MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
David Hobden
Welcome back to the second edition of the new and improved digital Matterhorn Newsletter. Our debut (Spring) edition launched in early April after our awesome 15th Anniversary Rally concluded in San Diego. Please join me in thanking our Newsletter editor Teresa Weitz for a job well done. The new format has received nothing but laudatory comments and rave reviews! Everyone loves the link to member photos and we hope to continue adding more with each new edition. So please don’t forget to send Teresa your photos and/or articles for all of us to enjoy in between rallies.
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| SoCal President headquarters blazing in the Arizona heat |
I hope everyone is out and about enjoying their Alpine Coaches this summer. I’ve kept up to date with many of you on your travels and adventures as you post on Facebook and on the Alpine Coach Owners Facebook page, www.facebook.com/groups/AlpineOwners ,
managed by our very own 1st VP and Membership Director, Mary Langord. As for Stilla and me - we’ve been stationary at the new house as we work through the many small home improvement projects and continue our (seemingly) endless search for new furniture. Meanwhile, the Alpine Coach sits in the back yard slowly melting under the relentless Arizona sun here in Mesa. Hopefully we can get back on the road soon. We’re looking forward to the Mammoth/Lone Pine Rally (7-14 September) and hope to see many of you there.
It’s almost election time again. Remember that we have to vote on our slate of officers to help lead this fine organization for the next two years. We expect to hold our elections for executive board positions at the Mammoth/Lone Pine Rally. As I said in my previous email to the general membership, I ask everyone to continue to support our club and mission to enjoy the friendship and camaraderie of fellow Alpine Coach Owners by considering to run for any of SoCal's executive board positions. Our Nominating Committee has been voted in (thank you to the Lacys and the Hambarians) who are currently in the process of contacting folks to solicit and gauge interest. Please support them by taking their calls and/or responding to their emails. Remember, it’s for a great cause and can be great fun! We all want to continue to have fun with our Alpine Coaches and Alpine friends, right? We have a history of fun and camaraderie that spans 15 years… let's keep it going!!
In closing, I’d like to remind everyone to tell any other Alpine Coach owners that you may meet in your individual travels about our awesome Alpine SoCal Chapter. It’s all about having fun and meeting new friends to share the Alpine experience. Safe travels :)
Faithfully Yours,
David Hobden
MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Mary Langord / 1st V.P. Membership
Mary Langord / 1st V.P. Membership
I’m happy to report that as of June 30 I am projecting that we will have 77 active memberships.
Now, you may be saying WOW!! 77 is a big number. But wait…..that’s 77 Alpine Coaches. That many Alpines equates to roughly 154 actual members. Now we’re talking!!
This is a large group of people who share the same love of their Alpine coach. This group of folks loves the idea of traveling while “camping in deluxe style,” traveling with friends, and every Alpine owner they meet IS a friend!!
I’m sure you’ve seen the above picture which was taken at our 15th Anniversary Rally at the Chula Vista RV Resort. It just happens to be the picture with the largest majority of our members included. In this report I just wanted to emphasize that it’s the people who make this Chapter the success that it is, and will continue to be. It’s the welcoming warm smiles that greet each new prospective member, the immediate offers of advice, helping hands in times of trouble, and above all, it is a group of people who enjoy being with each other.
I’m proud of our membership and I’m proud of its dedication to being One Large Group of Friends. Let’s never forget that as we continue to grow despite our aging Alpines.
Welcome newer members at the Jackson Rally. (And yes, there really is a Mrs. Frank!)
Welcome newer members at the Jackson Rally. (And yes, there really is a Mrs. Frank!)
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| Frank & Mary Lou Krauland Pete Cross |
FROM YOUR FMCA NATIONAL DIRECTOR
Carolyn Swan
Carolyn Swan
FMCA Director news update: Nothing new to report at this time. More information to follow after the National Convention in Indianapolis.
FROM YOUR TREASURER
Rick Fisher
The bank balance is $3,922.20
For a more detailed account, click on the link below:
ALPINE SOCAL OPERATIONS 7/2/2016 through 7/1/2017
WEBMASTER ARTICLE
Jim Archer
Jim Archer
The alpinesocal.com website is up and running. Please remember to check the website periodically for updates to the rally schedule and for registration forms for upcoming rallies as soon as they are released.
The only new feature is a link to the Matterhorn Newsletter
in the Newsletter page. You can always
use this link to get to the newsletter.
