Destination Indiana

Projected mileage: 3000 miles. Actual mileage including scenic byways, detours, wrong turns, and excursions: 4222 miles.

Like a rennovation, assume 30% more than you budgeted.

Wabash College -- Found in local antique shop

I might have to get this. It's just too weird a coincidence.

"Thou bloated, puny, puffed-up offal of divers and sundry high schools of putresence know that you are now attended the sacred and well-loved Wabash College, and that, in so doing, you are to direct your stinking, reeking carcasses and to control the effluvia of your degenerate and weak minks in such a was as to be seemly before your omnipotent elders."

An actual, vintage poster of the rules of the Wabash College hazing rituals.

Winterizing

Took Alice to Shades State Park this weekend for a cold night, a hot bonfire, a curious raccoon, a chance to test the furnace, and the opportunity to empty out the tanks. Things learned:

1. bonfires take a few hours to get good and started, no matter how many fire-starters you use.
2. i like smelling like a campfire.
   
3. raccoons like marshmallows.
   
4. i feel guilty because i fed a raccoon a marshmallow.
5. the furnace works.
6. one night of cranked furnace uses a whole tank of propane.
7. noisy, drinking, guy camping neighbors are less annoying than young family neighbors whose kids make a thousand trips past your rig to the bathroom and scream all morning.
   
8. there are lots of places for water in the pipes.

After emptying the tanks, I poured RV coolant in the water tank and ran it through the sinks. It just felt wrong! But all the directions agreed it was the right thing to do.

Winterizing made me sad. No spontaneous weekends. She is now a glorified tent (maybe a bit warmer). No bathroom at my beck and call.

I was able to fix the window leak in California, and though I replaced the seals on the door, there is clearly still a leak (more rain the last two weeks than all summer). I can tell the floor is getting worse. I suspect the seal on the awning might be shot, but I am thinking of simply covering her for the winter (with the Tyvak cover I haven't yet purchased) and dealing with it in the spring.

I just found a whole webring of delightful blogs of full-time Airstream RVers. I am jealous! I am also eying sites advertising camp-host jobs.