The morning of reckoning. Will the fridge be fixed, or will we have to replace it after our journey ends? Those are the options per the manufacturer.
We park our coach in front of a scrappy little appliance store in Abingdon and wait for "Mack" to begin his work. First, he shims all four fridge doors for better sealing of the doors, per the manufacturer's recommendation (we all fail to understand why the doors weren't shimmed at the factory). As we completed the job, UPS delivers the new thermistor ($21 plus $45 shipping) and. Installation issues are minimal and we're on our way after paying $72 for labor, about 1/3 of what it would have cost in California. Now it's "wait & see" if the new thermistor is the complete solution to our fridge problem.
Back on the road by 11 a.m., we have a 5 hour drive to our intended destination: Marietta, GA. A suburb of Atlanta, Marietta is home to John and his family. John became a very special friend during the winter of 1973/74 when we, along with two others, shared the responsibility of resurrecting an ill-fated venture of American Express Travel. Living in elegant style in New York City, our seven months together brought 4 guys a lifetime of cross country friendship with few personal visits. That absence had to be corrected on this trip!
Continued clear weather and good highways through eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia gave us a pleasant rolling view of the forested mountains, Knoxville and Chattanooga. Knowing how important it is to keep drivers happy, Doris was treated to her favorite McDonald's soft ice cream after having driven two hours while I read and mapped potential routes after our Georgia visit. Arriving at our chosen RV park only minutes from our friends, we snagged the last parking site and prepared for John & Cecile's arrival, the first reunion in 20 years.
What a treat! What fun! Doris's appetizers and our bar complimented four people sharing great stories of past times and families. A late, great dinner at a diner minutes away left us exhausted but happy when we said goodbye at 11pm.
The fridge? Found to be working well, even making ice for the next party. A great way to end the day.
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| Cecile & John. 37 years later, John & I can still can laugh about our lives together in NYC while draining American Express's bank account. |
