Only one piece of inner skin left to install, the long ceiling piece.  I’m waiting for my antenna to come before I put it up.  I had the floor measured for Marmoleum sheeting.  I’m going with Shitake and hoping it doesn’t take too long to get into the store (Endwell Rugs).

The bumper frame now has a hole drilled in it and a fresh water connection run into the trailer.  Thanks to Marc for sharing his more powerful drill to get through the steel (I will return it soon).

I dry fit the bathroom fixtures to help fine-tune the Pex layout.  Since I can’t find a new/used shower seat, I’m going to try “Plasti-mend” on the cracks — thanks to my buddy Nick for pointing this product out to me.  First I need to sand off the fiberglass, filler, and paint from the failed repair.

In addition to getting the bathroom roughed out, I’d like to have some “room” walls and get the roadside twin bed in before I head out to Alumapalooza.  The other areas (office, kitchen, dinette) will get attn later in the summer.

You can check out my Pinterest boards related to technology for Rosie and other wish list items.

She’s not a work of art like so many are, nor a classic vintage restoration. I think of her as a recycle project and the best therapy I could buy.

This isn’t directly Airstream-related, but the progress I’ve made will bring me closer to working on Rosie. Last week I drove myself to physical therapy x2 and was able to get in the pool via the ladder vs. riding the chair lift into the pool. I was honored with a round of applause from the other PT clients. Driving on my own made me feel like a teenager again! It has been over 6 months since I drove the car. These were great milestones, but the increase in activity is wearing me out, so there’s no other news. Happy Spring!

So, the last post was 2 weeks before I broke my back (10/15/05) on a railroad track while on a 50 mile training ride to see my mom in Endicott. The first part of the ride was great with the fall colors on the hills and the smell of autumn in the air, but then it started raining and THEN I hit the railroad crossing with its narrow angle to the road and elevated slippery rails. AND it turns out there was actually a train 5-10 minutes out, on a leaf-peeping tour. The track is only used a few times a year. The tourists waved to the crying lady sitting along side of the road amidst the corn fields – to them I was taking a break from my bike ride and part of the quaint scenary, not knowing I had just crawled off the tracks with a broken L5.

After 8 weeks of seeing multiple doctors, having multiple x-rays, CT’s, and MRI’s, I had surgery in December, performed by Dr. Seth Zeidman – a wonderful and competant neurosurgeon with a staff of angels in Rochester, NY.
After a major back reconstruction with anesthesia and blood loss complications, I’m now over 2 months post-op with several months of recovery a head of me. I started PT last week and am amazed how little it takes to exhaust me.

I often look out the window at my neglected little Airstream sitting in the driveway covered with snow. I’m sure there’ll be more damage to the floor from the leaky spots, but she’s waited this long for some tender loving care, I guess she can wait a few more months.

I categorized this post under “Trips” cuz this last 4+ months has been a real trip. One I could have done without, but everywhere you go, there you are (whole and healthy or not).