We's all family at the campground!

The drive from Banner Elk to Charlotte to pick up the big albatross was full of, “Are we there yet’s” I knew the boys were excited to start the adventure, I was making lists in my mind of things I needed and things I needed to do. After getting lost several times, I realized two things – I was woefully unprepared and I hated driving through Charlotte.

The RV sat like a big albatross, the picture of kids smiling on one side (damn they look happy) and a lighthouse on the other. We were a driving advertisement and inside the RV I felt like we were reliving the Robin Williams movie! It only took 5 minutes on the road for someone to have to use the bathroom, I was surprised they actually waited that long! Then there was the WWF smackdown on who got to use the bathroom first, the oldest getting the youngest in a head lock and getting his way. The bathroom duly christened and I was glad that was out of the way.
Second christening by my children was spilling. We bought the gallon of fruit punch and sweet tea, then as soon as I took a turn the fridge opened and the fruit punch spilled all over the floor. Wolfgang cleaned it up and a quick right turn had the sweet tea flying and another cleanup job. He came up and sat next to me saying, “This was the worst ever, I spilled all the drinks, my jeans got soaked and my lounge pants got tea on them.” I just laughed that until I walked back and my feet stuck to the floor – so I felt right at home, the smell of punch and feet sticking to the floor, just needed someone to miss the toilet! Not to mention everyone's red hands from cleaning up the stuff, too much dye we didn't need to drink that crap anyway,

We had every intention of staying on the parkway but when I called, they explained there’s no electric and no water and we wanted to rough it, but we really didn’t want to ROUGH IT. So I called the KOA campground and they said, “Do you want the pull through RV spot complete with cable, electric, free Wifi, water and sewer?” I told her I loved her and we’d be there in 15 minutes.

What’s great about the campgrounds is that everyone you meet is just like that family in the Robin Williams movie, we are all family at the campground. I must have had that “Oh shit” look on my face trying to pull into the spot and immediately I had people around helping me. Mr. and Mrs. Rude (their real name, really!) were definitely not rude as they explained I needed to turn the generator off when hooked to the power or I’d blow something I can’t name again. They hooked up my power, and my water, explained the cable TV AND brought over their wine opener when I stood there holding a full bottle sobbing (well, not really….I just sat it there hoping they’d offer!) Married 45 years, he told me that it hasn’t been a bed of roses but they both have mellowed with age (ain’t we all).

So we sit under the stars, listening to cicadas, watching Max catching fireflies, while Wolfgang playing the Wii and life is good! Mr. Rude said it perfectly, “Don’t worry about the small stuff, it all works out in the big picture!”

Towels used to clean up fruit punch, sheets on the bed, how do I work out not a single pot in the RV??