We were supposed to spend 13 weeks in Lakewood (Ocean County), New Jersey. Instead, we spent eight weeks there. And actually it wasn’t that bad -- my opinion, not Tara’s. The temperature was a little cooler, and after our first trip to the shore, I couldn’t wait to go back. (In some coastal states you go to the “beach” or the “coast”; in New Jersey you go to the “shore”.) Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to return to the shore, because Tara’s contract was again cut short. This was the second time in a row that happened. In Champaign, Illinois, when COVID-19 was ramping up, the vein and vascular clinic where Tara was employed had a decrease in patients -- many of whom were having elective procedures -- and, therefore, had to cut some nurses’ hours.
In New Jersey, her contract was cancelled for the opposite reason. Thanks in part to masks being required in all public places and the state’s slow reopening, Coronavirus numbers decreased, so Tara’s contract, along with those of many other travel nurses, was cut short again.
Something we were disappointed about not being able to do while in Jersey was taking a day trip(s) to New York to see the sights. It was pretty closed up while we were there, but we did go up one day and just drove through the streets of Manhattan. I expected that to be pretty daunting, but it actually wasn’t bad at all. I didn’t get honked at a single time! When researching driving in Manhattan, I found two key pieces of information, one of which was surprising, one of which was not. 1) When the light turns green, go! You will get honked at if you don’t. I made sure I was ready for the green light every time, especially since our Oregon license plates made us look like tourists, I’m sure. 2) No right turn on red in Manhattan. I would imagine that was to protect the pedestrians.
For a couple of reasons, we were hoping to go to Texas after New Jersey, so, we headed to Tara’s next gig in San Antonio. One thing San Antonio has that New Jersey seems to be lacking (besides the Alamo and good Tex-Mex): freeways. In Ocean County, New Jersey, it’s almost all surface streets, most of which are quite curvy. A guy I met on the golf course said the streets are that way because they’re 200 years old. I already knew that, but it didn’t mean I had to like it. I couldn’t imagine moving there and trying to find my way around in a time before GPS.
After four days on the road, we pulled into what has so far been our favorite RV park: Green Lake in San Antonio. If you’re ever looking for an RV park in southern Texas, they have several properties under the Quality RV Park brand. Our only complaint was lack of shade. But the pool was nice, and their catch-and-release pond had catfish as long as your arm, and all you need for bait is corn. Several of those catfish have hooks in their mouths due to the fact I wasn’t using very strong fishing line, but I’m sure they’ll be fine.
So why were we in San Antonio for only three weeks? I can’t get into the specifics, but between the hospital where Tara was working and the recruiting company she was working for, it wasn’t a good fit. There are plenty of good-paying jobs for travel nurses right now, so it was an easy decision to leave and find something else. It was really nice only having to drive our motorhome a few hours (instead of a few days) to our next stop in Waco.
When we arrived in Waco, it was the first time we’ve gotten to an RV park and didn’t like it. Even though the amenities weren’t bad, it was a little too rustic for us. So, that night we checked out the North Crest Manor RV Park on the north side of town. As we drove through the park, we apparently looked a little suspicious in our Ford Fusion Hybrid with Oregon plates. We were approached by a gentleman in a golf cart who very politely asked if he could help us. He then proceeded to show us around like a salesman on a used car lot. Not only did we decide we would stay there, we even bought the extended warranty. We’re a pitching wedge away from I-35, so it can be a little noisy, but we have a nice shaded concrete site that’s pretty close to everything we need. Tara’s back working for Baylor, Scott, and White, which has a lot of facilities here in Texas. She’ll be working for Covid patients at least some of the time, but she’s not yet sure how much.
We’ve been in Waco almost a week and still haven’t run into Chip and Joanna Gaines. Other than the Gaines, Baylor University, and construction on I-35, there’s not much going on in Waco.
Since our travel nursing adventures began, we’ve driven in 21 states. While New Mexico’s roads are still the number-one worst, Tennessee and Arkansas have moved up to numbers two and three, respectively. Congratulations to Virginia, which debuts at number-two on the best highways list, just behind Oregon. To be fair, driving a 36-foot motorhome exacerbates any roughness.
A lot of people ask if it gets boring being a ‘kept man’. How can I get bored when TBS has reruns of Friends on all day? There are some days when I don’t have much to do, but between fishing, golf, and keeping track of the pets -- yes, both cats and the ferret are still alive -- I stay pretty busy. I was supposed to officiate sports more than I have been, but obviously that hasn’t happened much. I did manage to umpire four high school tournament games in San Antonio weekend before last. It was great getting back out on the field. I’m sure I sweated off at least 10 pounds during the two games I was behind the plate. Between Tex-Mex and barbecue, I doubt they stayed off very long, though.
