Gina Learns To Drive Our Big Truck and The HDT Rally Ends

Wednesday
October 7, 2009

This is a wrap up entry for the HDT rally.

We woke up this morning with our coffee and then I headed over to hear a seminar on solar power by Jack Mayer. After he finished, Rob Finch did a seminar on wind power. Gina got dressed and left with the girls for a trip to Yoder Kansas, a small Amish town about 20 miles away. I went back home for lunch and ate a bowl of taco soup.

After lunch I went and heard a presentation from Spacecraft RV and then toured the coach they brought with them. Gina and the girls arrived back from their day trip. She brought me a nice surprise back, a piece of blackberry pie since she knows I love blackberries.

The RDBE (Rigs Driven By Estrogen) girls having Lunch in Yoder, Kansas


Here They Are Shopping in Yoder, Kansas

We still had a lot of taco soup left over so we asked a few friends over to finish off the leftover taco soup. Tonight’s entertainment was a DJ so we headed over to the club house.

Gina, Danielle, & Dale doing the Electric Slide


Here we are doing a little dancing

We danced until around ten o’clock when we decided it was time to head back home and call it a night.


Thursday,
October 8, 2009

We woke up this morning to more rain, wind, and 33 degrees. It was just a nasty morning. I headed over to hear Kenny Doonan give a seminar on class 8 trucks and what’s going on about new engines and emission standards. While I was listening Gina decided to ride with Dale to the grocery store to pick up a few items for the pot luck dinner tomorrow night. After Gina got back from the store we met up with Jack & Danielle so Gina could get her first driving lesson. Jack wanted to start her off in his truck which is like ours but is shorter with just a single rear axle. Jack and Gina went and got into his truck while Danielle and I stayed inside. After he gave her a lot of guidance she took off driving through the RV Park. The main objective was to get her familiar with using air brakes. He then took her over to the fairgrounds which have narrow roads. While Gina was driving I was able to take a few pictures.

Gina Driving Jack's Truck

On one turn, Jack joked with her telling her that she got just a little too close to a sign. However, he knew that she would clear it and not damage his truck. After about 30 minutes it was time to park his truck. He had Gina pull past his home and then parallel park. Gina told him that she has never parallel parked in her life. He just smiled and said you can do it. She did it. Yea!!!

Danielle Watching Gina Paralle Park
(Really she's making sure Gina doesn't hit her jeep)


That's A Look of Accomplishment

As soon as she got out of his truck it was down to our truck so she could drive it.

Gina Driving Our Truck


She's Having Fun Driving Our Truck


Gina Showing The Look of Success

She said she was scared driving our truck but that she did say it drove well. Our truck had sat for three days so the brakes were sticking which caused them to squeak. After an hour of driving Gina was ready to stop so she headed back home. She didn’t try to back up our truck so I got in and back it up.

Ed & Paula asked us earlier if we wanted to go with them to dinner tonight. We went back to the same restaurant that the girls went to yesterday while they were in Yoder, Kansas. The food was really good. They didn’t have any blackberry pie so Gina ordered one for pick up on Saturday. Once we got back home it was time for the ice cream social. We headed over to the club house and enjoyed ice cream with everyone. Before long it was time to say good night. After we got home we watched a little TV before I was falling asleep. Gina said let’s go to bed. We enjoyed another wonderful day with new friends.


Friday
October 9, 2009

I got up early this morning to hear Jack Mayer’s presentation on electrical systems and then we toured everyone’s truck to see how they had modified their trucks. While the guys were doing this the ladies were touring each other’s homes. After lunch we heard a presentation about New Horizons RVs. We then toured one of their new Majestic coaches. They have done a very nice job in creating a luxury Fifth wheel.

Today was the photo shoot of all the trucks. Rob was on the ground directing the trucks while Larry was up above making sure they were lined up straight. The first pictures were of just the big trucks then the second picture included the small girlie trucks as they are called.

The HDT Photo Shoot


The Little Girlie Trucks with the HDTs


All the Trucks and People at the Rally


Here we are posing with our truck

After the photo shoot we had to get back home since tonight was the pot luck dinner the girls were putting together. Gina was cooking two broccoli & cheese casseroles and a pot of speckled butterbeans. We brought our food over around six o’clock and I grilled some sausage for our meat.

I'm Grilling


A Lot Of Good Food


Everyone Enjoying The Potluck Dinner

Everyone brought their own meat to grill. We enjoyed some great times with everyone. We didn’t want the fun to end but we headed home around nine o’clock. Like all pot lucks we ate too much.

Saturday
October 10, 2009

We got up early this morning to have breakfast in the club house with everyone before everyone departed. With hugs and goodbyes to everyone leaving today we walked back to our home so we could get our dirty clothes packed up for the Laundromat. We had not done laundry for 17 days and we definitely needed some clean clothes. We put our dirty clothes in the truck and headed toward the Laundromat around 1:30. We finished up around three o’clock and then went to Wal-mart. Gina wanted to get a manicure and I just walked around the store waiting on her. We then headed back home.

Dale Bruss had mentioned at breakfast this morning about having dinner tonight at Applebee’s. So everyone that had not left today met up at six o’clock for one last dinner together. There were 16 of us left and we had a wonderful time. We had rode with Ed & Paula and after dinner we went back to Yoder so we could pick up the blackberry pie that Gina ordered Thursday. We made it back home and called it an early night since tomorrow we would be heading north.

We had a great time at the rally and both Gina and I learned a lot. In addition to that we met and established some great and wonderful friendships.

Until tomorrow, Gina & I hope everyone has a pleasant and wonderful day, enjoying what our Father has so graciously blessed us with.