The webpage has the current newsletter, as well as links to previous
versions. The alpinesocal.com website will continue to
have links to the old-fashioned PDF versions published in the past.
If you don’t pay attention to the IRV2 forum on technology, you might have missed some threads about new mifi hotspots on the market. I just purchased an AT&T Mobley hotspot, which is designed to be used in a car, connected to the ODBII computer diagnostic port. AT&T offers a $20 “unlimited” data plan for this device, in order to compete with the OnStar device in GM cars. RV’ers, always looking for a way to connect while traveling, saw that this device and the cheap data plan could be used in an RV. The device and data plan have been so popular, it is very difficult to find one. Most AT&T stores haven’t even heard of them! I called 6 stores before I found one in stock. (And only one!) Even this store didn’t know what it was. It is part of their “Connected Car” program.
FMCA and Verizon tried to team up and offer a Jetpack mifi hotspot with an “unlimited” data plan. There is an article about it in the latest FMCA magazine. But don’t get your hopes up! The plan fell through at the last minute, and it is not being offered. You probably received an email from FMCA about the cancellation. There is plenty of speculation on IRV2 for the reasons the plan fell through.
If you are interested in this kind of technology, check out
some of the IRV2 forums other than our favorite Alpine Coach owners forum.
Happy travels!
ENGINEER MIKE'S TECHNICAL ADVICE COLUMN
Michael Fleming
This has come up a couple times in the last 6 or 8 months: welding on the Alpine chassis (or any chassis these days for that matter). Electrical welding spark generates a lot of current and can be quite variable; current looks for ground paths. Computers should be designed to isolate internal circuits but they are so complex that there may be multiple potential ground paths through their internal circuits that the designer didn't figure (what computer designer thought about welding current when designing the engine or transmission computer, eh?).
Since there is no fail-safe computer design for grounding stray welding currents, and since you can't control the straying current, if you must do electric welding on your Alpine chassis, disconnect all that apply before welding:
~ Engine computer (ECU)
~ Trans computer (Allison TCU, they even have a warning sticker for this one)
~ Vansco VMM Multiplex Modules & PDM (if so equipped)
~ Anti-lock Brake CPU
~ Vehicle data computer aka VDC aka EDM electronic data module (if so equipped)
~ SmartWheel Module (if so equipped)
~ Electronic guages & idiot lights (all model years)
~ Allison shift pad (2006 m.y.+)
~ Silverleaf (if so equipped)
One recent repair bill came to $12,000 for diagnosis & repair for a 2003 model year, another (2004 IIRC) only $9,500, and a third (2008) quite a bit less, maybe $3,000 but that owner took 10 days of his time to work the fix and had less damage than the 1st two.
Better yet, do only gas welding if welding is needed, or do no welding at all.
That's my $.02,
EngineerMike
EngineerMike
SARC 1st QUARTER 2017
Ramona Escamilla
We would like to extend a great big shout out to Jim & Stephanie Archer and Jerry & Toni Smith for a wonderful and fun-filled rally at Jackson Rancheria! It was a NorCal/SoCal rally. We had a nice turnout and there was lots to do. Thank you Jim & Stephanie and Jerry & Toni.
2017 year has been a great success and we have one rally left for the 2017 season, the Mammoth/Lone Pine Rally. We are sure that will be a great one also. Please sign up as soon as possible, as the spots will fill quickly. There are many things to see and a lot of things to do in both of those areas.
Thank you to all of our members that filled out the 2019 Rally Destinations Survey. We have 34 responses to date. There is a good mix of short and long destinations. This is a tentative starting lineup of the top 70% of interest:
- Pismo Beach
- Paso Robles
- Temecula
- Lake Powell
- Borrego Springs
- Tuscon
- Palm Desert
- Canyonville, Oregon
- Newport Beach
- Long Beach
We encourage all of the members that have not yet
participated in giving input to do so.
We have a great start to 2019 destinations but we would like to have
everyone’s input to make it even greater.
Please think about being a Wagon Master or Co-Wagon Master at one of
these great locations. We need
volunteers to make our club successful.
Remember, without you and rallies, there is no SoCal Alpine Rally Club.
SARC is losing one of its members for the 2018 year. Please give it some thought about volunteering for Ramona’s position. (Stephanie and Bill are great to work with!)
