Wednesday, Juni 15, 2022: Annie Way
Hi folks! My name is Sally. Sally the Sloth. Yes, I am a sloth.
I am here because some time ago Ursula came to the conclusion that she has been working too much all her life long. Just as you find out: I feel like doing nothing. So she looked for a masquot for the time to come. And decided, it had to be a sloth.
From that on Ursula loved sloths. This is why she bought me. It took her some time to find a proper name for me, but then she decided: Sally the Sloth. That’s okay, I think. For some time I was afraid she would call me Fanni das Faultier (Faultier means sloth in German), but I found this quite boring. I may be a sloth, but I am not boring. Not at all!
Ursula is sixty plus and about to stop working. Then she will take a sabbatical, and afterwards she will retire. That’s her plan. And she wants to travel a lot. According to the motto: The way is the goal – if there is a goal.
Ursula plans to write a diary, a travelblog. In order not to let this be too one-sided, I decided to add my own comments. Sally the Sloth tells the truth. The real truth. I am going to tell you how things really happened. Not the overoptimistic picture, but the real, really true truth. That’s my plan. I am the sloth, I am in the know.
Today is a special day. Juni 15, 2022, a Wednesday.
Today Ursula picked up her new campervan. She needs it for travelling.
A friend of hers drove her to Eferding and watched what was happening. There was a very friendly technician who first wanted to explain everything about Annie Way to Ursula’s friend, but then Ursula stated, that it was she the van belonged to and it was she who would be the driver, and if the friendly technician would kindly explain everything to her. She didn’t say “kindly” but “please”, and she sounded quite determined.
The friendly technician understood and immediately talked to her, but she didn’t understand anything. Which noone noticed. No problem, there’s a number of manuals for everything.
At the end Ursula asked the friendly technician if he was willing to drive around the parking lot with her. Inside the area of the mobile home dealer. Not on the road yet.
The friendly technician agreed, showing a kind of frozen smile, and endured even this. Ursula started Annie Way’s engine.
Did I mention that the name of the van is Annie Way?
There’s this saying: It always jolts a little when life shifts into the next gear. For Ursula a new period of life started with this first drive with Annie Way. This is why she didn’t get off at first. But suddenly Annie Way jumped forward, and then she really went off. Annie Way with Ursula. Not Ursula with Annie Way. They went about 20 m in one direction, then turned right and came back.
The friendly technician then showed Ursula how the reverse gear works. That’s important, too.
How comes that I know all this? Ursula put me into the van even before her first drive. It’s my job to be her masquot. I’m the lucky charm. Lucky charm. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Yes, you cannot only see it on the video of her first drive, that Annie Way jumped away, I have witnessed that, too. That’s how it happened.
Her friend went home with his own car, Ursula bought some cables and then also drove off. 16 was Annie Way’s kilometre status (10 miles!) at that time. They started off to the nearest gas station, only a hundred metres away from the mobile home dealer. Luckily the curbstone which Annie Way’s tire contacted when turning right, was not high. At the gas station Ursula succeeded in parking Annie Way next to the fuel pump – after going forwards and backwards several times. Then she stepped outside and looked for the tank cap. And found it.
Next she discovered that it was locked. So she tried to unlock it. And failed.
She found it – actually, we all found it – a little bit embarrassing that she had to ask the lady at the cash desk how to unlock a Fiat Ducato’s tank cap. The lady showed it to her and was absolutely thilled by Annie Way. “Is it new? Did you just get it?”, she asked full of admiration. She didn’t notice me, I was sitting quite far down. In one of the three cup holders within the driver’s reach. This felt a little humiliating, but I didn’t want to complain because Ursula was clearly overstrained with the situation. I didn’t want to make troubles.
When Ursula wanted to drive away again, Annie Way’s engine died off. Ursula endured this with inner calm and started again. We went as far as the exit of the gas station. While waiting to be able to turn into the road, Annie Way died off again. Her engine, of course. Not Annie Way herself. Annie Way is far more than her engine. Much more. She is a beautiful campervan. Light-grey. Brand new. Absolutely perfect.
Somewhen Annie Way found out that it didn’t make sense not to go on. So she jumped as usual and started off. To the roundabout. Which means 30 metres. Then the engine died off again. Starting, jumping, going – we did it! Of course not without forgetting to get in touch with the curbstones. This is when Ursula realized that she had to turn a little wider. She is capable of learning. Now and then.
Then there was a long drive without stops, and so Ursula got us from Eferding to Leonding. Not quite as fast as she was allowed to drive, but who cares? The important thing was that they moved on, Annie Way and Ursula.
Ursula picked up some things from her son’s house (which has been hers until recently). Stuff you need for vanlife. Dishes, a hammock and so on. Blankets. Dishtowels. Things she had collected when preparing for Annie Ways arrival. Some of the stuff she forgot in the basement because first she had to show Annie Way to her son. No problem.
Afterwards Annie Way went with Ursula to Muehlviertel, north of the Danube, where she is allowed to park.
I kept sitting in the lower cup holder and waiting to be freed from this position. But Ursula simply had other worries at that time. In fact once – yes, it was only once, but at least once – Annie Way drove off from a street light without jumping or her engine dying down! We were really happy, Ursula and me, and Ursula said to me, “Sally, we are getting better.” Then she made a break and added, “Somewhen.”
As soon as Ursula had parked Annie Way – after going forward and backward several times -, she looked for a better spot for me. I’ve never doubted that this would be the first thing at all! My paws are magnetic, and Ursula tried to find something where I could hang around. That turned out to be quite a challenge because Annie Ways inner parts do not really consist of metal. Finally Ursula came across the safety belt of the bench next to the dining table, and that’s the best place ever! I’m sitting enthroned on top of the backrest! High up enough to be able to watch just everything, and I even can see where we are going! At the same time I can overview everything that’s going on inside Annie Way. That’s the way the sloth likes it!
Folks, take care of yourselves! And keep some space free in your heads. For nonsense and adventures!
Yours, Sally