Sovereign Starr's Travelblogue

So it's been about a month since I last posted...  I have been having so much fun, and learning so much about Airstreams and myself!

I left Albuquerque a little late, due to some challenges with getting a tow vehicle with which to pull my beloved Airstream.  But Raven and I made it safe and sound to the Dallas area, to hang out with Guru Jack Taylor.  The Airstream survived the ten hour trip with only a couple minor injuries.  The hatch door in the back of the trailer which houses the battery and the toilet bowl and other important things of that nature, flew off somewhere along the way, and the battery flew out as well. 

Then when I was going to open up the door to spend my first night in the trailer, the door wouldn't unlock.  The key turned, the doorknob turned, but the lock just wouldn't click.  So we slept in the van (which was quite comfortable because of the surprisingly roomy mechanically operated fold down bed in the back).  We were really concerned at first, because the aluminum Airstream doors cannot be taken out from the outside, and there are no screws on the doorknob, basically no way to get the doorknob out without taking the door out, which, as I said, was pretty much impossible.  First thing in the morning, I got on the Airforums and asked if anyone knew how to get into a 1966 Overlander without the benefit of a working door.  The basic consensus was that I would need to crawl in through one of the hatches.  This proved highly unlikely, unless I had a monkey or a small child to do it for me, as the limited space in the hatches prevented me to squeeze through.  Unfortunately, Raven, although she could certainly fit through the hatch, is not quite sophisticated enough yet to able to understand what to do once inside.  I didn't want to end up with a broken lock and a two year old inside.  So we had to consider other options. 

We found online a website for North Dallas RV, an RV service company that specializes in Airstreams.  We decided to pay them a visit, which turned out to be a very good decision.  The staff at North Dallas RV was extremely competent, helpful, and friendly.  We were able to open the door once we realized that the window right next to it was plexiglass, and could be popped out and replaced fairly easily.  As soon as that helpful fact was determined, the guys were able to reach a hand through the window and open the door from the inside.  Not only did they replace my lock (the tumbler was broken), but they also gave me a thorough walk-through on the trailer, explaining all the systems to be sure I knew how to use them, and pointing out items that need to be checked or replaced.  Then they changed out my battery for me, and made me a special contraption to keep my door from flying open when I'm driving down the highway.  Apparently, old Airstreams sometimes need makeshift deadbolts.  I made an appointment to have a new hatch door fabricated, and left happy and relieved that I could at last make myself at home.

Stay tuned for the next episode of DALLAS. 

I have just spent a blissful two hours thinking up little slogans and sticking them on t-shirts and bumper stickers at zazzle.com. Each piece has a slogan that relates in some way to Law of Attraction. Some are funny, some are inspirational, and they were all a lot of fun to design. Click on the "Essential Gear" link on the navigation bar to the left of the screen to check it out.

I've got to give props to all the single moms out there. After nearly a month without Daddy, I've started to experience some serious reverse-separation-anxiety. (PLEASE, I NEED SOME SEPARATION FROM YOU RIGHT NOW!!!) Back in North Carolina, when I started to feel these symptoms coming on, I would simply grab the car keys and run out the front door, yelling behind me, "I'm moving to Mexico! I won't forget to write!" Then, of course, I would go to a parking lot somewhere and smoke a half a pack of cigarettes, or go to the bookstore and browse the travel section, or to Wendy's for a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger. Then I would return promptly two hours later in time to tuck the little darling into bed. This was a routine that Eric valiantly endured at least every other day.

But in the four weeks I've been in Albuquerque, I've been away from Raven approximately four times. I've been staying up a lot later to compensate. Four o'clock in the morning will normally find me sitting on the couch in the dark, eyes bloodshot, googling whatever comes to mind.

But last night, Katie and I scored a sitter for the girls and went out for a lovely evening of rest and relaxation. We went to Betty's Bath and Day Spa, a luxurious oasis of rejuvenation in Albuquerque. At Betty's, for a mere eleven dollars, you can spend as much time as you like soaking in one of two outdoor hot tubs and sweating your toxic inner gunk out in the sauna. Then you can take a nice cold shower, with complementary shower gel, shampoo and conditioner made on site of all-natural ingredients (available for purchase in a wide variety of scents). Betty's also offers massage therapy and a pretty full menu of spa services. We didn't try any of these, but they are available. We had an incredible time, lounging around in the tub, looking up at the stars, conversing with some of the other patrons. It was pure bliss. And those of you who have been following this blog know that bliss is what my life is all about. I felt like a new woman when I walked out of that place.

And I didn't even google anything when I got home. Not one thing.