RALLY REMINISCINGS
We Had Fun in Them Thar Hills
Twenty three coaches called Jackson Rancheria home for a
week in May. Located in the heart of
California Gold Country, Jackson Rancheria is a beautiful RV resort that sits
on top of a hill and is surrounded by tree covered rolling hills. A paved walking trail just outside the
perimeter of the RV resort offers many views of the surrounding country
side. The casino is a short shuttle bus
ride away. Each site has a large concrete
pad and lots of grass between it and its neighbors (unfortunately that also means
mosquitoes).
Note to self….bring citronella candles and mosquito repellent next time! Also, bring easy ups, since the afternoon sun can be brutal.
Members of NorCal, SoCal and ACA attended the rally. We had a good time getting to know those we’d never met and becoming reacquainted with those we hadn’t seen in a while. It was the first rally for Pete Cross (SoCal), Mary Lou Krauland (NorCal & SoCal) and Robert & Cindy Preston (ACA). We hope this was the first of many rallies they will attend. It was nice that Bruce & Caryn Pflieger, who live nearby, were able to join us at the Biggest Little Kitchen Store’s private party and at the casino’s seafood buffet.
Naturally, where there are a group of RVs, there are repairs
going on. I saw Jerry Smith’s and Chuck
Hasman’s feet sticking out from under Chuck’s coach…something about a
filter.
Fred Masino was looking for a hacksaw because his bathroom door was stuck shut (thankfully, neither he nor Marilyn was stuck IN the bathroom).
The Guhses’ slides didn’t work until Dave replaced a part.
The valve on the Archer’s fresh water tank wouldn’t close completely so all the water drained out of the tank.
And I don’t know what was going on under Frank Krauland’s coach. But every time I walked by the front of his coach, I saw a pair of jeans and tennis shoes on the ground alongside a set of wrenches. It took me several days to realize it was a Torsoless Wrenchman under Frank’s coach…I wonder if his name was Ichabod.
A kitchen utensil demo by one of the owners of the Biggest Little Kitchen Store in Jackson was one of two group activities for the week. Travis (store co-owner) and his assistant spent an hour talking and demonstrating various kitchen utensils….the virtues of ceramic knives, the best cutting boards, the advantages of BBQ grill mats, cooking on Himalayan salt blocks, best garlic presses (the one Travis invented, of course), easiest wine bottle opener, easiest pineapple corer/slicer to use. And the list goes on. That evening we were invited to the store for an after hours wine and cheese party with an opportunity to buy anything in the store at a 15% discount. Even though I’m not a kitchen gadget person, I spent my fair share of money. And I’ve used what I bought! The BBQ grill mat is used every time I BBQ. It cuts down on flare-ups and keeps the BBQ clean. And we’ve had fresh pineapple more times this year than we’ve ever had because the pineapple corer/slicer makes it so easy to core and slice pineapple.
The
second group activity was a 6 mile ride on a steam train used in many movies
(e.g. The Apple Dumpling Gang, Back To The Future III) and TV shows (Petticoat
Junction; The Wild, Wild West) and a docent led tour of the machine shop and
roundhouse. We arrived early enough to
watch the engineer back the steam locomotive out of the barn, fill it with
water and blow out the built up steam.
The 1897 State Historic Park is only one of two remaining actively used
roundhouses and machine shops for steam locomotives in the US.
On one
of our “free days,” Jim and I took the 90 mile scenic drive to Lake Tahoe. It snowed above 4000 feet the night before we
left (the highest point on the road is 8300 feet). We experienced a “winter wonderland” in
May. The trees were covered with snow
and ice crystals. The snowdrifts along
the side of the road were 3 feet high in some spots and 6 feet high in the
avalanche areas. The temperature hovered
between 34 and 37 degrees when we were above 7000 feet, even though there
wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Silver Lake,
elevation 7300 feet, was only partially thawed.
Caples Lake, which covers 600 acres, was completely frozen over. We’d never seen anything like it.
I’d like to thank our co-wagonmasters, Jerry & Toni Smith, for all their help. We had a lot of fun planning and hosting the rally and couldn’t have done it without them.
Dave Guhse
Stephanie Archer
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| crystalline gold leaf |
Note to self….bring citronella candles and mosquito repellent next time! Also, bring easy ups, since the afternoon sun can be brutal.
Members of NorCal, SoCal and ACA attended the rally. We had a good time getting to know those we’d never met and becoming reacquainted with those we hadn’t seen in a while. It was the first rally for Pete Cross (SoCal), Mary Lou Krauland (NorCal & SoCal) and Robert & Cindy Preston (ACA). We hope this was the first of many rallies they will attend. It was nice that Bruce & Caryn Pflieger, who live nearby, were able to join us at the Biggest Little Kitchen Store’s private party and at the casino’s seafood buffet.
