Camaraderie - Day 562 (Yr 2, Day 181)

Asheville, NC

It always amazes me how catastrophes or any kind of event brings folks together.  Besides how everyone pitched in to help each other out during the river flood on Monday (I never did mention how Mitch lent his truck to help another fifth wheel get out of their spot as they didn't have a tow vehicle -- someone else had to drive it though!), it forms new friendships.

We had a very enjoyable evening around the campfire with 6 new folks who we met during the flood.  Interesting that these people have been here for quite a while and we've never had the chance to meet them before.

I look forward to inviting them to a New Year's eve party tomorrow night!  Hopefully I'll remember to take a few photos for posterity.

Exciting night - Day 561 (Yr 2, Day 180)

Asheville, NC

It all started at almost 1:00 am, when we received a call from Mitch's sister Jane.  The only time anyone in the family ever calls at odd hours is when (G-d forbid!) there is an emergency.  So seeing her name pop up on caller ID gave us both a big scare.  Turns out she is in CA visiting her kids and accidentally pocket (or butt) dialed us.  Big, big relief.

We fell back to sleep and were awakened again around 3:00 am by loud voices and a truck engine.  We looked out the window to see one of the RVs trying to find a spot to park in.  Upon further investigation, we realized that the river had overflowed its banks (if you refer to my previous post, we heard about the flood watches on Friday and decided to move to the other side of the campground then - a decision we're very happy we made.  Even though it remained safe through the weekend, there was even more heavy rain, with more on the way over the next few days).

We went outside to discover that everybody else on the river side had evacuated, either to this side or left the campground.  I'm sure there must have been a lot of commotion, and I have no clue how both of us managed to sleep through it.   In front of our site, the water was a little past the halfway point between the river side and our side (about 10 more feet to go to reach us), but it was up against the pads a few sites down.  The weather reports were warning that the river would continue to rise until about 5:15 am before it would start to recede.  So we had a dilemma: stay put or evacuate?  The owner, as well as 2 permanent residents here (who have a lot of experience with this) said that although it was a gamble, chances were very slim that we would get flooded on our side.  They felt the worst that would happen is the water would reach the front of our site, but even if it did go beyond that (to the very back), it was only standing water, not a raging river, and we were high enough off the ground and the water level would never rise that high.  So we took the chance and decided to stay.

By 8:30 this morning the water had receded back to a few inches below the bank, and now (at noon) it is a few feet below.  The campground staff is busy cleaning up all the debris that the water brought along with it.

Still a lot to be grateful for besides having the foresight to move earlier rather than once the water rose and in the dark and when everyone else was moving, but also this week has brought many, many tornadoes in the southern states (hardest hit: TX and MS) with as many as 25 deaths from those very severe storms.  The rain we've had is part of that storm system, but we only had to deal with the flooding.

Update to previous post - Day 557 (Yr 2, Day 176)

Asheville, NC

Did I mention in my last post about the sun and blue sky peeking thru and the end to the rain?  Well, that lasted all of 5 minutes.  Not only did the rain resume, but now, the warnings we were waiting and watching for came -- that the additional rain was going to affect the part of the river where we are.  In fact, someone from a neighboring campground came by to make sure everyone here was aware of the threat and took appropriate precautions.

So, in the middle of doing my Shabbat cooking, we had to hustle to get everything disconnected and put away, to move 20 feet across the way.

As always, fellow RVers are very friendly and helpful folks, and many have way more experience in doing this stuff than we do.  The folks who live across the way from where we were (Matt & Laurie) - Matt drives a truck for a living and helped us hitch and back into the spot in about 10 minutes (of course, this was after Mitch tried to hitch himself for about 1/2 hr and I finally convinced him to give up; now was not the time to be stubborn and get practice).  Good thing, as the rain resumed just as we finished parking.

Now I have a nice view of the river from my dining room / office table instead of the back window.  But that's ok.  We are NOT moving again until it's time to leave!

Back home - Day 557 (Yr 2, Day 176)

Asheville, NC

I confess I've been a little lazy in getting to write this post.

Tuesday was another busy work day, although not as bad as Monday.  I was able to take a little break at noon and decided to go swimming and in the hot tub again.  One of my clients wants me to give a training session to his reps, so I had to be prepared by 5:00.  Tuesday evening, we met with 2 of Mitch's colleagues (Mike and Kandi), who are also RV full-timers working with Southern Cross and also located in Asheville (a different campground) who were asked to go to Durham for the week as well.  Very lovely couple!  I hope we get to spend more time with them.

