Short Stories 

Why is my blog called Permanent SAG?  Although permanent sag could arguably be used to describe my physical attributes, that was not why the name was chosen.  Years ago, consort and I were avid cyclists.  In fact, we were obsessed.  There were many weeks we pedaled close to 200 miles.  We also did organized rides.  At every ride there is a SAG wagon.  S-A-G is an acronym that stands for Support and Gear.  I always thought it  stood for Support and Guidance.  If you need your flat tire fixed, the SAG wagon is there to lend a hand.  If you lose your way, they guide you back to the route.  If you need water or a protein bar, you can count on the SAG wagon.  This seemed a fitting title for one who now rides in the passenger's seat holding the GPS as we make our way down the road.  While I don't know much about fixing flats, I do pack great snacks.

There are different types of camping sites and some come with full hook-ups.  A full hook-up allows you to dump all waste water and sewage from your camper into an established sewer system connected to your site.  Most of the COE (Corps of Engineers) campsites do not offer full hook-ups.  Without the full hook-up, you have to hitch up your trailer and drive to the dump station to dump your waste.  Hitching and unhitching, then stowing gear to go to the dump site, can take up a good portion of your day.  Alternatively, you purchase a portable "blue boy" or "gray boy" that allows you to dump waste water at your site into the portable tank and then transport the portable tank to the dump station leaving your trailer parked.  Before we took off from home, we were gifted a folding bike.  I brought my bicycle with me, but consort did not.  The extra bike is a great gift.  It gets a lot of use by consort for rides, but mostly he uses the bike to haul our gray boy to the dump station.  Genius!

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll remember I ended one recently with a quote by Stephen King from Doctor Sleep.  He cautions travelers to watch out for the Winnebagos and Bounders on the turnpikes and freeways.  When we pulled into our campsite here at Canyon Lake, we parked next to a  Minnie Winnie.  On the back of the camper is the most wonderful bike every created.  It's yellow and orange with daisies painted on it and sports lime green tires.  In the window of the camper is a sticker:  Got Fabric?  My curiosity was at an all time high.  I introduced myself to the owners of the camper at the first opportunity.  They've been full-time RV'ing for the past three years and are full of great information and stories.  She has five sewing machines in her Minnie Winnie for quilting and embroidery.  Impressive setup.  We've also met the folks across from us in the Bluebird motorhome who have been full-time RV'ing for 15 years.  I arranged for us all to get together tonight so the full-timers can talk and I can take notes.  They're currently sitting outside at my picnic table, so I need to put the scoot to the boot.  Final note.  The Minnie Winnie campers come from a family of campers.  Her folks owned a Bounder.