Naturally, where there are a group of RVs, there are repairs
going on. I saw Jerry Smith’s and Chuck
Hasman’s feet sticking out from under Chuck’s coach…something about a
filter. Fred Masino was looking for a hacksaw because his bathroom door was stuck shut (thankfully, neither he nor Marilyn was stuck IN the bathroom).
The Guhses’ slides didn’t work until Dave replaced a part.
The valve on the Archer’s fresh water tank wouldn’t close completely so all the water drained out of the tank.
And I don’t know what was going on under Frank Krauland’s coach. But every time I walked by the front of his coach, I saw a pair of jeans and tennis shoes on the ground alongside a set of wrenches. It took me several days to realize it was a Torsoless Wrenchman under Frank’s coach…I wonder if his name was Ichabod.
As usual, we ate really well during the week. Gold Dust Pizza in Sutter Creek provided
pizza the first evening. Wow. There were so many toppings on each pizza,
you couldn’t see the crust! I don’t
think anyone went away hungry from Tuesday night’s order off the menu dinner at
Strings Italian Café. Friday night,
Rusty and Charly’s Catering provided a mouthwatering dinner of BBQ chicken,
tri-tip, spinach salad, garlic green beans and lemon-blueberry bundt cake
(thanks to the Smiths and Hasmans for recommending them).
The seafood buffet at the casino was worth the hour long wait to be seated. A big thank you to Greg Vaughan for picking up buffet tickets for everyone at the casino on Saturday morning instead of going to Jamestown to ride the train…He DID say he’d rather go to the car show in Jackson than ride the train.
And thanks to Chuck Hasman and Frank Krauland for recommending the fried chicken and BLT pasta salad available at the casino’s General Store. We feasted on that along with coleslaw, regular pasta salad and roasted potatoes on Sunday night so no one had to cook the night before departure.
On our own, we discovered homemade ice cream at JoMa’s Artisan Ice Cream shop in Murphys and Munnerlyn’s Ice Creamery in Pine Grove; delicious marinated tri-tip roasts and jerky at Swingles Meat Shop in Jackson (their slogan is “The Carnivore’s Toy Store") and tasty sausages and jerky at the Lockeford Meat & Sausage Shop. We came home with a freezer full of meat and sausages. It’s a good thing there is a paved walking trail outside the RV resort!
The seafood buffet at the casino was worth the hour long wait to be seated. A big thank you to Greg Vaughan for picking up buffet tickets for everyone at the casino on Saturday morning instead of going to Jamestown to ride the train…He DID say he’d rather go to the car show in Jackson than ride the train.
And thanks to Chuck Hasman and Frank Krauland for recommending the fried chicken and BLT pasta salad available at the casino’s General Store. We feasted on that along with coleslaw, regular pasta salad and roasted potatoes on Sunday night so no one had to cook the night before departure.
On our own, we discovered homemade ice cream at JoMa’s Artisan Ice Cream shop in Murphys and Munnerlyn’s Ice Creamery in Pine Grove; delicious marinated tri-tip roasts and jerky at Swingles Meat Shop in Jackson (their slogan is “The Carnivore’s Toy Store") and tasty sausages and jerky at the Lockeford Meat & Sausage Shop. We came home with a freezer full of meat and sausages. It’s a good thing there is a paved walking trail outside the RV resort!
A kitchen utensil demo by one of the owners of the Biggest Little Kitchen Store in Jackson was one of two group activities for the week. Travis (store co-owner) and his assistant spent an hour talking and demonstrating various kitchen utensils….the virtues of ceramic knives, the best cutting boards, the advantages of BBQ grill mats, cooking on Himalayan salt blocks, best garlic presses (the one Travis invented, of course), easiest wine bottle opener, easiest pineapple corer/slicer to use. And the list goes on. That evening we were invited to the store for an after hours wine and cheese party with an opportunity to buy anything in the store at a 15% discount. Even though I’m not a kitchen gadget person, I spent my fair share of money. And I’ve used what I bought! The BBQ grill mat is used every time I BBQ. It cuts down on flare-ups and keeps the BBQ clean. And we’ve had fresh pineapple more times this year than we’ve ever had because the pineapple corer/slicer makes it so easy to core and slice pineapple.
