“Guess what!”
Rusty’s practically running over to our camp. “I called Wal-Mart and Doug, the tire guy, told me the tires are ON SALE! Instead of costing me $535, they’ll only cost me $429! And that’s for FIVE tires!”
Rusty doesn’t need to tell me how many tires. He’s talked about this plan to buy tires several times over the past few days. He can’t contain his excitement. He’s practically shouting. “That’ll save me over a HUNDRED DOLLARS!”
I tell him how happy I am to hear that and offer him a seat.
We sit in the camp chairs on the shady side of the BLT and chat for a while. Rusty’s got his metal coffee bucket with him. Earlier we took Timber, Spike, and Bridget on a short, morning walk together. When we returned, Rusty took off for his camp to make the call about the tires.
Once he’s calmed down some, I ask him if he’d like a piece of pound cake.
“Do you want it now or after you put on the breakaway cable?”
“I’ll have it after I work. I’m not that hungry right now. I ate so much last night. I had the Hilton for dinner. Then I ate one of those containers of applesauce. Later in the night I ate the block of cheese, except for this much.” He puts his pointer finger and thumb together about a half inch apart.
“Rusty!” I exclaim incredulously. “You ate that much cheese? You won’t go to the bathroom for a week!” I start to laugh.
“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t have any trouble in that department.”
The vision of Rusty eating that heavy dinner topped off with applesauce and followed by most of an eight-ounce block of pepper jack cheese is too much. I have to laugh.
“I’m not laughing at you, Rusty. I’m laughing with delight that you enjoyed the food.” I don’t want him to take offense.
This triggers the resurgence of an old memory from Rusty’s childhood.
“Have you ever eaten musgo, Sue?”
“No, what’s that?”
“Well, my grandmother used to call me in for some musgo.” Rusty was reared by his grandparents. “She’d say, ‘C’mon in, Rusty, and eat this musgo. I’m gonna’ clean the refrigerator and everything must go!” He laughs at my surprise at the punch line.
Then he gets up and goes to work cutting off the severed breakaway cable. He attaches the new one. “Do you mind if I keep the wire cable?” he asks.
“No, not at all. Go ahead.” Rusty finds a use for everything.
“Oh, good. I’m gonna’ use this wire cable to attach my gas cap to my truck. I don’t want to lose it.”
Back in the camp chairs, I announce we can have our cake now.
I cut two pieces of pound cake with cream cheese topping and put them on my best plates (Corelle!) along with dessert forks. I wrap a large piece in cellophane for Rusty to take back to his camp. When I rejoin Rusty, Timber, and the crew, Rusty sees the pieces of cake and smiles. He picks up the fork. “I’ll have this now, and the other piece I’ll have after dinner.”
We continue our conversation.
Somehow it keeps circling around to the tires, their 50,000-mile warranty, “There’s no deposit fee on the old tires!” and so on. Several minutes pass. I go inside the BLT to put away the plates and to get something to write on. I want to jot down some information about roads that Rusty shared with me earlier. When I come around the BLT, there’s Rusty, holding the bigger piece of cake, unwrapped. He looks up at me sheepishly. “I got hungry again,” he explains.
Let Them Eat Cake[slideshow]
rvsue
Ha, ha, ha. The photo with the 3 dogs waiting for their share of the cake cracks me up! So cute and funny. Especially Bridget who looks like she is ready to pounce and be the first in line. I am afraid that Spike is going to tease her again about her butt 😉
The 3-dog photo is funny because their noses are all pointed directly at that cake …
briddgetsays “do I have stupid stamped on mhy forehead?”he won’t give it to me, unless ij sit up, and I won’t do that, so why bother to look interested
Actually, I think Bridget looked at the piece of cake in his hand and said, “Is that all?”
I love the picture of Timber waiting for the piece of cake. I also love the happy feeling I got thinking of how happy Rusty was over his tires.
Timber is cute. Boy, he is an energetic dog and strong! I think Rusty will be glad when Timber gets a little older and settles down some.
Timber is gorgeous!
Ah the simple pleasures of life.
I know what you mean. I could be out sightseeing. Instead I’m watching a man feed dogs.
Rusty appears to have no weight problems and may have some spare times. I am happy for his enjoyment of the cake and the cheese. The dogs were also excited and their pictures were a treat.
I’m happy you enjoyed the photos. There are times in life that are perfect for a photograph.
A piece of cake, a slice of blue sky and a tire sale at WalMarts, life is good!
That’s right, Geri!
Great photos! Cute dogs! Yum, now I want cake, too. 🙂
Hi, Chinle!