On Wednesday, I arranged for a late check-out (1:00 instead of noon) because I had another training session to do.  After that, I moved the party down to the lobby/cafe area until Mitch returned at 2:00.  It was pouring rain and despite his expensive rain suit, he was soaked to the skin and had to change before we could hit the road back to Asheville.  We left the hotel at 2:30 and finally arrived home around 9:00 pm.  The traffic wasn't too bad, but there were some severe storms coming in from the midwest, so we had quite a few bands of torrential downpours to drive through.  I did the first 3.5 hours of driving because I can't drive at night (night vision-where all I see is a blur of lights and I can't judge where those lights are).  Mitch did the last hour.  With all the flood warnings we were hearing about, we called the campground first to determine if we were under an evacuation warning again.  We were told that so far there had only been regular rain (the worst of the storms were expected to hit on Thursday), so everything was ok.  So now knowing we didn't have to rush back to prep to move, we allowed ourselves to stop off the highway for a real dinner out (we went to Chili's).

It's always a great relief to return home after being away for a few days (or longer) and discover that everything is exactly the way we left it (it was the same in our sticks & bricks house as well).  We brought everything inside and just left it there, to unpack the next day (another first for me!  I can never stand clutter and need to have everything in order at all times, but I guess I was just too tired to deal with it right then).  We watched some "tv," had some wine and then went to bed.

The rain started around 5:30 am and lasted pretty much until about 5pm; with several bands of very intense rain and thunderstorms.  Once again, we watched the river level come within inches of the top of the bank, and were on alert to close up and move to the other side.  We thought we were in the clear, but heard about more rain & flash flooding conditions for Friday morning.  There was some rain but not as intense, and it ended around 10am (when the sun and some blue sky peeked through for a few minutes).  Again, we thanked G-d for keeping us safe and for not having to move.

I should also mention that the country right now is seeing extremely unusual weather patterns.  Whereas it's supposed to be in the 30s-40s this time of year, we are having a 72 degree Christmas day.  I understand it hit 74 in NYC yesterday, and it's pretty much in the 60s and 70s all along the east coast.  Not that I'm complaining at all!!!  If only it were this warm and sunny though.

So yesterday (Thursday) and today (Friday) were like vacation days for me as my clients are all taking the time off.  I spent the morning doing household stuff and then convinced Mitch to join me and spend the rest of the day just vegging and watching movies.  Today, in between just playing around on the internet, I'm also doing some household stuff and preparing for Shabbat.  At the moment, Mitch is visiting one of our campground neighbors who is having some computer problems, so he's doing some tech support.  It would be awesome if he could make that his full time work, but I don't think there's enough need to pay the bills (it's good pocket change though, if he even charges.  Sometimes it's nice to just make friends and if they offer something, that's sweet).

Another enjoyable evening - Day 553 (Yr 2, Day 172)

Durham, NC

It was a pretty heavy work day, as expected, and I was working from about 7am until 5.  I did force myself to take a break for about a half hour and went to the fitness center and walked on the treadmill until my hip gave out (about 15 mins).  They also have very lovely grounds here, but the weather wasn't really nice enough to walk them.

Mitch arrived back to the room at around 6 (was on the road also at 7), and took about 1/2 hr to decompress.

We went out for a nice meal at Red Robin where I had a Boca burger wrapped in lettuce and a side of broccoli (I don't know if I mentioned that I've been back on Weight Watchers for the past 3 weeks now.  I don't own a scale so I don't know how much I've lost, but I can tell I am definitely having success).  It's really great that I don't need to go to meetings or even invest in an online membership, as everything I need to know (support groups, points calculators, points lists, even restaurant listings) can be found online.

Mitch also learned that an emergency situation has arisen in Asheville, so we will NOT be returning here next week.  That makes me very happy, and I guess it all worked out well that we didn't bring the rig with us after all.

We wore our bathing suits under our clothes because we wanted to go for a swim but knew that if we ended up back in the room, we'd be too lazy and tired to change.  It was a great idea because I really missed being in a pool and hot tub.  It was really delightful.

Mitch's b'day, driving - Day 552 (Yr 2, Day 171)

Durham, NC

Yes, you read that right - not Asheville!  But no, we're not staying here.  Mitch's company needed some extra hands in the Raleigh/Durham area to finish up the work by the end of year, so they are bringing almost all of their NC workers here to help out. But I think I already mentioned that, as well as the plans for driving 5 hours back and forth, twice.

