Music appreciation apparently runs in our family. Having a guitar in my life has been a thing longer than Joan and I have been together. I still like to sing and play guitar. No, we did not bring a guitar along on this trip... while we're learning how to do this Class B lifestyle again, we knew we would be cramped for room.
The first night in the Roadtrek was a bit tough: different bed, learning where to put things without night stands, different noises. None of us got much sleep.
After getting some exercise walking around the rim of the Grand Canyon yesterday, I knew we'd be ready for a good night's sleep. And, that is exactly how it played out. Until I had to get up around 2:45 for the short trip to the bathroom (don't worry, I won't go into more detail about that). Apparently, my getting up was enough to get Murphy all revved up.
The furry boy likes to be able to look outside, whether we are are home, in the Aspect, or now in the Roadtrek. The Roadtrek has nice windows, but during the night, all the shades are closed. Murphy does not like the shades all closed.
Shortly before 3:00 am, the furry boy exhibited his vocal talents... opera, rap, twangy country - the boy gave us his whole repertoire. The show went on for 2 hours. In the middle of the night. At what seemed like an extreme volume, but that may just be the close quarters. No amount of shushhhhing, scolding, or clamping a hand over his mouth could keep him from sharing his vocal talents.
(Editor's note: oversharing coming, skip this paragraph if you don't care for TMI) Frequently, Murphy will be very vocal prior to taking a poop. I don't know why it is called "taking a poop," because you are actually leaving a poop, but I digress. Murph gets loud and active (as in running about) prior to a poop. Yep. The litter box is in the area between our beds, but covered. He pooped. Big smell to go with the big noise. I thought the vocal offerings would subside while we all got to enjoy the fragrant aroma. I was mistaken. He went from opera to rock-opera at full arena volume. At one point, he got up into the storage area above the cab (seriously, it is so tall I can barely reach into it) and flung a box of band-aids down onto the floor. No, I don't know why. And at 4:07, I was more concerned about making it stop than pondering why. Somewhere around 5:07 am, the concert ended. It was not because I choked the life out of him (it was considered), but I think he ran out of steam.
We were able to get back to sleep (all 3 of us, I think) until just after 7:00. I'd say we'll all need a nap today, but that rarely works out.
The furry boy has been fed, Joan has had her coffee, I've had my hot chocolate (the coffee maker has been "vinegared" and is working fine again. Breakfast is under way, and the furry boy is getting to look out the window...
Today is a planned "chill day" - lunch out at Williams, a look around the town. No excursions. Maybe there will be time for a nap? ;-)
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Observations about "living in a van"...
Everyone say it: "Down by the river!" Chris Farley, Saturday Night Live reference to the Matt Foley sketch. And, no, we are not "living in the van." But, we are trying out all the day to day uses with the Roadtrek to see what will need to be addressed. Much of it is stuff we need to buy or change to make it work for our use. Only one "shakedown item" (a rattle from one wall where the shade needs more support) that we will probably do ourselves.
The last item to try out: the shower. Class B vans generally have a wet bath. You have a toilet, a sink, and a shower; they just all happen to be in the same small space. Thus, the term "wet bath": you sit on the toilet to shower. That feature alone turns some people off. We have had a wet bath in our previous Leisure Travel Van and in our C-Dory (Wild Blue). It works. Functional. And I'd rather shower in my own than go to the campground or marina showers. I know mine is clean.
This morning, we both christened the shower. Good and reasonably fast hot water with the Truma Aqua Go tankless water heater. The shower head doesn't have a water flow shut-off on it... I've never seen that missing in a wet bath, since you are trying to conserve water. There is no medicine cabinet in the bathroom, so there is no place to put toiletries that you don't want to get wet. The sink is small, with no place to set stuff around it. There is a shower curtain you pull across the door to keep the water off the wood and from getting out onto the floor of the van. It works, but the factory didn't put Velcro® tabs on the shower side (they are on the curtain) to keep it in place when it is pulled out. The rail that holds the shower curtain hooks has a stopper on one end, but not on the other - probably another oversight at the factory, but if you weren't watching, you could have the shower curtain on the floor.
