when he very nearly dropped Arthur’s A-frame to the ground, twice.

We feel good being back on the road again.

Male member of the BunMack team. Happy to be Ms Fix It's lovely assistant on past and future projects. Maybe I'll learn some skills along the way. 69 years old when this adventure began, with expectations to help family and friends with their projects, see great sights along the way, and enjoy our life together.

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