The highlight of the week was Mitch's birthday, which was on Saturday.  After Shabbat, we went to Bonefish Grill for dinner, and then saw Star Wars: The Force Reawakens.  Other than my accidentally breaking my wine glass (for which the manager not only comped a new glass, but comped our appetizers of $17 sushi), it was a very enjoyable evening.

When we arrived in Raleigh, we hung out at Jessica & Griffin's home for a few hours, and then went out to dinner with them (again, a sushi restaurant!)

The hotel we're staying at is very nice.  It's a La Quinta.  Ok, not a Hyatt or the Ritz, but compared to the places we stay at within our own budget (Super 8, Red Roof Inn), it's luxurious!  Even has an indoor pool and nice fitness center, which I hope to have a chance to use.  Unfortunately, I have a very overloaded work schedule Monday and Tuesday, but I'm hoping perhaps I can at least work poolside.

Update on travel plans - still Day 546 (Yr 2, Day 168)

Asheville, NC

As you know from my last post from this morning, Mitch needs to work during the business days next week and the week after in Raleigh (that's Mon-Tues-Wed of next week and Mon-Tues-Wed-Thurs the following week).  He does not feel confident that we'll have enough time to do all the prep work necessary to get the rig road ready (it will take a good deal of the day just getting the tires inflated).  We also can't afford to pay for the hotel for the non-work days that the company won't cover.  So the plan is that we'll drive back and forth each week.  We will leave here on Sunday and return on Thursday, then leave again the following Sunday and return on New Years day.

Sigh.

Finally some news - Day 546 (Yr 2, Day 168)

Asheville, NC

Finally some news about our next steps, as Mitch's work in Asheville is winding down (may even be finished by the end of this week).

First, they need some extra hands in the Raleigh area, so they are sending us back there next week through the end of the year.  That's for about 2 weeks, so if we can figure out how to make the time to get the rig road ready after sitting for 4 months, it makes the most sense to take our home with us.  Boss suggested we leave the rig here and they'd pay for a hotel (excluding the Xmas, day after, and the weekend -- that would have to come out of our pockets:  no, Jess can't accommodate us) so as not to lose our space.  That's not really a concern though.  We may lose our exact spot on the river, but it's not busy season so I'm confident there will be a space for us somewhere in the park.  Question is whether we really want to move (not to mention that horrible mountain grade again).  We'll need to give this some serious thought tonight.

Anyway, Mitch was told that they really don't have a great deal of work for travelers at the beginning of the year, so rather than relocate us, they want us to stay in this area where they still have some work withinin a 50 mile radius (Hendersonville, Tryon, Mills River, Flat Rock, and so forth).  So we will definitely be here through January.

Amazing weather! - Day 545 (Yr 2, Day 167)

Asheville, NC

No unusual events or exciting adventures to report since Wednesday, other than some amazing weather.  It's supposed to be in the 30's to 40s this time of year, but it has been in the high 60's, with yesterday reaching 72!!!  Today is expected to be about 70.  Many folks around here back to shorts and t-shirts!  It was really lovely yesterday (Shabbat) being able read out back by the river, wearing a t-shirt.  (It's expected to be in the mid to high 60s all week, with rain tomorrow and Thursday).

In fact, the weather was so lovely that we decided to have a campfire after Shabbat.  We met several new folks who arrived within the last few days, and invited them all to party with us.  Unfortunately, they all had plans so we were alone, enjoying each others company.

This morning, Mitch has been spending under the truck, filling the tires.  He also went up on the roof to investigate, as it's been a while and we wanted to make sure it wasn't loaded with leaves (it wasn't).  When he's done with the tires, we'll be heading out shopping -- he needs to pick up some things at Lowes, Harbor Freight and Walmart.  Maybe if we get back from shopping early enough, we can take the urb-es out for a ride to the park.

Mitch's day at work - Day 541 (Yr 2, Day 163)

Asheville, NC

Most of the week had been spent doing surveys (checking for gas leaks) in subdivisions (new housing developments).  Today, he is in the middle of a field, with a beautiful view (he's in Mill River, about 25 miles south).

To get there, he had to pick his way through a forest of brambles:

Beautiful view, nice hike.  That white speck in the background is the truck.

Chanukkah - Day 539 (Yr 2, Day 161)

Asheville, NC

We did indeed have a really nice time at the Chanukkah party sponsored by "our" Chabad (of Asheville), although it was an event open to the entire community.  There were well over 500 people in attendance.  There were so many fun things for the kids to do -- I wish they had something like this when our kids were young!

