We are "GO" for launch

September 3rd, 2012

We slept in the trailer last night just because we could, and it felt right.  Acting like kids who had just been told that in the morning a trip to Disney World was on the schedule, we woke up ready to go.   September 3^rd was the launch date we’d set up months before, our 12 wedding anniversary, and the 2 days after HC Beerfest  gave us enough time to recover and finish last-minute details.  When originally scheduled our date of departure seemed a far-off abstraction as we stared down the barrel of to-do list after to-do list.  But if we weren’t ready by today, we were never going to be.  

Of course, that eagerness always leads to underestimating the time it takes to do things.  Final cleaning of the cabin, packing up the truck bed with its allotment of gear, transferring the last bit of kitchen, food, clothing into its new home inside Hamlet, and loading the boats onto the rack seemed like it would only take until about noon and we could be on our way.  Well, we didn’t back the truck up to the trailer hitch until about 3pm.  One more visit over to Shari’s parents to drop off one more thing kiss them farewell and hit the road. 

Boone residents will understand why this next moment is so cool.  And if you’re not from Boone, here’s a good excuse to visit.  While cleaning up we found enough frequent buyer cards from Stickboy Breads to make a full one, and yes, they were open on Labor Day!  Way to go, Carson!  Not only did we get a free loaf with the card, they had made our favorite bread (Celtic Sea Salt) off schedule – they were giving it away!  Yup, too good to be true!   Fill up the cup with Bald Guy Brew and we were a driving homage to Boone independent business. 

Rain greeted us when we arrived in the area 13 years ago and it said farewell as we drove away today -- probably means that the Watauga River will come up just as I leave.  So much has changed for us from those early days of beginning new careers at Appalachian, so many friends made, so many memories that we’re not even to really able to grasp it all.  So, what the heck, crank the tunes, check the fuel gauge and put that pedal to the floor!

Houston, we have a problem, I am an idiot.

Our excitement got us as far as Damascus, VA where we thought our minor car battery issues might have turned into something more serious.  We switched over driving and got some dinner (thanks Alexandra & Jack!), and when Shari went to start ‘er up -- nothing.  Yup, nuthin’…  no crank, no click-click, no chug-chug, no start.  This would have been a total shock except that it had been happening on and off for the past couple of weeks.  We’d even checked the battery at the auto parts store before leaving town.  Battery was good, just needed some charging.  Okay, I’ll bum a jump from someone in the gas station.  We put the truck hoods together, connect the well used cables that I inherited from my parents, and more nuthin’.  After about 15 minutes of nuthin, I was starting to worry and ponder spending the night in our camper in the Subway parking lot, when the woman who was helping us asked if we had the truck in park?  What?  Oh yeah, it’s an automatic, and needs to be in park to start.  Whoops, too many years of driving a stick has left me sloppy.  Shari slammed it in gear, and the truck, who we have lovingly dubbed, “Buck” fired right up and got us on our way. Thanks to our would be rescuers who talked some sense into our addled brains. 

We eventually made it to the New River Gorge in WV, and our first official camping spot by around 1am.  Neither lightinng, thunder nor the occasional train which rumbles its way up and down the river bank could disturb this slumber.  We didn’t stir until around 10:30 the next morning, not a bad start.