Travel Day 1, job offer - Yr 1, Day 274

Ormond Beach, FL

B"H (thank God!) we finally made it out of Arcadia.  We had a little scare last night in that something seemed to have shorted out in our 12V system.  While using the remote control to level the jacks, the lights got very dim and then the a/c went out (blew the fuse).  We were worried that the batteries were about to die, but in the morning, discovered that something just wasn't plugged in tightly enough.  So far, also, the new water pump Mitch installed seems to be working fine.  I don't like the water pressure, but at least there's water, and it's only for an overnight or so.  When we're ready to boondock for a longer period of time, we'll upgrade it to a better, stronger model.

We never unhitched, so taking off in the morning was pretty easy.  We just needed to do a thorough packing, since the last time we pretty much just threw everything together for a 2 mile trip down the road.   We left the campground around 9:30, stopped twice: once in a parking lot to change drivers and use our own bathroom, and the 2nd time at a rest area to change drivers again and use the facilities there (and to take a little nap -- it was about an hour's diversion).  We arrived at the campground about 2:30, and 175 miles later.  We quickly set up camp (electric, water, sewer) so that I could do some client work.

Unfortunately, this week is all about travel, as we really need to get up to Raleigh next week for Passover, so although we're staying in some interesting towns, we're only hooking up for the night and not stopping to do any fun things.  Each day will be between 150 and 175 miles.  It's really too bad, since the beach is pretty close and this seems to be a fairly decent campground.  The folks are very friendly, but after I finished work, neither of us felt very sociable and decided to watch tv and have some wine, and not join the other campers.  Tomorrow we set sail for Townsend, GA, somewhat near Savannah.  Again, no time for fun; just a place to camp for the night -- not wanting to spend the evening in a Walmart parking lot -- and within the distance we're willing to drive.

Now -- I'm sure you're wondering about the 2nd part of the title.  We didn't want to say anything until it was confirmed, but Mitch applied for a job about a month ago and learned today that he was accepted.  The company was actually looking for RV'ers who are willing and able to travel around the country inspecting their gas lines.  Not only is it a steady salary, but it also pays about $200 a week for travel expenses, which can include the campgrounds and gas.  Where he works and how often is also extremely flexible.  Mitch's only fear is that it may involve a lot of walking (he has to follow the gas line using special equipment, looking for potential leaks) and he's not sure if his arthritic knee can handle it.  I guess time will tell, but this can be a very exciting opportunity.  Unfortunately, he hasn't had any IT gigs since we left Raleigh back in December (except one 1-day job in Ft. Myers), so having something steady is a very, very good thing!!!  He has to fill out his hiring paperwork and then we'll know when and where his first assignment will be (or where and when the training is).