The Mothership

September 26-28, 2019

Airstream Factory Terraport, Jackson Center, Ohio

Day 104-106

Made an appointment at a vet for later this morning. I am really concerned; Sparky is just not right. He doesn’t want to eat or play and he’s licking his lips a lot. I can't find any ticks, which is good, except that maybe that's the problem because I can't find them. Got on the road around 9 am via the fastest highway route, not the scenic way, for Sparky’s sake.

The vet is about 10 miles from Airstream. I dropped him off as they are going to run some tests which will take a few hours. I ask what the costs will be because I am not working anymore and, well, don’t want to be surprised by the bill. I can’t imagine it is here, but best to check. They tell me it will be $85 for blood and another test, but they can add a CT scan and the total will be $175. I take it and think this would be at least $800 in SF. Hope they figure this out; can’t imagine this trip without him.

I check-in at Airstream. They have 2 dozen overnight RV slots. If you are a customer with a service appointment, it’s free! All others, including other brands of trailers are $10 night!!! You get power, water and there is a dump station nearby. That's a deal so spaces fill up quickly. If you are having work done, they will bring your trailer back to your spot so you can sleep in it. Then they will come and take it back the next day, or days. The other benefit of having work done at the factory is well, you're at the factory. You know the job is going to be done right by the most experienced techs. Plus, it's kind of cool to say you have been to the factory - aka "Mothership". (Not to take anything away from some of the great dealerships in the network...).

You can also take a guided tour while here, which I did! They're in the process of moving into a new 850,000 s/f factory down the road. Everything will be under one roof, plus they'll have a museum. Right now, they are in several buildings on both sides of the road. Airstream is a very large employer in these parts. The new factory should be up and running in January which is very exciting. I am here for a few small warranty repairs and to pick up new, firmer, cushions for the dinette area. (The covers are perfect, a washable leather in a pretty lite cream color - I love them; but the cushions are too soft, and I find myself sliding off and cursing them daily.)

After checking in for service, I get a call that Sparky is ready. I head back and wait in the reception area where I meet one of the techs from Airstream; he recognized me from the tour this afternoon. I meet with the vet who says he is fine; they found nothing. I am relieved and come to the conclusion he is depressed. We leave and find a fairground to play ball. He almost seems back to his old self. I am convinced dogs communicate mentally to other dogs. I’d like to believe he was reassured by other dogs today that he is really loved and that he must be on an epic adventure!

Stopped at camp and chatted with one of my neighbors; another single woman having some major construction done on her new rig. We compare stories and plan to meet up for a glass of wine later. Stopped off at Casey’s gas station for their advertised gluten free pizza. I saw this weeks ago at another Casey’s in Iowa and got a chuckle from it. Good to know GF has gone so mainstream and now advertised at the pump. I ordered my pizza without cheese. It was horrible, except for the crust. Hungry and tired, I ate it anyway. I think it was just tomato sauce, olives, (canned) mushrooms, and, oh yes, sausage cubes. That’s what really made it “special”. I broke out the Fluffy Winery white wine from North Dakota I picked up weeks ago. With just a sip to my lips, I practically spit it out. Though I tasted it at the winery, I don’t remember it being this awful. A little heavy and sweet, but not a dessert wine. A horrible pairing with the pizza. I can’t even drink it for the alcohol. Fortunately, I am still slowly working my way thru some nice whiskey from Montana. I pour myself a finger or two and wash the taste of the wine.

Day 2 – I pick up a few extra items in the Airstream retail store. Can’t help but notice how dated the clothing is; mostly for men and made of unremarkable cotton blend in logo golf and t-shirts. Boy, they need a lady’s touch. Will put this on my topic list for the next Airstream Customer Council meeting in a few weeks.

While the rig is in the shop, I go to Dayton via backroads for the day. The scenery is nice, not many hills but some curves thru farmland and small towns. One of the most noticeable things about this drive is how many of the homes and barns are white. Funny how some things make an impression. My brother later tells me that red paint used to cost less than white; so having a white house and a white barn probably meant you had money.

First stop in Dayton is Deeds Dog Park. Right off the river, with a view of Dayton, this huge fenced in dog park was nothing exciting, but did have some grass and baby pool full of water for dogs to cool in. I see a few dogs and two women sitting by some tables and walk over to them. Sparky and I make new friends. One is from the Hamptons (NY) and the other from DC. Both moved here because of the low cost of living, no traffic and cheap housing. Christina from Hamptons buys homes for $2-10K – yes, that’s right – fixes them up enough to rent them to the working poor. They tell me when the economy tanked 10 years ago, there were over 150,000 houses in foreclosure due to a huge decline in manufacturing; specifically automotive jobs. She told me about several neighborhoods worth looking into. Sure, homes in the $2-10K range are in the depressed areas, but they weren’t necessarily unsafe neighborhoods. For a little more, you could get into a nicer neighborhood, but the home might need some extra work; neighborhoods like University, Oregon and South Park. They said there are so many cheap houses here which, on the plus side, is attracting more artists. So, I went out exploring.

First, I stopped into 2nd Street Market which is a local food hall/marketplace downtown. It's in a renovated brick building alongside retired train tracks. It's about a half a block long with local retailers on each side. I ask some guys having lunch if they could watch Sparky while I run in and get something to eat. I come back and they are all friends! We visit for a while and they too tell me to check out Oakwood and Yellow Springs too.

I went to all of these neighborhoods and each one was different. University had large older homes on streets named after top colleges like Princeton, Harvard and Yale. Oregon is the original historical settlement with smaller, narrower homes in variety of colors, shapes and sizes; limited parking but they have a nice small park and a cute shopping street. South Park, also an order neighborhood, had some brick streets but wasn't as cute as Oregon, but still nice. Oakwood, a stunningly beautiful neighborhood, had all the best and priciest homes at just over $1M. And lastly, Yellow Springs, a funky hippish suburb where Dave Chappelle grew up and still lives.

It’s a really hot and humid today; not much fun for me or Sparky. It’s early afternoon, so we start heading back to Airstream. We squeeze in another stop to Belle Fountaine, known for the world’s first Concrete Street and Highest Point in Ohio. They also claim fame to the shortest street, which I am told I drove down, but couldn’t tell, it was so short. The Concrete Street was interesting and lead me to a coffee shop where I met a cool guy (Meeka) who’s a pastor, fix-it-man and former restauranteur. He watched Sparky while I went inside and then we ended up visiting for about a half hour. Camphill Hill, the highest point, was uneventful; it clocks

in at 1549 feet. From the top of the mound, the horizon was flat.

Back at Airstream camp, I make a nice steak salad and relax. The rig is serviced but we will do the walk thru in the morning, before I leave.