Monday May 01, 2006

The adventure begins...

The adventure begins! There being no cost effective way to transport Michael's PPC to Pennsylvania, I drove to Fly By Ranch in Florida two days ago to gather up it, and Michael, for the dash to San Diego. We spent yesterday securing his PPC in the trailer, (the Voyager is secured in the front, Michael's towards the rear), and packing odds and ends. The RV is in good condition, and all systems, with the exception of one water faucet, are A-OK.

A very odd development: Last year the trip was cancelled at the last moment because a relative of the driver was stricken with a serious heart ailment. A suitable replacement couldn't be located, so the trip was postponed a year. This year our driver, Chuck, flew to Pennsylvania 4 days ago, and helped me prepare the RV and trailer for the trip to Florida. The plan was for he and I to drive there together so he could become acclimated to the handling of the RV with a 30 foot trailer. The evening before we were to leave for Florida he received a phone call informing him that his wife, who'd driven him the airport two days before, was being taken to the hospital for a heart procedure. Obviously he had to return home immediately.

I drove to Florida alone, and the plan is to pick up Chuck along the way by meeting him at an airport in one of the cities through which we'll pass, such as Houston or Amarillo. Unlike last year, Chuck plans on returning and is very excited about participating in the trip. Michael and I wish his wife a speedy recovery.

We've received our first request for an interview from the Pat McMahon Show, based in Phoenix. Since our dash west takes us very close to Phoenix (we're following Interstate 10 all the way across), we're scheduled to tape the show this upcoming Friday morning. I'm not sure when it will air, but it may be the same day. I'll let you know as soon as I know.