Introduction to Renee

[KReneeShippey]

Hi,

I am so glad to get to join a group with other women who enjoy camping. What I planned to write in I applied for membership has been completely changed by this past weekend. I will explain briefly at the end of this post.

This weekend my husband and I celebrated 34 years of marriage. For most of those years my husband has done all of the hitching up at home and setting up at camp but about 11 years ago he bought me a horse. This purchase caused me to need to learn how to hitch up a trailer so I could haul my horse places. The more comfortable I became with that the more I started participating in the process when we went camping. Last year I hauled the trailer to the Blue Ox in Albany by myself and setup. It wasn't a total disaster but I did several things wrong so when I pulled the trailer to Champoeg for Labor Day with my extended family I had learned some valuable lessons and did much better. On both of these trips I spent a day or two on my own and then my husband joined me for the remainder of the weekend.

I have 3 children and 4.5 grandchildren. My son has 4 children and my oldest daughter got married last September and is expecting her first child in July. We have two dogs that usually camp with us and enjoy checking out new sites. As you read earlier I have a horse that hasn't been getting much exercise the past few years due to things in my life but that is changing this year. I have been working full time for the past 17 years for the state and currently have a job that can be very stressful and busy so camping is one of my favorite stress relievers.

Finally, this weekend was full of firsts for me. We hooked up the trailer Thursday morning as usual with the plan that I would do some shopping, load the trailer and head over to Whaler's Rest in Newport for a couple of days of solitary rest before my husband joined me Friday night. That is where normal flew out the window. About 20 miles outside of Newport my truck started spitting and sputtering. Every time I coasted, stepped on the brake or really pushed the truck it would quit choking but when I tried to drive at a set speed the truck just kept trying to choke out. I prayed my way to the camp ground, checked in and (for the first time) backed the trailer into a spot. Once I unhooked from the truck and hooked the electric and water up I parked the truck and left it alone. I hoped it would be an easy fix and relaxed until Steve arrived. He changed out the fuel filter but the truck would not start. I called my boss to let her know that I would not be back to work on Monday and we arranged for a tow truck and found a shop to fix the truck on Monday. We enjoyed the afternoon Saturday and Steve stuck round until about 4 on Sunday but then he headed home so he could go to work Monday. I rode in the tow truck, dealt with the repair shop and paid for the repairs on my own. I then took the truck back to the park and hitched up and unhooked by myself. I did pass on dumping the contents of the holding tank and gave my husband that privilege after I got back to Salem. I realize that even after a pretty stressful weekend we had some fun times and I can do this by myself whenever I need to, have to or want to.

I am now very excited about joining a woman's group and now I know I can go even when my husband can't join me.

Camp on Ladies and take every great moment as worth it no matter what happens on the trip.

[retiredhappy]

Welcome Renee. If you've read many of the posts on here you know that we believe we can do anything a man can do (well, almost). Enjoy your travels.

[AlmostThere]

Morning, Renee!
I'm assuming by the names of the towns you've mentioned that you are in OR? Yay! We need more ladies on the left coast! I think you should be very proud of yourself in how you handled the truck issue. Good job!
Please post often and make yourself at home here.
Welcome!

[Bethers]

Welcome Renee, glad to have you with us. Great intro!

[BirdbyBird]

Welcome to the forum... Does this also mean that you get to quit work? That really opens up the possibilities...as long as you have a source for gas money. That West Coast group of ladies are starting to plan more and more stuff. Hope that you can jump in on the left coast stuff until you are ready to come east.

[Cougarfan]

Welcome Renee! It's about time you got here....

Renee and I have worked together on and off for about 17 years. I learned everything I know about office practical jokes from her!!! She is the master...

I think you'll really like this group and its cool that we're getting more west coast people! Check out the get together forum for an update I'm about to post about this year's west coast get together (gtg)

Hope you can make it and hopefully we can have some mini gtg's this summer!

Laura

[avalen]

Welcome great introduction and I'll look forward to reading your posts as you travel around and gather more
stories to tell.

[cpatinjones]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

[mitch5252]

..

Welcome, Renee. Glad you found us.

..

[Liz]

Good for you, Renee. You'll fit right in this group. Glad you joined us.

[SandyB53]

Hi Renee, Welcome to the forum from another newbie
Sandy

[OregonLuvr]

Welcome Renee
I am Laura's Southern Oregon traveling buddy. She told me about you and that you were going to join. Glad you followed thru. Hope you can make the GTG this fall.

karen

[Olive600]

Welcome! I'm pretty new here myself. I hope you enjoy the forum as much as I do.

Nikki

[KReneeShippey]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome. i am looking forward to enjoying many trips with those of you in this area.

[carolb]

Welcome Renee! Sownds like yo're a pro already! (Sorry, "yew" key not working, so be prepared for weird spellings or sometimes I yewse a dash in instead ) I'm an east coaster, bt have been in the sothwest for the past month or so--my old stomping grownds. Have met some great Oregon-ers! Yew'll love meeting them too if yew get the chance And maybe someday, I'll have the chance to meet yew too! Happy & safe travels!