“So, have you had anything to drink today?” asked the highway patrolman as I sat grinning in the passenger seat of his cruiser. Not the best way to start our trip…
While dispatch checked my 10-28 and 10-29, I told him we were in Duncan, Oklahoma to attend my sister-in-law’s graduation. They live in a truly rural part of southwest Oklahoma, not the type of place where you pay attention to road signs and addresses, so when the officer asked exactly where we were headed, all I could do was point to the west and say: “Somewhere in that direction.” Not the best answer to provide a suspicious law man…
Then it hit me – Unshaven, I’m driving a late-model, mobile-meth-lab-looking Winnebago with out of state tags. Immediately asked to step out of the vehicle and frisked for weapons, the only things saving me so far were a well-adjusted woman still in the front seat and a clean driving record. As he exited the cruiser to hear my wife’s version of our travels; sitting there, I couldn’t help but shake my head. Hopefully he wouldn’t request a search of the vehicle. The cabinet above the galley table held a tupperware container full of spent hypodermic needles that we had used on our now deceased diabetic dog.
The traffic stop was the first sign that our trip would be anything but ordinary. Actually, strike that. If you know our history with this ’89 Winnebago we’ve dubbed “The Investment,” this was par for the course; and no doubt, an obvious sign that this excursion in the camper would be “more of the same.”
So what happened next? Was I administered a field sobriety test? Did I agree to a breathalyzer? Was I searched for needle tracks? Were we able to make it home without being stranded on the side of the road?
Answers tomorrow.
In the meantime, type Winnebago into the “Search by Keyword” section of this page. Familiarize yourself with this vehicle’s legacy under our ownership. Trust me, you’ll enjoy a few laughs…at our expense – and most likely decide against ever purchasing a pre-owned RV for your family.
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” – Albert Einstein.
