Roaming Blackshire's: Day 67-72: Simple, yet awesome!

We have had a rollercoaster of a week. Ups, downs, side to side. This week we had an issue with Shakira (truck) that was obviously not covered by the warranty, then a few days later we realized we were backed into and have a nice scrape on our bumper and our taillight is broken. So, that's all great!

We have been having to get ready for winter. Our first winter in the RV. We ordered skirting and it should be here in a couple of weeks. Skirting is vinyl and attaches to the bottom of the RV and goes to the ground. It insulates the bottom of the RV and helps to keep it warmer in the cold weather. We also had to get a heated water hose to make sure the hose doesn't freeze and cause pipes to burst. We purchased on, but it is about 6 feet too short. So, instead of taking it back and spending even more on a longer hose we are going to close up the party deck (which we were going to do for winter anyway to keep Alanna's room warmer) and back the RV up about 6 to 8 feet to make the hose fit. We also switched on our tank heaters. The grey, black, and freshwater tank all have their own heaters to make sure none of the liquid in them freezes and causes issues with drainage.

Friday, we went to a ski swap to see if we could find Alanna boots and a snowboard. We were partially successful. We found awesome boots, but no board. We also found a hiking fanny pack, walking sticks, and an awesome one-piece ski outfit for Brandon. It was $20 and worth every penny! Alanna tried one on, but it was not her jam.

After the ski swap, we met Dana for Ethiopian food. It was our first time, but Dana is a pro. Dana had the honor of ordering for us because I had no idea what to get. We had the vegetarian and meat for two. This meal came out on a large round serving tray and was beautiful. There were lentils, collard greens, lamb, chicken, beef, salad, and carrots. If you have never had Ethiopian food, you need to know that you eat it with your hands using Injera as your vessel to grab the food. Injera are very much like a crepe that you rip apart to grab at the food. To paint you a picture of dinner: we all sat around the same large serving tray that has our chosen foods on it, ripped apart Injera, and ate dinner with our hands. It was an awesome experience! My napkin was a mess. After dinner we did the only thing that made sense... we went roller skating. I brought my trusty rollerblades, but Brandon, Alanna, and Dana skated. Dana showed off her sick moves, Alanna practiced what she learned at derby practice, Brando warmed up to his skates, and I cautiously went in circles. Brandon and I departed a little earlier than Dana and Alanna because of our drive home, and Dana and Alanna stayed and closed the place down (at 10pm).

We all got our rest because Saturday we were meeting to go on a hike. The longest hike we have been on since we have been here; just over 5 miles. Bruce joined us, and so did Finn (Dana is dog sitting). Bruce was all excited because he got a new harness pack for hiking. This way he can carry his own treats, poop bags, poop, and anything else he requires. Here he is modeling his new harness.

While on our hike we found awesome shapes that nature provided. We decided to try and replicate those shapes with ourselves. Dana and I attempted to replicate a rock that we saw. The rock looked like two people holding hands and looking at each other. I think we nailed it! Brandon loved this tree that looked very bonsai-like, or cactus like. I also think he nailed it, especially with his hair. Brandon took all the pictures this time, so enjoy! They are at the end of the blog.

After our hike we went to another consignment outdoor store. We didn't find anything there, so we went home. We were very hungry when we got back, and we haven't ordered pizza here yet, so we had pizza for dinner. We ordered two pies, one from one place, one from another. The pizza wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite - especially after seeing how much it was. The veggie pizza was my favorite, and it was $30 for a large! I know, I know, I sound super cheap and old, but come on! $30 for a large pizza, and not a Picasso's sheet pizza large, just a regular round pizza. We ate our early dinner and then had a super early bedtime. We were all nicely exhausted from our hike. I laid down around 5:30pm to just take a quick relaxation moment and woke up 13 hours later! Brandon took a nap, woke up for a couple hours, then slept for probably another eight hours for a total of 10 hours of sleep. Alanna also slept for about nine to ten hours. It was glorious!

Today, Sunday, Brandon and I went grocery shopping nice and early. Then I went and received the most amazing massage ever from Dana. Was it relaxing? No. Was it great? Yes! Since I messed up my back almost three years ago, I haven't had a normal walk, or feeling down my right leg. I can't tell if it bothered me or bothered Dana more watching me walk all weird, but she insisted I come in today. This was not a normal relaxation fluffy massage. Dana put in work on me. It was great for so many reasons, but mostly because I am obviously comfortable with Dana and can tell her how it is actually feeling. I think Dana may have enjoyed inflicting a bit of pain on me as well. There is more work to be done for sure, but for today my walk is a little less wonky. It was also nice seeing my sister three days in a row.

Things we learned: