Itchy Boots is my hero on YouTube and the person who inspired me to travel

My homage to Roger.

​Yes, I have my very own Roger, but my Roger didn't save me with a chainsaw or help me navigate a parapet to the abyss.  No, my Roger, he saved me in the middle of the desert with a boat pedal. For most people, this would be a strange set of events, but in my life, I'd call this Tuesday. I've had so many unusual adventures and calamities in my life that I am pretty sure I have a long-lost relative named Murphy. And he's haunting me.

So let's begin with my sad story of all whoa. Leaving Michigan on a cold January day, I was on my way to the warm, not-so-wonderful town of Quartzsite, Arizona. Home to the rubber Tramp rendezvous. After driving through a blizzard and being stuck on top of a mountain in Colorado for 2 days, I finally made it to the warmth of the desert. Relieved, I decided to stop at this tiny market.  So I parked itchy (Itchy boots is what I named my van, but she's also my hero's Channel on YouTube.)

 Finally feeling warm, I decided it would be a wonderful idea to open itchy up and let her air out with that warm Desert Breeze. So there I was, fussing around with itchy, having a grand old time, and generally just making a nuisance of myself. Which, by the way, I am very good at.  Anyway, I was finally done fussing, it's time to do a little shopping. I started shutting everything down, and then I reached the big side door, and as I slammed the door with a thud, oh no!

Yes, you probably have already guessed what's happened. I did it, I locked my keys in itchy. And Itchy is a tricked-out 1997 Astro van with door locks from hell when it comes to trying to pick them with a damn coat hanger.

So here I am, a Damsel in Distress, but soon my first savior arrived. An older gentleman who is more interested in picking me up then opening my van. But it wasn't long before my second savior arrived to help me. He did his best, but it was impossible with the tools we had.

And then, my Roger showed up. Armed with the coat hanger and sheer determination, he was going to get my door open. But try as he may, he really wasn't having any luck.  So at this point, I'm getting a little tired of watching these guys try. So I start talking to people in the parking lot. And then the woman I was talking to, gasped.  I turned to see something I never would have expected: a man hanging off Itchy, from a kayak paddle, in the middle of the desert! Only in my life. But Roger did it; he managed to open the passenger-side door with a kayak paddle. Again, only in my life. Thank you Roger.