“Old friends, old friends
Sat on their park bench like bookends
A newspaper blown through the grass
Falls on the round toes
Of the high shoes of the old friends
Can you imagine us years from today
Sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange to be 70.”
~Simon & Garfunkel
On Sunday morning, Barbara and Lark went to church and I went to town cleaning! I started with my dirty clothes. I put them in the washer and then I headed to Barbara’s shower and took a long hot shower. I washed and conditioned my hair and beard and scrubbed my feet. I put my clothes in the dryer and then put my sleeping bag in the washer (1/2 at a time…I have a double sleeping bag, so I did the bottom first and then the top.) I draped them over some lawn chairs out back in order to dry them in the warm, Arizona sun. Then I started on my seat cushions. I got most of them completed before Barbara and Lark returned home. I washed and dried the remainder the following day. I also put my coffee pot, my coffee mug and a couple pots and pans in the dishwasher with their dishes so they could get a serious cleaning. The outside of my pots and pans were starting to get build-up and my coffee pot was dirty on the outside and had a dark brown patina on the inside. All are now sparkling like a Mr. Clean commercial.
Throughout the week, Cosmo and I stayed in the van overnight, parked comfortably in the driveway. In the morning, when Barbara and Lark were up and ready for company they opened the garage door, letting us know they were dressed and caffeinated. By that time, I’d already had my coffee and done my morning rituals of reading headlines, listening to a podcast, and taking Cosmo out to pee.
The last couple of times I stayed in their driveway, we managed to come to an understanding that we should all do our own thing and they should think of me as a neighbor, living “next door” for the week. I told them if they were tired, go to bed, and if they were hungry, they should eat. I assured them that Cosmo and I had everything we needed in the van and would join them for meals or adventures as often or as seldom as they like.
Each day Barbara took a nap in the afternoon and Cosmo and I went back to the van. I picked a cupboard each day and emptied it out. Then, I sorted going through everything, and anything that I’d not used in the past 6 months got put in a box in the garage to be donated. There were a couple exceptions to the 6 months rule, but for the most part, I easily let go of the things that I didn’t need as much as I thought I would on my journey. T-shirts are always the hardest for me. I see one that has been shoved in the back of the closet and think “Oh, I LOVE that shirt.” Really? How much could I love it if I’ve not worn it for 6 months and not looked for it? Into the donation box it went. The next day I start on socks and underwear. I have way too many pairs of both. I edited them and put all the ones I was keeping in one storage sack instead of having separate ones for socks and underwear. And then I started in on my hats in the back of the compartment. I have 7 wool pullover hats. I picked out two I never wore even once this past winter and let go of them. I found a couple of books in there that I’ve read and thought I may want to read again. I’ve been on the road for two years. If I haven’t read them yet, when did I think I would? Out they went. When I put everything I’d decided to keep back into the overhead compartment, I found I’d made just enough room for my new mini-air fryer. I gave it a test drive one day in Barbara’s kitchen, making roasted radishes, and breaded eggplant bites. Both were delicious and I’m quite pleased with the purchase. But I’ve not tested it out in the van yet. It is an 800-watt unit, so I’m certain my solar batteries can handle it, but I’m not sure how much power it will use up if it takes 15 or 20 minutes to air-fry something. I expect to find out soon.
I’m pleased with the amount of cleaning and clutter removal I’ve done. We headed to Big Lots where I purchased a new runner and new throw rug for under my “dining room” table. The current ones were two years old and no amount of washing was going to bring them back, so it was time for a new look.
I planned on taking my van to an auto mechanic up the street for a safety check and to fix a couple of minor issues. I’d used this mechanic last year and trusted his work and thought his pricing was very reasonable. When I went up to make an appointment, a sign on the door said “Closed Until Further Notice: Check back soon.” I was quite disappointed, but Lark found someone at church whose wife thought he could fix my issues. He couldn’t do it, but referred me to another friend who referred me to a place that finally was able to make an appointment for me on Monday. It was the long way around, but I got where I needed to be.
It’s been a nice week. The weather has been sunny and warm, usually in the mid-70’s each day and quite cool at night. We’ve gone out to eat a couple of times and other nights, we made meals together inside the house. I’ve had the right amount of “People time” and “Alone Time.” Cosmo has gotten to run in the back yard every day and we played ball often. He seems to love Lark and Barbara and he went crazy each morning when the garage door went up, knowing we’d be visiting soon.
I’ve had such a relaxing week of sitting outside in the sun and playing ball with Cosmo. I got to have Thai food twice and got nearly everything cleaned up or cleared out. It was a good week.
Lessons From The Road: My lesson for the week is “Be patient and trust the process.” I was so disappointed when I found my mechanic here in Prescott Valley was out of business. I had put off minor work on the van for months knowing I’d be here where there was a mechanic that I trusted. I felt that anxiety creeping in and immediately thought to myself “It will be fine.” Sure enough, a friend of a friend of a friend hooked me up and I’ll take the van in for a road safety check and get a sensor replaced on Monday morning. It took three days for all the arrangements to come through, but instead of suffering with anxiety for those days, I put it out of my mind believing it would all work out. And it did. I’ll get it all done before moving north for the summer.
My other lesson was to let go of the old to make room for the new. I cleared out shirts, shoes, socks and underwear and an old camera, and other odds and ends I don’t use. I made room for my mini air-fryer and a new pair of slip-on hiking boots (on sale for much less than I was willing to pay). We dropped off my unwanted stuff at a thrift store, got a coupon for 10% off on anything we purchased, so I went inside and got Cosmo a new scarf, and bought a pair of cargo shorts for myself, and I still have some spare room left over. It’s always good to lighten your load.