The
second group activity was a 6 mile ride on a steam train used in many movies
(e.g. The Apple Dumpling Gang, Back To The Future III) and TV shows (Petticoat
Junction; The Wild, Wild West) and a docent led tour of the machine shop and
roundhouse. We arrived early enough to
watch the engineer back the steam locomotive out of the barn, fill it with
water and blow out the built up steam.
The 1897 State Historic Park is only one of two remaining actively used
roundhouses and machine shops for steam locomotives in the US.  |
| Silver Lake |
I’d like to thank our co-wagonmasters, Jerry & Toni Smith, for all their help. We had a lot of fun planning and hosting the rally and couldn’t have done it without them.
Dave Guhse
Saturday May 20th, 32 Alpiners carpooled 46 miles south of Jackson to Jamestown's Railtown 1897 State Historic Park to ride behind a historic steam locomotive on a trip through California's scenic Gold Country! The 6-mile, 45-minute round trip train ride took us past the water tower from the movie Petticoat Junction and transported us from the backyards of Jamestown to the rugged hillsides of California's Mother Lode country. At the end of the line (Rock Spur), the train paused for the locomotive to uncouple, and "run around" the train on a side track, then re-coupled to the train's opposite end for the return trip to Jamestown. After the train ride we broke up into two groups and enjoyed docent led tours of the Historic Sierra Railroad Shops and Roundhouse complex and were enlightened with its history.
Elephants and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
Stephanie Archer
Three or four times a year, the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) opens the gates of its 2300 acre wildlife sanctuary in San Andreas, California to the public. The purpose of the open house is to educate the public regarding captive animal issues and to raise funds to pay for the upkeep of the animals that live at the sanctuary.
PAWS is the nation’s first elephant sanctuary. The San Andreas sanctuary is home to nine elephants, ranging in age from 24 to 50, as well as lions, tigers and bears. All are either abandoned, abused or retired performing animals. They live the remainder of their lives in large natural habitats. During the open house, we went to the elephant, tiger and bear habitats and listened to the keepers give a history of how the animal came to PAWS, what behavioral issues it had upon arrival and how the animal’s behavior had changed over time with kind, humane treatment.
Mike Collins took the great pictures. Each animal is monitored 24/7, 365 days a
year, so any problems can be caught early.
The sanctuary has a crane operator on call in case an elephant goes down
and needs to be raised back onto its feet.
It was obvious talking with PAWS staff members how committed they are to
the animals’ welfare. Many of the staff
members have worked at PAWS for over 15 years.
There are many interesting stories about the animals on the PAWS website
www.pawsweb.org .
I Heard it through the Grapevine...
Teresa Weitz
I Heard it through the Grapevine... what happens in Jackson does not necessarily stay in Jackson...
Do You Drive the Coach?
Mary Langord
What happens when Alpiners get together?
Their counterpoints, also commonly referred to as Co-Pilots, or Navigators, discuss the latest RV Park, their past and future trip plans, recipes, and what can be done to solve their mate's latest repair crisis. You see, it is also their job to keep their spouses grounded in reality when it comes to repairs and the impact on the pocketbook.
In one such recent exchange, I was reminded of my first RV driving lesson!
Well, bright and early I awakened my frayed nerves, had a second cup of much needed coffee to counter my lack of sleep, took a deep breath and climbed into the driver's seat.
Stephanie Archer
Three or four times a year, the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) opens the gates of its 2300 acre wildlife sanctuary in San Andreas, California to the public. The purpose of the open house is to educate the public regarding captive animal issues and to raise funds to pay for the upkeep of the animals that live at the sanctuary.
PAWS is the nation’s first elephant sanctuary. The San Andreas sanctuary is home to nine elephants, ranging in age from 24 to 50, as well as lions, tigers and bears. All are either abandoned, abused or retired performing animals. They live the remainder of their lives in large natural habitats. During the open house, we went to the elephant, tiger and bear habitats and listened to the keepers give a history of how the animal came to PAWS, what behavioral issues it had upon arrival and how the animal’s behavior had changed over time with kind, humane treatment.
I Heard it through the Grapevine...
Teresa Weitz
I Heard it through the Grapevine... what happens in Jackson does not necessarily stay in Jackson...
- There were two local car shows in the area, one in Jackson, the other in Placerville. Greg Vaughan went to both. Both were very small shows featuring Hot Rods with a few nice cars. Had Greg known, he would happily have brought one of his cars to show. There were about 12 T-Birds, 1955 to 1957, with their club. It was unusual to see that many Thunderbirds in one place. There were also two old restored Packards parked in front of the old hotel that were very nicely done. Greg was impressed with the many nice hot rods.
