New postings (11/13)

November 12

Here we are. We finally made it to Kent, Wash., site of the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum. Tonight, we’re going to participate in the Awards Banquet for R/C Unlimiteds and Electric R/C Unlimiteds, two clubs that I belong to for my model boat racing hobby (or addiction, as some would say). It was a much longer trip up I-5 between home in Portland and here than we’d anticipated because — as Dawn has reported — we had a tire blow out just 50 miles into the trip. Thank goodness for Roadside Assistance! While the guy from Superior Tire in Kelso was helping fix things up and get us back on the road, he noticed that our tires were nearly 10 years old, and despite the fact that they had significant tread on them still, it was time to replace them because of other wear and tear. So, after a little more than an hour on the shoulder of the offramp at exit 46, we were back on the road to find a tire place. We found a Les Schwab in Chehalis, where a young man named Val was very friendly and more than happy to help us out. Lots of money and a little more than an hour later, we were again headed north on I-5. Long story short, after having left home at 9:40 a.m., we arrived at the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum in Kent at just a few minutes before 4 p.m. Now it’s time to get ready for the banquet and the silent auction, which starts at 5:30 p.m.

November 13

Well, it’s the morning after the R/C Unlimiteds banquet, which was the final duty of my tumultuous term as chairman of the boat racing club’s board. The banquet went great, there were nearly 100 people in attendance and the silent auction raised more than $1,200 for our club, and our sister club (Electric R/C Unlimiteds) with which we shared the event. Both clubs did a great job of honoring their members who were successful both on the race courses, and in doing good things to help each other out, and to help out their respective club. I was surprised with a contribution award, which was very much appreciated. We had a fantastic time last night, spending time talking with all of our old boat racing friends from R/CU, and with some of our new friends from ERCU.

Today, though, is the big day when we’re beginning the drive south. We’ve decided to go down 101, just for something different. We’re really in no huge hurry. I can do work for my company in the evenings when we stop, and in the mornings before we leave, so there’s time for that. But we don’t want to be in too much of a hurry to make our trip. We’re going to have breakfast with my dad this morning, then head off on our way. Places we don’t typically see on a trip between Seattle and the Oregon Coast include, that we’ll see today, include the Washington towns of Elma, Cosmopolis, Raymond, and Ilwaco. We’re kind of thinking we’re going to try and get as far as Lincoln City tonight, but we’ll just play it by ear and the clock.

Things really didn’t go as planned today. We’re still in Kent. Only instead of sitting in the parking lot of the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum, we’re at the KOA Kampground down the street. Today sucked – except for spending it with Dawn, and for spending several hours with my dad, too. When we started getting ready to leave this morning, I hooked the tow car up to the hitch, and checked the lights. It was weird…the headlights on the RV worked just fine. But the side markers didn’t work at all, and the taillights didn’t either. We had turn signals and brake lights on the RV, and no lights at all on the car. I tried several things, including checking fuses, calling my friend Bob Hulliger (an RV expert), and even tried calling a “mobile RV service” guy…who never returned the phone message I left for him. Oh well. Now that I’ve had a nap and relaxed some, my frustration is gone and I’ve decided to just enjoy the rest of the evening. First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll try to get into the closest RV service place and get things fixed up so we can really get on our way. It’s a good thing we’re not in any hurry to get somewhere.