Florida: The Sunshine State (Not!)

Drove about 300 miles today, from a late start in DeFuniak Springs all the way to East Palatka and a campground .2 miles from the dealer. I think we'll be on time for our morning appointment. Lisa tells me to stay inside the coach: "You don't need to go outside." I think I hear the music from Deliverance. But we are close to the dealer and Lisa is now out (during a thunder/lightning/rain break) parading the German shepherd for all to see. I'm watching through the window; I just got the nerve to raise the window shade.

Major, major T-storms today. Never saw the sun. Flooded streets, torrential downpours (and yes, we did pull over when it was awful), and big ole thunderboomers. Our shower skylight is again leaking, as it did during the torrential KC downpour, so we're thinking of revising our trip home to miss (sob) some national parks in favor of Forest City, Iowa and warranty repairs. Going to plot out possible routes/time frames tonight. We're excited to think that, after tomorrow, we're all westward bound. We love traveling, but we also love the thought of home. Especially after a few days of 96% (!) humidity.

Finally did THE dumb thing today. Started pumping the WRONG DIESEL into the engine. I had just finished a 140-mile drive on 1-10 (zzzz) and was zoned out. As I admired the debugging job that the rain had done on our coach, something told me to look at the pump, which said USD (500 ppm). We need ULSD (15 ppm). Sorry, Mom and Dad, but I committed my first federal crime today. I put 5 gallons of LSD (low sulphur diesel) into our ULSD (ultra low sulphur dieled)-only tank. Dang. I'm sure it'll be OK, but dang. We've been so careful to check pumps for the ULSD tag (which must be ubiquitous by 2010 and is by law all over CA now). Interstate zombie disease is all I can blame.

So, now, after a yummy comfort-food pasta dinner (I had to go all out, since Lisa is out there with the mosquitoes, rednecks, and rain), we're ready to watch a movie and draw all the curtains. Goodnight, y'all!