When I went full-time living on public land 4 years ago, everyone said i was becoming a “hermit’ and would go crazy. In fact just the opposite is true. I have made more deep, connected friends living this way than I ever did living a “normal” life. Out here the stress of the RAT RACE falls away and you can be authentic, open people and make genuine friends. I may only see them once or twice a year, but when I see them it is so real and heartfelt it more than makes up for missing them.
Rusty and you will have a connection for the rest of your lives. It is such a wonderful way to live!! Bob
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What you write is true, everything from the predictions of becoming a hermit to the realization of true friends. It is a wonderful way to live.
That is so true, Bob. We have traveled all over this great country, and the best times we ever had was with Rv’ers. I don’t mean the kind that drive south once a year and park their rigs in a park for the season… I mean REAL RV’er’s, that get out and travel. We lived in a retirement park in Mesa for nearly ten years, and didn’t have a single day that was peace and quiet, and yet after an activity was over, the clubhouse got locked up tight! For lack of someplace else to go, it was like a constant stream of people knocking on the door at all hours of the day.
Now we’re back here in Arkansas, on a lonely circle drive where sometimes the only vehicle or person we see for days on end is the mailman. Sometimes this is too quiet, although it’s great for web work and writing. Hopefully we’ll find something that’s a “happy medium” when we get out travelinng again. We’re really getting anxious for it!
In this venue of thinking…. I would like to add this link/blog for your commenters to maybe respond to. Chinle introduced me to this lady on her blog today. She is where you were last year Sue, at a crossroads. Maybe folks here can offer her some sound advice! Hope you don’t mind me posting this here, if you do you can pull it off! Her blog is:
http://avintagerollingstone.blogspot.com/2012/04/shall-i-stay-or-shall-i-go.html
I’m happy to have the link here. This lady has a brand new blog. Go take a look!
One correction though: I was at the “crossroads” about 8 years ago. That’s when I made a definite decision to sell everything and hit the road. The ensuing years were for planning and financial readiness.
And as we have all learned, your no compromise attitude towards your goal has brought you far! You have worked hard to get here and you deserve every second of happiness you get! 🙂
You’re sweet.
I love it, they all eat some cake! Take that Marie and Louis!! Fun at your campsite AGAIN!
But NO comments about Bridget’s butt.
Around here we spell it … Bridget’s b – u – t – t. It’s safer that way.
Hahaha, Sue!
Timber is a beautiful dog. Do you know the mix?
Malamute, german shepherd, and possibly akita.
Bridgett’s b-u-t-t and Radar’s r-e-a-r could be in serious fat butt competition!
I’ll have to make the comparison when I see Radar, now that his r – e – a – r has been shaved.
Good food, good conversation and dogs!! Hard to beat that combination!! Glad you are having fun!!
Thank you, Elizabeth. You’re such a faithful reader and commenter!
I know you are being yourself, but I want to thank you for being so kind to Rusty.
You’re welcome. The kindness is mutual. That’s friendship!
Hi Sue- We all decided to kick the can down the road, dry camp, check out systems and head north. Don’t have cell or internet at CAMP PARKER (K’s maiden name and my middlle). Next comment will be from WIFI host in Durango or Bayfield,CO! I’ll leave everyone and go to Boseman for a show. Flying this time…yuck! Don’t you hate it when you’re not behind the wheel!
Tires at Walmart…no thank you! I love the rest of the store but had a strange experience once with the ‘shop’! But you also have to remember it’s TorC, NM!!!
Sue, where are you when I need tech advice- you park yourself on the edge of nowhere, tell interesting stories and meet intriging people! I have to use your blog to tell C&G our road kill boat is being welded by the IRONMAN! I tried to leave a comment on their blog but when I logged in, I got a URL error!! How much will it cost me to get your fix on my problem (computer that is)? Always love it when you show off your pictures, and when you sneak into the picture! Just another fan! BR. K and kids, CHEERS
Hi, Bill and Kathy,
When the dust clears and you settle at Durango or Bayfield,, you’ll have an email waiting for you. Go check it! LOL Then email me back with those tech questions. That’s really funny . . . Me giving tech advice.
You have turned out to be great neighbors for each other. Love that shot of Timber sitting up cute.
Timber surprised me with that pose. He acts like he has no self-control at all, being still a youngster. But when that cake came into view and Rusty wouldn’t give him any until he sat back on his haunches, then Timber had a lot of focus! Cute.
You had me chuckling at Rusty’s eating the last piece of cake. The dogs are wonderful too. Love reading about your adventures. It’s almost as though I was experieincing them myself. Good writing!!
Thank you, Pam.
Has Rusty gone down to WalMart yet for his new ON SALE! tires ??? Now that you have your breakaway cable installed, do you have a date in mind for putting the rubber to the road ??
Rusty is at Wal-Mart as I type this. I’ll be moving soon.
Thanks, Sue.