The shower floor has a fairly aggressive non-skid; good to keep from slipping, but hard on my tender feet. I'll get used to that. The drain for the shower is at the back towards the driver's side of the van. We are reasonably level, but being just a bit higher on the passenger side front would allow better drainage. Joan was amused that the toilet seat has a slightly concave lid... it makes for a "butt rinse" when you sit down after standing to reach any nether regions with the shower head. And speaking of the shower head: it is decent, but the hose is stiff as can be... a bit like wrestling with an octopus while in the shower. Joan already has another one on the way from Amazon.
So, how did the shower work out for you? Thanks for asking. It works fine. We'll be adding some hooks and things to make it work for us, but it is very adequate. It is just what we expected. And we are nice and clean. :-)
No photo - you're welcome.
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The Chill Day...
We toured around Williams today. This town exists because of Route 66 and being "the Gateway to the Grand Canyon." While there are a few new buildings, it has a definite 50s and 60s feel to it...
I followed this hot chick for a while...
I think she's into me...
It's probably my animal astigmatism. It all worked out: I took her out for lunch at an Italian place on the main drag. We parked the Roadtrek in a regular diagonal parking site, first one on a side street. We were sticking out a bit in the back, but it is pretty hard to miss. Murph stayed in air conditioned comfort while we walked around Main Street, then had lunch.
The food was good; not a fancy establishment. Then, back to the campground... Murphy got some more outdoor time (yes, he got to go for a walk earlier today, too). This evening, another walk. When Joan took him outside earlier, she helped him up a tree. More tree time this evening...
"Look, Dad - I'm a jungle cat!" Yep.
4 comments:
Well, cats ARE nocturnal. It is in their nature to roam and prowl at night, and sometimes sing. Post feeding and post-pooping they tend to be on rocket fuel for a bit. Not sure why. You may have to sacrifice a little privacy to give him a lookout window, just for your sanity and restful nights. Hopefully he will settle down - there is still a lot of kitten in him. I have never had much luck interrupting their daytime naps so that they sleep better through the night. If I wake them up they just go hide to sleep elsewhere, where I cannot get to them.
The Shakedown Cruise continues...
Let's say "spirited"... Murphy tends to be more spirited than our other kitties have been. We have been through the kitten stage; this is the rock-opera stage. This is new. I understand that the Roadtrek is another new thing for him to learn. We did get him outside several times today, so we're hoping that will help his concerns. We'll see how tonight goes, and then we are back home on Thursday. He is sitting beside me right now, sweet as can be... I'm pretty sweet, too. I stayed mostly calm in the middle of the din. ;-)
Murphy looks great in the tree - a real predator, surveying his domain. I'm sure it will work out eventually. You have thrown a lot of new things at him, and cats are well known for their "go with the flow" attitude -- NOT. Every cat is a different personality, as we learned with Duke. We've never had a cat that just won't get along with other animals. In retrospect, he was a pill at the shelter and they had to isolate him. But he is such a good boy for Alice. He is so friendly to people but so deadly to other small animals. I'd love to let him run in our huge backyard but he would try to kill everything he saw, including Lucy, the neighbor cats, and the their little dog.
Sounds like Duke is channeling the Wicked Witch of the West: "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!" ;-)
Murph was the opposite of a pill at the shelter: he melted in our arms when we took him out of the cage... "Sucka!" LOL Yes, he has had to deal with a lot of new things. His general first reaction to anything new is: "Oh my God, they're trying to kill me!!!" Because that's what we do - we murder cats. I think he had fun in the tree (Joan lifted him up there - he didn't go on his own)... like most cats, he likes the "high ground." We're back home now; he seems happy to be home. Joan, too. I opened the door to the van and did my own Wicked Witch of the West impersonation: "I'm melting!!!" ;-)
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