Bustin' Loose...

 

If you said, "A movie from 1981, starring Richard Prior," you get 100 bonus points.  I'm impressed - not one of Prior's best roles.

But, today, the bustin' loose is about getting our motorhome back from Winnebago.  After taking 3 times longer than the said.  Of course, about 10 days of that was because they decided last minute to close over the holidays.  We were originally told the coach would be ready between Christmas and New Years, then January 3rd, then January 10, then... who knows?

But, today was the day!  We left John's this morning just before 7:30.  It was cold, and the snow got heavier as we headed north and east to Forest City, Iowa...

 

It was 19º when we got there just before 11:00.  They take lunch between 11:00 and 11:30, but the team that worked on our coach said they'd put lunch off and bring the coach out for us.  We walked around the outside - everything looks good.  Then, moving inside, they went over all the work they did.  There are some differences compared to what it used to look like, all for the good.  The padded ceiling fabric is just a bit creamier colored.  The air conditioner venting looks a bit whiter.  All new lights and speakers.  This powered antenna looks similar, but seems to work much better (newer technology).  A new switcher box for the TVs.  The only thing we could find that needed attention: a black plastic nut that holds the on/off switch for the vent fan in the bathroom was missing; they brought one out while I did the paperwork and gave them $$$$$...

 

Decisions: stay the night and check everything out more thoroughly... or: start heading south and west.  We decided to make some miles - there is a winter storm that will move along our route home.  We can get as far as we can before the storm comes up behind us.  We were planning to take our time heading home, but that isn't going to happen... or, we will be waiting it out somewhere along the way.

Joan drove separate with the Equinox, me piloting the Aspect.  The coach is quieter... well, it should be, considering the busted out skylights (taped over) and seriously wounded roof.  But, it seems even quieter than before the hail damage.  There was an unfriendly quartering headwind for most of the drive... and you notice the higher profile compared to the sleek Equinox.  I missed all the wiz-bang features in the Equinox.  Older technology with the Aspect, plus... it's a truck chassis.  The seats in the Equinox are heated, no so with the Aspect; but, the Aspect driver's seat feels like home.  Plus, I was able to drive the motorhome 65 to 70 miles per hour... couldn't do that after all the hail damage.  And I don't tow that fast when double towing.

As we rolled south, the snow along the road decreased in depth...

 Joan has the built-in nav in the car and Apple maps on CarPlay.  I have the Rand McNally RV GPS in the coach, the portable Garmin, and my Apple Watch connected to Maps...

We stayed to Interstates, except for the trek from Winnebago to I-35.  South on that, then west on I-80.  We skirted Des Moines, Omaha, and Lincoln.  Just outside of Omaha, we were treated to a striking evening sky...

Rufus rode with me in the coach.  He was unsettled in the car on the way to Forest City... after having the run of the place at John's house.  He napped most of the time once we left Winnebago, occasionally hopping up on my lap.  We stopped a couple times so he could have his usual meal schedule, but drove well past dark to get as far as we could.

We'll get up early and do it all again tomorrow.  Straight south.  And now to get a bit moved back into the motorhome.