On the road again...
Sunday | 22 April 2001 | Klamath Falls, Oregon:
DT and I started from home just after 10:00 this morning, heading south on
I-5. Just north of Bleugene, I decided to phone Lisa, as we would most
likely be without cellular service the rest of the day. As I am speaking
with her (Lisa went to a Graffiti party last night: you wear a white t-shirt
and people write all over your t-shirt with special markers and then they
turn-on a black light and you can see what people drew... I don't know if
this is a fad or not... just reporting what she did last night) when my
driver notices a crack forming on the passenger-half of the wind screen. A
hairline crack is beginning at the bottom of the window and is slowing
arching its way upward! Eeks.
I said goodbye to Lisa, who is sweltering in DC because the air con has not
been switched-on yet in her apartment building, and ran my finger along the
crack in the glass. Good news - it is on the outside of the window. (The
window has two sheets of glass with a sheet of plastic in the middle.) But -
is it actually growing, or an optical illusion? I hop-up to grab a sticker
and place it on the top of the crack. The crack quickly continues above
where I had placed the sticker - just from the slight pressure I used to
place the sticker! Oh Oh! We continued along the Interstate, the crack
increasing about one inch per mile, until it was about 10" long!
As luck - or fate - would have it, we were at the "Monaco Coach" exit on
I-5. Frequent readers of this site may remember a trip taken 15,000 miles
ago - our FIRST Travels with Goldie - where we were forced to exit at this
same place because of a faulty oil pressure gauge??? We knew Monaco -
Goldie's manufacturer - would not be open, as it was Sunday, but we also
knew their parking lot would be full of Knowers.
I say Knowers in a kind manner. I am speaking of (generally, damned-near,
always) men who own fine recreational vehicles and know their way around a
toolbox. They know how to fix "stuff" and whom to phone when they can't. We
pulled into the Monaco parking lot and, as predicted, it was filled with
RV's waiting for repair or service work. Monaco provides full-hook-up
campsites for their customers, free of charge (not including the $300,000
average price of a Monaco Coach). (No, folks... we do not own a Monaco
Coach, we have their "other brand", Holiday Rambler.) Within moments the
helpful Knowers had everything figured out. Though not visible from inside
the coach - the crack had started because of unseen, unheard and unknown
rock chip! After consultation with the campers and a few phone calls, it was
decided we can order a new wind screen and have it delivered to Merced,
where we will be staying for several days, and it can be installed in 30
minutes. Until then, we are in no danger of an impending collapse of the
screen and can continue our trip in safety. Luckily, it is on the passenger
side (I don't see that well anyway) and it does not impede my driver's view
of our safe travel.
And now my great idea! It has been widely reported that I have had some sort
of brain injury after my recent fall, but I came up with the idea to use
nail polish to stop the crack from its continued creep. Hey, it works for
panty hose! DT painted the crack, replaced the "monitor" sticker and we
headed towards Klamath Falls on bumpy Highway 58. Would you believe the
polish worked and the crack has not increased more than 1/4-inch?? Brain
injury? I think not. Ladies (and gentlemen, and Knowers of every nation) - I
recommend Revlon Firma Nail for your vanity or toolbox.
Odell Lake
The Creeping Crack
We pulled into a not-so-lovely KOA, went out for really bad
pizza (Abby's "Legendary" - go figger) and watched The Sopranos.
RV Park:
Klamath Falls KOA
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