Homeless....we kinda like it!

So, we have arrived at John and Carolyn's (AKA, Gran and Odie)  but not without some Evans' adventure.   I will back up a few days and fill you in,

Friday, 16 July we scheduled to clear housing and depart for North Carolina.  Packing finished up the night before, much to my surprise they actually got it all done with little pain.  So, Friday morning comes and we head to 1764 (I will no longer call it home, as it isn't home anymore) and hope "Brenda" can come earlier than our 11am appointment time and clear us so we can drive.  9:30 comes and she is free so she arrives and does our walk through.  I have been warned about clearing housing and was sick to my stomach in fear that we were going to do something/more to the house before they would give John the stamp to clear. Much to my joy the inspection lasted less than 10 minutes and we were off.  Seemed kind of short but we were thrilled!

We stop by the flying J to get the truck weighed and discovered that we were OVER our weight (17,000) limit counting what we were taking ourselves! YIKES... We'll still get paid for 1500 or so but we were certainly heavier than expected.

Off we go, East on 24 toward Nashville... Nothing but the sound of the radio and the FRIGGIN cats meowing ... for 120 miles!! no kidding.  I told John we were going to have to change the plan and do something/anything different with the cats.  So, into the Montana they go... It was a little hot but probably not more than 80 so I wasn't worried.  Too much.  I was  NOT sobbing as I drove through Nashville for the last time (as a resident!) though I did shed a tear or two listening to "the house that built me" by Miranda Lambert...

The drive is uneventful, talking to friends and family on the way and enjoying the music and lack of meowing.  That is until we head up I-81 toward Bristol, TN.   The same place we got snowed in over the Christmas holiday.  EXACTLY the same place. I am following John, helping to allow him over to pass when needed.  He started up a slow grade hill and slowed down, to 50... then 40 and so on...  I can't see around him but figured he was behind someone that was going slow.... The left lane cleared and no signal for me to get over... heart beat elevates...  my cell phone rings, "I think we have a problem"  I hear on the other end...  "what do you mean?"  I reply... "I am flooring my truck and have a warning light that tells me I have reduced engine power"  My response was silence...

At this point we are going 35 MPH up a hill on the interstate, me behind him watching my rear view mirror praying the trucks see me and don't slam into me...  We slowly inch our way up the hill, pulling off once to get out of traffic and praying with all our might that the hill crests and we get a break and can coast downhill to an exit.  Four miles down the road we make it off the interstate and the ONLY thing at this exit is the Tennessee Highway Patrol station... THANK GOD!!  We pull in and speak to a very nice officer who told us we were allowed to keep the truck and RV in the parking lot and warned us that if we called someone from Greene County they would stick it to us.   We got in the car, cats in tow and headed up the road to an exit with hotels.  Calling Odie to find out what AAA could get us and lucky for us I just downloaded the USAA app and yet again, it saved our butts!!  John called "road side assistance" and ultimately we were put in touch with the looney truck and trailer.  Bryan came out, a grizzly  kind of man but very nice and very helpful.  Although he was helpful while putting on the fuel filter (forgot to tell you, THAT was the problem... John didn't realize when your truck tells you to replace your fuel filter, you'd better do it NOW!)  sorry, back to the story... While Bryan was putting on the fuel filter, he inadvertently miss thread the filter causing it to leak... it was, of course, the ONLY filter he had and it was 10pm... SOOOOOO off to the hotel we go...  Bryan said he would be back at 10 the next morning but it might be "Dad"... we didn't care, we just wanted it fixed.

We called the hotel, they don't allow pets but another does but they were booked.  We made the decision to keep the cats in the car (it was really cool) and just crack the windows.  I am NOT a fan and wasn't really happy with leaving them in the car but we really had no other choice.  They ended up being fine and the next morning we loaded up and headed back to the the Montana..  Not more than 10 minutes after getting there, Dad arrived and he was on the job!  An hour or so passed and he had it replaced and we were up and running once again!! Praise the Lord!!!  John did still have a check engine light still on but we felt, as did Dad, that it was nothing of concern.   We hit the road and drove on.

John's comment... How I forgot this, I don't know... :)

Just to add - even though the State Trooper told us that the diesel mechanics in Greene County would stick it to us, once we got finished with the filter replacement and I asked, Mike ("Dad") what I owed him, he said, "you're military so you don't owe me a thing". As genuine and heartfelt an offer as that was, it was unacceptable, and we finally settled on an amount that appropriately compensated him for his time and effort (after much argument, and me finally insisting that he take a check). There are great people all over. Sometimes you just don't know where they will pop up in your life. So if you ever find yourself in need of diesel repair on I-81 near Kingsport/Bristol, I highly recommend Looney Truck and Trailer service!



John was fearful of stopping, at least until we had to, to get gas so we skipped lunch and drove.  Passing the same massive back-up of cars that we passed at Christmas... miles and miles of cars... It was a deja-vu kind of day, let me tell you.

We drove a different route to John and Carolyn's .... not sure why because it took us off the highway and onto a two lane road through the mountains.  Normally, this wouldn't be an issue but with a GIANT RV, it was terrifying.  I think I lost 5 years of my life watching John navigate that beast through the twists and turns and 9% downhill grades...  In the rain and fog...

I have never been more happy to arrive at Gran and Odie's than this time...

Jeremy, Tina, Jason and Ginny were all here to meet us as well as all the other children.  We had a great time seeing everyone. Kind of like Christmas in July!!

We are still here at Gran and Odie's hanging out before we depart for Williamsburg VA on Sunday.  Then we'll be logging and blogging about our adventures.  

We love and miss you all,

Carolyn