Back in Civilization

Tom and I left Death Valley on Tuesday and arrived in Las Vegas (civilization) three hours later.  We have a week here at the Oasis RV Resort to re-acclimate and get used to driving in traffic.  In Death Valley, three cars going by our house in an hour was a traffic jam.  The Oasis RV Resort is conveniently located next to the airport and I was awakened our first night by at least three airplanes that sounded like they were landing on the RV.  Then yesterday morning at 7:30 they started jack-hammering the concrete on the RV pad next to us.  They are replacing concrete on several pads close to us and that noise went on all day.  Civilization is a noisy place!

Red Rock RV Wash did a great job
Red Rock RV Wash did a great job

Yesterday was “be nice to the RV day.” We had the RV and truck washed by Red Rock RV Wash who came right to the site.  We also had the carpet cleaned.  It is amazing how much dirt a beige carpet can hold and still look beige!  And we had the black and gray water tanks cleaned.  One of the realities of RV living is stuff goes into the tanks, but – over time – stuff also builds up in the tanks.  After getting them pressure-washed from inside, there is a lot less unwanted stuff in the tanks.  The RV is clean, shining, and sweet-smelling inside and out.

Today is “be nice to the truck day.”  We have almost 15,000 miles on the truck already, so it is time for an oil-change and other regularly scheduled maintenance.

Of course, the nicest thing about being back in civilization is instant access to the internet with a good cell signal.  From April 1-21, Tom and I had used just 1.8 G of data.  In the last two days we have already burned through another 8 G.  I’ve been downloading books from the library, updating apps, and getting caught up on all my e-mail.  Tom and I have also been researching how we are going to get home and what we want to see along the way.  I’ve really enjoyed being able to write my blog posts in the comfort of our living room.  It may be noisy, but it’s home!

We drove 20 minutes and went to Barnes and Noble yesterday.  We can walk to a grocery store and a branch of our bank.  The CVS is in the same shopping complex down the street.  On Sunday we can walk to church.  Civilization is certainly more convenient!

We plan on getting caught up on phone calls and friends over the next few days while we are still in Vegas.  We also are going out to eat and Tom wants to order a pizza and have it delivered.  We even have a few day trips planned out of the city.  Civilization may be noisy, but we don’t seem to be having any trouble adjusting to being back in it!