by JudyJB » Sun Oct 13, 2019 6:49 pm
Shirlv, I really think that travel in at least the UK is a lot safer and sometimes even easier than in the U.S. For one thing, you cannot beat the helpfulness and kindness of the Brits. I was often trusted to a degree that I had never experienced in the US. For example, out in the country on an island, the owner of a B&B was not going to be home when I arrived. When I called her to give her my new arrival time, she said the door was never locked and to just go in and make myself at home. Room key was in the door!! And the official for the tiny church where my great-great-grandparents were married said to stop by her house and she would give me the key to the church! Has any stranger in the US every done either of those two things for you???
And, if you don't want to drive on the wrong side of the road, there is an extensive train and bus system in the UK that goes to even the tiniest towns. I chose to drive because I did not want to cart my luggage around and I liked not having a timetable, but tons of people travel by train or bus very, very safely. Even in London, where some people worry about pickpockets, I walked down the street and watched everyone talking on much more expensive cell phones than I had, so decided to stop worrying! And I walked around the West End where the theaters are mostly located after seeing a musical and took the subway home very late at night. The sidewalks were crowded and all you had to do was follow the crowd because you would eventually find a subway entrance. I felt very safe there, also.
Anyway, end of London stories. I have now made it to Heyburn, ID. There is a very nice, city-owned Riverside RV park that has full hookups and costs only $23 per night, so I am staying here two nights. I had planned to drive about 250 miles per day on my way home, but a refrigerator that did not work and my shingles have slowed me down, so I am two days behind schedule. Yesterday, I stopped at a Camping World and the service guy looked at my refrigerator personally. He had been a service guy once but ended up calling in help, and the two of them spent an hour figuring out that I needed a new circuit board and a gas thingamajig. They replaced the circuit board, and it now at least works on electric. They did not have the gas part, but they did not charge me for all the diagnostic work. Result was a $75 part and a free night in their RV hookup area!!! I was a little worried because no one else was camped there, but it was OK. I need to do some calling around tomorrow to find someone who has the gas part and can install it, but I can manage as long as I have power at night to keep things frozen.
My shingles are pretty much OK during the day, but I grade papers at night and the last three nights I have been in agony sitting in my chair and trying to do work. (The pain is worse than kidney stones and gall bladder pain, so I really mean it is agony.) Plus I had been sleeping OK, except for the night before last, when I was in pain all night and even woke up with pain. I think I need to dope myself up with more pain meds--been conservative with using them because they make me sleepy and cause constipation. It is not the rash itself that is bothering me, but the spasms in my back where the rash started. I finally got the heating pad out last night, and I think that helped.
So, I need tomorrow during the day to catch up because Monday night is my deadline for last week's papers. I can't chew my students out for not getting work done on time if I don't get mine done on time!! After four days of driving, I need a break anyway.
Safe travels