The event was held at the Crowne Plaza Expo Center, so it was a huge facility.  There were about 5 different inflatable jump houses and tunnels (like an indoor playground), and a lot of crafts tables: painting, sketching, build a dreidel out of legos (plus just a lego play station), play dreidel against Judah Maccabee (with a person dressed as him, and a table full of chocolate gelt (money)).  There was a face painter, gift boutique, and various tables representing the area synagogues and Jewish organizations such as Jewish Family Services and Asheville Jewish Business Organization.

The decor was very nice as well, with lovely centerpieces, balloons and tiny silver and blue stars on each table.

There was a large stage, where they had a nice band playing throughout the event (which was 3-6 pm).  At one point, the kids from the Hebrew school put on a short singing performance.

And, of course, there was the food area. Mitch and I volunteered to help, and we were put to work as food servers (it would have been too chaotic for so many people to be helping themselves).  There were 10 stations in total; 2 identical ones on either side of the area.  The foods were: greek salad, green beans w/mushrooms, latkes (of course!), eggplant parm, cheese lasagna, and sushi, plus dessert of fruit, babka and donuts.  I was in charge of serving the green beans, and Mitch served the latkes.

Of course, the highlight of the day was the lighting of the menorah, which was quite an amazing piece.  Each stem was made of a clear pipe filled with pennies collected by Chabad during the year.  At the end of the holiday, it will all be donated to a local charity.

I took a video of the candle lighting ceremony but unfortunately, it's over 2 minutes long and too large to post here.  If you're interested in seeing it, send me a message and I'll be happy to send you a link to download (which will take a bit of time as it's about 44 MB.

When the event was over, we went home and had our own little candle lighting ceremony.  First, I decorated my kitchen (putting up the holiday pot holders and towel) and we lit the electric menorah for the window:

We then lit the regular candles and opened an awesome gift from Jessica (assorted chocolates in really clever packaging):

And now starts another work week!

Thanksgiving (a bit late) - Day 535 (Yr 2, Day 157)

Asheville, NC

I can't believe it has been a week since we left for Raleigh, NC to spend Thanksgiving with our dear daughter, her husband, my super sister-in-law Doris, and a few friends (Shana & Jared--newly married and Shannon, with Jason dropping by), and, of course, our favorite grandpup Ellie.  Reason for not posting:  up to my eyeballs in alligators with work.  Not that it's a bad thing, but being that November was very slow, it's like everyone was making up for it by bombarding me with a lot of stuff to do this week.  I am finally finding a few minutes to post.

So... the drive to Raleigh wasn't bad.  We left Asheville on Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) at 8:00am and arrived around 1:00pm, having stopped for an hour for breakfast at a Cracker Barrel.  We didn't take the CoW as there was no time to do all the prep work for towing, so we stayed at the Red Roof Inn in Cary.

Dinner, of course, was amazing.  I just can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the food or people. :(  This year I wanted to partake of the delicious side dishes made with dairy, so I had the Tofurkey.  Plus, since Jess was expecting a large crowd (which turned out not to be the case), a kosher bird wouldn't have worked as she needed at least 25 lbs and I can never find one larger than about 13.

Friday we hung around the house until later in the afternoon, then Jess, me and Doris went to Lowes Foods (to show off the store), and World Market.  We all love that store!

Saturday, Mitch and I went to our favorite home away from home - Chabad of Cary.  It was great to see all our friends there.  Then we hung around the house, and had a nice sushi dinner.  We met for breakfast on Sunday morning (8:15) and then hit the road.

As I said, the rest of the week has been spent on the computer from dawn until dusk all week, and Mitch working on his gas line stuff.

Channukah starts on Sunday.  Hopefully I will post about the event we'll be attending then.

POST SCRIPT:   When we left Asheville, we wore 4 layers of clothes as it was 30 degrees.  By the time we arrived in Raleigh, it was 70!!!  We had absolutely amazing weather all weekend.  Of course, when we returned to Asheville, we had nothing but rain.  In fact, by Wednesday, we were under a flood warning again, watching the river come within inches of the bank and being prepared to evacuate to the other side of the campground.  Fortunately, the rain stopped in time and we were safe.  Last night, the furnace kicked on as the temps dropped below 30, although the next few days will be sunny and in the low to mid 50s.  I really want to move someplace warmer!!!