Upswing

Things are beginning to look up here at the Cebulski household. Joe is still not feeling great, but today he finally felt okay enough to get out of the RV for a few hours. His fever broke last night...but he still can't believe how bad his throat hurts. And I still feel fine, which seems like a minor miracle.

After driving cross-country and stopping to collect vegetable oil every day or every other day, we have been astounded how long a tank of oil lasts for just normal driving. We did all that driving last week with my mom on less than 1/2 of a tank of oil. In fact, we went oil hunting today (and filled up the tank again, plus 3 extra 5 gallon jugs) and it was the first time we had to get oil since arriving in California. We figure we get close to 20 miles to the gallon when we're not towing the RV. So many things around here require a 20-45 minute drive...and it feels SO good to not have to burn diesel to get places. I love the smell of that veggie oil burning!

Yesterday morning Rowan and I dropped my mom off at the San Francisco airport and then decided to explore downtown San Fran a bit. We went through Chinatown, the closest beach to the city, and to the touristy Fisherman's Wharf. They were having a free Halloween festival...free pumpkin patch, treats, all sorts of things. It was unbelievably busy. I didn't manage to take many photos...I think I was too busy tending to Rowan, maneuvering her stroller through that mass of humanity, and trying to get my bearings in such a big city. I've always loved the feeling of independence and competence that comes from exploring a new place on my own. Trying to do it with a 2 year old added a bit of stress that I wasn't entirely prepared for....but we still had a fun day. We just wish that Joe could have been there with us! I posted just a handful of pictures (don't get your hopes up) here.