- There was a great walking path around the RV Park. One night Dan Reynolds and Greg Vaughan were walking the trail when they came upon a baby rattler about a foot long. Thankfully the rattler lay still as they passed by cautiously.
- Greg remembers the Biggest Little Kitchen Store from the time they were still located in the old building at the end of the street. Apparently he loves kitchen gadgets and he doesn't even cook! (But we know who else in the family does...).
- A “first” at this rally was a cat rescue. Thank you, Helena Mazzocco, for getting a stray cat to trust you enough to be able to pick it up and take it to the office so it could be taken to a shelter.
- SoCal has its very own resident artist. Several of us have seen Joel Langord's beautifully detailed woodcarvings over the years. At Jackson there was a moose sighting this year, the first of apparently a few more additions to a growing moose family.
Frank Krauland DOES have good ideas! One day he noticed the lining on the inside of Jim and Stephanie Archer's door had pulled away from the bottom of the frame. He suggested removing the portion of the lining that had pulled away and covering the area with diamond plate. They liked the idea. Jim bought the diamond plate as soon as they returned from the Jackson rally, painted it matte black and installed it at the bottom of the door. Thanks and a thumbs up to Frank for a great idea. (Editor's note: all Alpine hints are always welcome!)
Do You Drive the Coach?
What happens when Alpiners get together?
The men, who oftentimes call themselves the Pilot, gather in
a close circle and start sharing stories about their last HWH problems, the
noisy water pump, or whatever else the latest illness is with their beloved
Alpines.
Their counterpoints, also commonly referred to as Co-Pilots, or Navigators, discuss the latest RV Park, their past and future trip plans, recipes, and what can be done to solve their mate's latest repair crisis. You see, it is also their job to keep their spouses grounded in reality when it comes to repairs and the impact on the pocketbook.
Sooner or later however, girl talk will wind around to how
they became Part-Time Pilots. All Co-Pilots are encouraged to hone their
driving skills for that untimely need to rescue their spouse, or just to give
them a much needed break.
In one such recent exchange, I was reminded of my first RV driving lesson!
Back in 1997 Joel and I bought our first Class A RV, a brand
new 36 foot Pace Arrow Vision. Not sure
when we went to the dealership that we were seriously going ”to do it”, we
were told we could take it home to Lake Forest in Orange County and bring it
back to the San Diego dealership the following week. All went well. Excitement reigned. Joel drove his new RV home and I followed in the family Jeep admiring
the beauty ahead of me; the RV not Joel!
Came the day to return the RV to the dealership for those
first-time owner fix-its, and Joel told me he could not miss the day at work as he had an important meeting and deadline.
I will have to get the RV back down to San Diego.
Oh wait….I didn’t even test drive that thing. Now what?
Well, bright and early I awakened my frayed nerves, had a second cup of much needed coffee to counter my lack of sleep, took a deep breath and climbed into the driver's seat.
All went well. Engine
started and brake released! Dang! Now I’m committed, or maybe should be. Off I went with pounding heart. Successfully made my way through the housing
track. Hey, so far so good!
First stop light, brakes work….yea! I've got to do it! Slowly but surely I
was making progress. Two blocks from
home and hadn’t hit anything or anyone!
By the time I negotiated morning traffic and arrived at the
dealership two hours later, I had made some remarkable discoveries.
First, I had great visibility. Seat is nice and high, and I was able to watch the expressions on drivers next to me. They were carefully staying well away from me. Ummmm!
First, I had great visibility. Seat is nice and high, and I was able to watch the expressions on drivers next to me. They were carefully staying well away from me. Ummmm!
By the end of the roundtrip to and fro, I felt like King
Solomon because I had noticed that all I had to do was turn the
blinkers on and drivers beat the heck out of my intended path! Wow, I was really on to something! I guess they figured after taking one look at
my expression that keeping their distance was the safest thing for everyone!
I changed a lot that day.
I didn’t put a scratch on anything and my confidence soared. Since that
first traumatic experience I feel comfortable driving the Big Rig, am able to
relax and admire the scenery as I go. I
no longer have a frantic look on my face!!!
Moral of this story….If I can do it, so can every
Co-Pilot. Take the wheel ladies and give
the Pilot a break!
