Day 28, Friday, Millis, MA

Depart Albany for about 3-1/2 hours on the Mass Pike.  Thought we were going to shake apart. Talk about crumbling infrastructure.  Can’t we borrow a little more from China to maintain our interstates? Maybe if we stop supporting the rest of the world - but I digress.  Virginia, PA and NY interstates were not so good either.  Makes me appreciate Florida and its fairly well maintained roads.  Northerners claim freezing weather is the cause.  Just another reason to live in the south.  Why did we ever leave?  Oh yeah, heat.  High today mid 70's with expected low tonight 49.  Ok for those who have been waiting for our Robin Williams “Motorhome” moment, it arrived today.   As we fill up the grey water (sinks and shower wastewater) faster than the black water (you can figure which wastewater this is), we catch dish water in a basin and dump it down the toilet.  Well on this day (still in Albany) as I was dumping it, a butter knife appeared and down it went.  On our drive, thinking I would like to know if the knife passes out or stays in the tank when we get to the campground and dump the black water, I determine the only way to do this is to let the black water out slowly which is against the normal procedure as you want as much pressure when you dump as possible so any solids get flushed with the liquids. I figured with the 3-1/2 hour drive on a bumpy road with our little added “bugs” who are supposed to eat up all the solids we would be ok.   Get to the campsite, hookup and dump slowly.  No knife.  Then I begin adding water through the flush out valve but a bit of a problem.  Nothing is coming out the drain.  Time to call RV Medic in Tampa.  Speak to owner Johnny who informs me the knife is probably stuck just below the toilet.  I open the toilet flush valve and look down and there it is, maybe 10" down.  The opening would fit Rosemary’s hand easily but I decide not to ask her.  Down my hand goes with a little effort I am in about half way to the elbow.  Got it.  Able to lift the knife with my fingers enough to grab the knife with my other hand.  Now with a little more effort after Rosemary threatens (jokingly, I think) to cut off my arm my hand is free at last.  Rosemary washes the knife 3 times and I get to wash off outside.  With the knife rescued, we turn to the problem of the black tank not draining.  We add extra bugs and wait for them to do their magic, at least overnight but I will probably wait at least two nights.  If that does not work, we will have to fill the tank about half way and take a drive on a bumpy road (not a problem in MA) and hope that breaks up the clog.  If not a bit of a problem as we would have no toilet and Walmarts would take on a different purpose (not in the parking lot).  To be continued.  Sorry, no photos today.