Rest Area's and Olaf Pajamas

 

               

                “Katy are you sure you’re ready to drive the camper alone?” Keith asked in a genuinely concerned but positive tone. “I’ve got this Keith, I’ve driven the camper with you, I know what I’m doing.” I said in a greatly confident voice. I mean how hard can this be, drive the camper from Washington state to California, easy peasy. That is what we all say before the real adventure begins, and reality hits us in the face. So, I drove the camper to the airport, dropped off Keith for work (We looked like the Beverly Hillbilly’s coming up to departures) gave Keith a kiss, and a hug with a yee haw see yah pa, driving off to the great unknown.

                First stop Idaho to get me some potatoes, because we all know you can only get good Idaho potatoes from Idaho. On my way for those good potatoes, I crossed over a bridge to Idaho falls and the snake river. I parked the camper in the parking lot, proud of myself “I am a true RVer I can park the camper without hitting anyone” I thought to myself.  It was so pretty; I could have stayed there for hours gazing at the beauty the area God had created just for us to view and admire. I went in the gift shop and asked for Idaho Potatoes, I could not understand the smirk as she pointed to; sure, enough they had them, chocolate and delicious, best Idaho potatoes I have ever eaten. So, I made sure to pick some potatoes up for my family in California, and Keith, because; I knew they would be jealous if they did not get to taste the yummy goodness of Idaho.

                All was going great, smooth ride between Idaho and Nevada. I stopped to enjoy the beauty around me every chance I could. Nevada seemed to have the same scenery as El Paso; dry, hot and desert. As I came towards Las Vegas, Nevada my end was in sight. My sister was only 2 hours from where I was, only problem was it was getting dark and I am not allowed to drive after dark. So, an hour and half away from my sisters I pulled over at a roadside park to tuck myself in. I put on my PJ. s, locked the doors, pulled the shades, and called my sister. Nancy began informing me that it was not the best place so lock the windows, doors, cab doors, do not leave anything unlocked. So, I went about laughing at my sister, and locking everything around me, thinking “Ok Nancy is a little paranoid”. I went to turn on the T.V. and realized blue picture isn’t what I should be seeing so I quickly thought “I will check the antenna; I unlocked the door and walked outside slamming the door behind me. Hmmm all looks good on the antenna, I grabbed the door handle, and quickly realized; the door had locked itself when I slammed it. I stood there in my Olaf Pajamas wondering what I have done, well the only thing any logical person would do in that situation; start banging on the door in hopes it will unlock.

                I looked at my surroundings, my keys were in the camper, my phone was in the camper; my purse was in the camper; I was stuck at this roadside park in my Olafs with nothing I could do to help myself. I thought about the windows, nope Nancy informed me to lock those, top vents, nope locked those to; so, what’s a women supposed to do in her Olafs locked out of her camper at a road side park, of course bang on the door some more, saying some not so nice words to the camper crying. Not just crying, but in a ball by the door crying so all could see the crazy lady in the Olafs and the bald head. A few minutes later the sun was now down, and I was on a mission; to find someone with a phone or a wire hanger. I think my odds were better with the phone though. So, in my sights I see a lady at the bathroom coming out, I quickly come walking up to her, stating I needed help getting into my camper. Never mind thinking what it looked like, or what I looked like. She quickly responded, “I will need to ask my partner, she might be up for it”. I quickly realized what I was walking into and proceeded to walk quickly back to the camper hiding on the other side, in hopes to not be seen. Moments later when I felt it safe, I then approached a trucker who had seen me crying and banging on the door, his response was “I don’t want to be in the middle of what ever is happening” Nothing is happening I am locked out of my camper that’s all. Again, I go to the next trucker again the same, nope cannot help my phone is dead. No one wanted to help the crazy bald lady in Olaf Pajamas.

    So, I cried in a ball some more by the camper, banged on the door a little more then proceeded to open the compartments that were supposed to be locked that I did not lock. One hanger is all I needed, one little hanger. There was nothing to be found but some water hoses, poop hoses and outside games. Nothing that can help me. So, I figured I would try one more time, a trucker. This time I came up crying, in noncoherent words talking about a phone, hangers and my husband. The man had to think there was something mentally wrong with me. He smiled, handed over the phone and said yes please call your husband. So, calling Keith was just as frustrating. He was sitting in a restaurant laughing and drinking, I told him what was happening, and after I told him he asked well do you have the keys? “No honey I would be in the camper if I did”. Do you have your phone? No honey I would not be calling you on some strange guys phone if I did. Can you take an UBER to the nearest hotel? HONEY, again my purse is in the camper. Can you call a tow truck? By this time, I was bawling and frustrated. Keith began saying he did not know what he could do, oh but he did. He called my sister and brother-in-law who promptly called Triple A and headed my direction. Without my knowledge, I had come to terms I was sleeping outside at this roadside park alone. So, what does a normal person do in this situation? Take out the camping stove and games from the bottom compartment, crawl up in that compartment and cry all night long.

 So, as I came to terms with my situation crying in a camper compartment, I see flashing lights stopping at my camper. Do I open the compartment door? Or play dead? So, I slowly opened the compartment door to check out the commotion. As I raised the door up a man looked at me and informed me “I think you’re who I’m looking for?” Knight in shinning armor? YES! He will save me, and I will be back in my camper. I do not care how much it cost.  A young man gets out with his door jammer blow up thingy bopper, and some other tool I cannot even describe. I am saved! NOT! One hour later, and a scuffed-up camper from the inexperience of knowing how to break into a vehicle, I am still standing outside. After standing over to the side not watching because I was getting so stressed seeing the scuffs being done, I looked around to see this young man with a hanger trying to lift our door locks that have no latch to them for him to grab on to. So, I finally looked at him and stated how about pushing the unlock button on the door. Hmm what a concept, 30 seconds later and 150 dollars done I was in my camper.

   As I get into my camper and the tow truck pulls off, here comes Nan and Dan to my rescue. My husband had called Nan and Dan to help but did not have any way to let me know they were on the way. The next few days when Keith returned to California, it was getting a spare key made. I now don’t leave the camper without the keys and my phone and, at a roadside park I don’t get out if I’m in my Olafs. As my Mom would always say. " you're never alone Katy" even in the dark of night in a California rest area.