Walk the Line

Most of the Stories and Shenanigans article in my magazine are reluctantly mine…because I do some stupid shit!

Today was no exception. I had to move sites due to the spot being reserved tonight so I picked one online and booked it. THEN I went and looked at it. It had a truck camper squeezed into it bumper to bumper and was up a hill. Nope. So had to call the parks system and pay an additional $5 to move sites.

Then I circled around and was trying to back in and the people across from me were packing up to leave. I rolled down the window and asked are you leaving right now (knowing this charade would take me a good long while and I was in their way)…the guys response was “what’s it to ya”. OMG son today is not the day. Not the day!

I circled around again, waited for them to leave and then proceeded to do my 36 point back in procedure. Took me only 3 tries…yippee! Unfortunately this site was at the opposite end of the slope. So basically I’m in a ditch. No sense leveling this thing but I have it a good shot. It didn’t work.

The pitch between my SUV and my camper looks like a small V. So what do I do? Open my hatch without thinking to get my stuff out. And immediately get it lodged on the trailer jack.

At this point I have reached my quota already on cuss words but I’m going for a all time record!

I get it unstuck by sheer brute force and shut it. Now I have to climb in and over the folded down back seat and throw row seat (which is my entire toolbox) to get my drill.

Now to plug in. No 30 amp breaker. It’s broken. Only 50 amp! Thankfully I just bought a plug (dogbone) that goes from 50 amp to 30 amp. But did I put it where it should go? Hell no! I was gonna do that “later”. We all know later never comes. I spend another 30 mins trying to find where I slung it and cussing myself for never putting things away right.

My neighbors are pretty sure I’m off my meds at this stage. Odd that they all started packing to leave at the same time.

Finally find it in the stupidest of places and get that plugged in. That’s it. I’m done! Go inside to check on the fridge and electric. Open the fridge and out comes 3 containers of stuff. Splash! All over the floor! Now I have to clean that up and keep Dobby’s big nose from inspecting everything I’m doing.

That is it! Final straw. I’ve had enough!

In times like these I walk the line. Take my phone, maybe play some music, and get on the road or tail, head down and just step it off!

I walk till I can’t breathe. Till my back hurts. Till I don’t know where I am. Thankfully I’m old and chubby so that’s not long. Then I stop and look around me. Take in a 360° view of my surroundings.

Every step and every pause bring me to something to take a picture of. A deer that crosses my path. A cool shiny rock. An overlook with a river or canyon view that takes my breath away.

I am able to breathe. Able to reset. And able to see where I need to adapt and change so I don’t frustrate myself by my own laziness or ADD again.

What do you do when the obstacles stick up in the day and there’s no escape from them?

How do you bring yourself back to center?