Mango Bob Read Online Free
Author: Bill Myers
ex-wife will tell you I'm kind of cheap that way. I won't spend a few extra bucks to get something nice. And I would really prefer not to spend much money at all.
The way I see it, there's nothing wrong with trying to save money. Especially when your paycheck ends in a few days.
I explain this to Bobby – hoping he'll have a spare place I can stay for a few days.
But no go. Bobby isn't in the business of providing accommodations for his clients. He suggests I pitch a tent in the nearby state park. Stay there until things settle down.
He's serious.
According to Bobby, “It'll be like a vacation. Stay in the campground for twelve dollars a night, enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the sun set over the river.”
The way he tells it, it sounds pretty good.
I've been camping before. The last time was in Afghanistan. That wasn't so much fun. But before Afghanistan, camping was something I enjoyed. Getting away in the woods for a few days. Being 'one' with nature.
The more I think about it, the more it sounds like a reasonable solution.
Instead of paying to live in a cheap motel, I could camp out at the state park for twelve dollars a night. And, I'm quoting Bobby here, “It would be like a vacation!”
Camping out. In a tent. Just me and my truck. In the woods of Arkansas in the fall.
But just until things get settled.
7
And that's how it came to be that I was living in a tent. A big blue one from Walmart.
After leaving Bobby's law office, I drove home and loaded everything I owned into my truck.
Some clothes, a couple pair of shoes, my laptop computer, a few books, a box of old documents and photos.
And my gun. A stainless steel Smith & Wesson 357 magnum revolver. Haven't shot it in years, and hope not to have to shoot it any time soon. But if I do, it gets the job done.
Packing only takes about 30 minutes. Which if you think about it, is pretty depressing. All my worldly possessions take less than a half hour to pack and fit in just a few boxes.
It's almost six in the evening. That means I'll be out of the house before the deadline. That should make Vicki (my soon to be ex-wife) happy.
Next stop, Value Self Storage.
The security code issued when I rented the unit gets me through the gate. Takes only a few minutes to transfer the boxes from my truck into the storage unit. My worldly possessions don't even fill half of the closet sized space.
I still need to keep up appearances at work, so I keep out a small suitcase packed with my office clothes, clean underwear, socks and shaving kit.
Locking the storage unit, I head over to the big Walmart Super Center. There, in the sporting goods department, I choose a Coleman 14' x 9' tent, a sleeping bag, a fluorescent lantern, an air bed, and an ice chest.
Everything I need to start my camping adventure.
In the food section, I pick up a twelve pack of bottled water, a box of crackers and a chicken Caesar salad from the deli. Enough supplies to get me through the night.
Next stop, Toad Suck Park.
Yes, it's a real place. Look it up and you'll find it just south of Conway, on the Arkansas River. An easy eight mile drive from the Moreco plant.
During the spring and summer months, Toad Suck park stays pretty busy. Vacationers, picnickers, family reunions.
But this time of the year, not so much. Too cold to swim, unpredictable weather, and the fish aren't biting.
It's after dark when I arrive. A notice on the gate-house says 'choose any unoccupied spot, and pay the ranger in the morning'. That's what I'll do.
The campground is mostly empty, and I drive slowly until I find a suitable campsite on the river loop, close to the restrooms.
Normally, when the campground is busy, you wouldn't want to camp near the restrooms. Too much foot traffic. But when camping in a tent without a toilet, especially when no one else is in the campground, being near
The way I see it, there's nothing wrong with trying to save money. Especially when your paycheck ends in a few days.
I explain this to Bobby – hoping he'll have a spare place I can stay for a few days.
But no go. Bobby isn't in the business of providing accommodations for his clients. He suggests I pitch a tent in the nearby state park. Stay there until things settle down.
He's serious.
According to Bobby, “It'll be like a vacation. Stay in the campground for twelve dollars a night, enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the sun set over the river.”
The way he tells it, it sounds pretty good.
I've been camping before. The last time was in Afghanistan. That wasn't so much fun. But before Afghanistan, camping was something I enjoyed. Getting away in the woods for a few days. Being 'one' with nature.
The more I think about it, the more it sounds like a reasonable solution.
Instead of paying to live in a cheap motel, I could camp out at the state park for twelve dollars a night. And, I'm quoting Bobby here, “It would be like a vacation!”
Camping out. In a tent. Just me and my truck. In the woods of Arkansas in the fall.
But just until things get settled.
7
And that's how it came to be that I was living in a tent. A big blue one from Walmart.
After leaving Bobby's law office, I drove home and loaded everything I owned into my truck.
Some clothes, a couple pair of shoes, my laptop computer, a few books, a box of old documents and photos.
And my gun. A stainless steel Smith & Wesson 357 magnum revolver. Haven't shot it in years, and hope not to have to shoot it any time soon. But if I do, it gets the job done.
Packing only takes about 30 minutes. Which if you think about it, is pretty depressing. All my worldly possessions take less than a half hour to pack and fit in just a few boxes.
It's almost six in the evening. That means I'll be out of the house before the deadline. That should make Vicki (my soon to be ex-wife) happy.
Next stop, Value Self Storage.
The security code issued when I rented the unit gets me through the gate. Takes only a few minutes to transfer the boxes from my truck into the storage unit. My worldly possessions don't even fill half of the closet sized space.
I still need to keep up appearances at work, so I keep out a small suitcase packed with my office clothes, clean underwear, socks and shaving kit.
Locking the storage unit, I head over to the big Walmart Super Center. There, in the sporting goods department, I choose a Coleman 14' x 9' tent, a sleeping bag, a fluorescent lantern, an air bed, and an ice chest.
Everything I need to start my camping adventure.
In the food section, I pick up a twelve pack of bottled water, a box of crackers and a chicken Caesar salad from the deli. Enough supplies to get me through the night.
Next stop, Toad Suck Park.
Yes, it's a real place. Look it up and you'll find it just south of Conway, on the Arkansas River. An easy eight mile drive from the Moreco plant.
During the spring and summer months, Toad Suck park stays pretty busy. Vacationers, picnickers, family reunions.
But this time of the year, not so much. Too cold to swim, unpredictable weather, and the fish aren't biting.
It's after dark when I arrive. A notice on the gate-house says 'choose any unoccupied spot, and pay the ranger in the morning'. That's what I'll do.
The campground is mostly empty, and I drive slowly until I find a suitable campsite on the river loop, close to the restrooms.
Normally, when the campground is busy, you wouldn't want to camp near the restrooms. Too much foot traffic. But when camping in a tent without a toilet, especially when no one else is in the campground, being near
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