Aaaaaand.....I'm Back!

And the winner of my giveaway was: #26! Auntrene!

Here are your random numbers:

26 

Timestamp: 2009-03-13 13:29:37 UTC

#5 is the runner up if Auntrene doesn't claim the prize!

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Hello Bloggy Friends! It has been quite a while since I have posted. The last two weeks have been unbelievably busy and crazy. Yes, we traveled a total of 32 hours in 9 days. Yes, I came down with a fever of 101.5 and stayed sick for over a week. Yes, friends visited from out of town that I haven't seen since September. Yes, it was my birthday (Ack!). I've been worn out and tired, and trying to catch up on life. I think I'm finally there though!

I don't anticipate that B and I will be making any more trips up to the farm in the coming weeks...but I could be wrong. I, for one, am not anxious to make another trip up. The first trip we went up in order to clean out the barn of all junk, and to pick up a tractor. It was not an altogether eventful trip, but enough for us to be tired, and for me to get sick. We didn't get everything we wanted in that trip, nor did we fill the dumpster up, but by the time Thursday rolled around, B was feeling pretty awful (he was sick when we first went up) and I was starting to get sick so we decided enough was enough and we left. On the way home, B started thinking that maybe we should make another trip up while the dumpster was still there. I thought he was a little nuts, and not really serious, but didn't really care at the time, because I felt so awful. Turns out he was serious.

I spent the 3 days in between our trips trying to get better, and rest up. I was upset that I was so sick, as the coming weekend was to bring my best friends to town, who I hadn't seen since September. We'd been planning the visit for months, and it figured that I would get sick beforehand.

So, Tuesday came and we headed back up for what was to be a short trip (and we hoped a relatively uneventful trip, as the first one had been), as we planned to return on Wednesday. The purpose of the trip was to pick up the camper that is up there and bring it back so we can attempt to sell it (B and I have no use for a 36 foot camper really...). We also wanted to try and get the dumpster full, so we didn't feel we had wasted any money on getting such a big one. After a few hours, the dumpster was as full as it was going to get, I was tired and grumpy, and we decided it was time to hook the camper up. All fine and dandy, but neither B nor I had ever hooked a fifth-wheel camper up to a fifth-wheel hitch (we had done it with our horse trailer, but the camper was different). B thought I knew how, but, when I had used it in the past, someone else had always connected the camper for me. After a few minutes, we figured it out. "Not too hard," we thought. Well, we got it all hooked up. I plug the camper in to the back of the truck so we can raise the legs...and nothing. They don't move. That's weird, I thought. They worked last time (yeah...like 2.5 years ago...). Luckily for us, B had brought a generator up, and we connected the camper to the generator, and were able to use that power to get the legs up. BUT, what he didn't think about, was the fact that he couldn't leave the generator in the back of the truck while the camper was connected. So, here we've gotten everything attached and ready to go, and the generator is still in the back of the truck! Uh. We really don't want to unattach the camper. Even though it would be the "smart" thing to do. B comes up with this WONDERFUL idea (I'm being sarcastic) of trying to create a ramp with two boards leaning off the side of the truck that we'll just roll the generator down. Have you ever lifted a generator? They are heavy! And he was up in the bed of the truck, with me on the bottom end of the generator! All I could think was...It is going to be too heavy to hang on to and it is going to crash in to me and I'm going to die! Or, less serious, that it was going to fall off the boards, dent the truck and crash to the ground and need costly repairs... For 15 minutes or so, we worked at getting this generator off the truck. FINALLY, we got it to the end of the boards, where B had taken up residence. B lost his balance and fell over backwards. I laughed my behind off. It was quite a funny site. We attempt to put the generator in the camper, only to figure out that it is too wide and we have to take the wheels off. But ok, we finally are ready to go. Everything is packed. The camper is attached. We hope in the truck, B hits the gas and ...... We don't go anywhere! What? He tries again. ...... "I don't think I have enough mmmph to pull this thing," he says. Which is impossible, considering our truck is exactly the same as the one I used to pull the camper the last time. So, we get out and realize that our tires are FROZEN IN THE GROUND! The camper seems to have sunk in the ground about 3-4 inches and because of the incredibly cold weather, froze in place. This is what they looked like:

By this point, I am not in a good mood. We have no way to pull the camper out ourselves. We have no cell phone service. We walk across the street to our only neighbor and they aren't home. So, we have to walk about a quarter mile up a hill to the only place within walking distance that we MIGHT be able to get service. We are lucky to get it. B calls a towing company, and they arrive about 30 minutes later. They hook up to the truck (that is actually B hooking to the truck):

They start to wench....and the tow truck moves back towards our truck because the camper won't move! ARGH! The tow truck guy even puts braces in the ground and it doesn't work. Finally, he connects two wenches to the truck and we give it a shot. And FINALLY we break free. This is what it looked like where the tires once were:

I've never seen anything like that before! Ee were finally able to get back on the road, and I was happy for that. So was B. Our adventure wasn't over yet though! It was early in the evening by the time we hit the road...after 5, which meant we wouldn't get home til after midnight. I went to take the Magellan out...always good to have with us, even if we know the way, and B says "I could drive this with my eyes closed now." So, I don't turn it on. Well...we both get phone calls, and B misses a turn. At which point, he turns down another road that he hopes will just cut back across. Turns out, he's pulled down a driveway. And not just any driveway, one that goes downhill. With a 36-foot camper on the back. Off a semi-busy road. And at this point it has gotten dark. He tells me to jump out and stop traffic. Which I try to do, but mind you, I'm dressed in all brown (my bibs and jacket). People don't see me very well. And they for some reason, aren't paying attention to the huge camper that is trying to back out of a driveway. B finally gets a window and tries to back out. I hear a loud crunch and about fall over. I know he hasn't hit anything because I can see the back of the camper. All I can think is that the camper smashed the side of the truck. I run up to see what happened, and sigh with relief to find that while the camper and truck hit, the only real damage is a bit of the fiberglass on the camper (who invented these things anyway! You can't go up or down grades with them attached to your vehicle as they are only about 4 inches from the side of the truck! Stupid!). B is having an incredibly hard time trying to back out and turn around, so, eventually he decides to just try and continue down the road the same direction...if he can get out. Which he does, but only after I almost get hit by a car that refuses to stop when I am standing in the middle of the road waving my arms...and the camper is already somewhat out on the road (people are always in a hurry...). We continue down the road, and find our way back to where we are supposed to be somehow.

Luckily the rest of the trip was uneventful. But, it took us 9 hours to get home. Needless to say, that was not the trip we were hoping for! I, for one, am glad to be home and would be happy staying here for a couple weeks with no more trips. The animals missed us. We fell very behind due to trips, visits from friends, the fact we are trying to get the house rearranged so we can have a friend move in for a few months and other things. It's been rather hectic!

I'll continue the recap of the last few weeks in my next post...I don't think my posts need to be much longer then this one is!

Glad to be back!