Finally out of Flagstaff

Here it is, Thursday already, and we have finally made it out of Flagstaff.  When we had last posted, the big tow truck had dropped us off at the Freightliner service center for the weekend.  We found a very nice church in town for Palm Sunday services.  It was very pleasant to be a part of a larger congregation, especially with lots of children.  Both factors have been missing from our experiences for quite awhile.

The Scenic Mountains in Flagstaff

Monday was “Hurry Up and Wait” for inspection and diagnostics.  Tuesday was more of the same.  Our confidence in the service department faded as we became more aware of their lack of customer service.  Late Tuesday afternoon we found a CATERPILLAR service shop nearby and mentioned our plight to the owner, who gave us a much better feeling of confidence.  Wednesday morning we paid Freightliner too much for their limited diagnostics and had the big tow truck move us 3 miles before 9:00 AM.  By 5:15 PM we were rolling once again…..Whew!

Waiting for the Motorhome to be fixed

An old saying is “It’s not so much what happens to you, it’s how you react that’s important.”  Let’s say the past 4 days was a memorable experience, and let it go at that.  We are very happy to be rolling once again, just a little later than we had originally planned.

On a brighter note, this situation allowed us to connect with John and Ginny from the San Diego area, who were also captives at Camp Freightliner.  We shared a couple of meals with them and found we had quite a few things in common.  Connecting with new people is one way to “make lemonade, when you’re handed some lemons.” (Brett's advice to us!) 

We’re now on our trek back to Minnesota.  We won’t make it for Easter which is a disappointment.  We just hope that the trip goes without any further delays!

Paige’s mom saw her surgeon on Monday and the good news is that she is now able to put pressure on her left leg.  Therapy has started and she is working hard to walk again.  We have no doubt that she will be getting out soon.