LIVING SPONTANEOUSLY

Living the good life!

If I had to choose one word to describe this summer it would be “Spontaneous.”  Having to be flexible due to my temporary living situation and finding a traveling soul mate who has shown me living out of a suitcase can be fun has made this summer most memorable.  

Meeting David has been a joy and in such a short time he has taken me to places I had only dreamed about or read about in books.  We presently are on a road trip now…no plans…just following our noses and it has been wonderful.  We started out saying goodbye to a friend up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.  Then decided spontaneously to head West…maybe Yellow Stone National Park.  But we have not taken a straight line…no, we decided to head up to the Niagara Falls, both the American and Canadian side.  Well heck, since we were there why not just drive across Canada and drop down the west side of the Great Lakes.  Since we are so close to Mackinac Island, why not go see that too!  And this is how it is going.  

Camping along the way has also been an experience.  I learn something new every day and eves dropping on conversations sends me into a fit of giggles….you tell me if I am wrong to laugh…I’ll share some of the things I have overhead while camping.

“My one end is bigger than your hole.”  (Now tell me how can I not laugh at this one!)

“I’m too far forward, I can’t reach my thing.”

“I’m glad you carry your stick with you.”

“I need more Vaseline.”

“I'm good. You sure got me going now!”

“You have to stick it in and pull it out. Stick it in and pull it out.” (I have no idea what they were doing, but I started to laugh so hard I got side stickers.”

“When it's cold I have trouble finding it. “

I think David is getting used to my spontaneous burst of laughter.  He is patient until I find self-control to share what took me there. I think he is beginning to think I am a bit daffy!

Traveling with David is a comedy all of its own.  We walked into a bar/restaurant one day and there were some rough looking bikers with their leather and beards.  David turns to me and says, “I use to be a biker you know.”  “ Oh yeah,” I replied in surprise. “What did you ride?”

“ An 18-inch Schwinn, with cards in the spokes.  It had a cool sound.”

When we were up in Maine, we left the campsite and headed up to New Brunswick, Canada.  Before leaving a lady told us that along the way we should check out this place where they had the best clam chowder she ever ate.  Not quite remembering, but thinking we might be close we turned into a road that took us on a small island, filled with lobster traps and middle classes homes.  As we drove around looking for a restaurant where there were hopes of finding this great clam chowder, we stopped and asked a guy who had just got out of his car.  “Hello Mister, someone told us we could find the best clam chowder around here.  Do you have any idea where this might be?” we asked.

“Well, let me think,” he says, “if you follow this around and turn left at the corner by the green house, and then take the second right…” pausing he gives us a funny look and continues, “You two look confused.  Follow me and I’ll take you there.”  With that, he jumps back into his car and drives us to the restaurant he thought we should try.  He was right.  Looking confused is our past time!

The funniest conversation I have had with David so far took place just as we were leaving for our trip.  I had not arrived at his place yet and he called to ask me if I could stop at Dick’s to pick up a canopy that was on sale.  I replied, “There are no Dicks between you and me.”  I then broke into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

There is just no good way to say it.  Who thought of ever naming their business Dicks.  Then as we drove through Minnesota we saw a chain of Dicks Family Food Marts.  Okay, there is more than one Dick!  I ain’t saying no more!

More to follow!