Another Week and More Cooking

So it’s Wednesday again already!  I’m grateful we made it through a week with no malfunctions of any sort.  Haha! 

I tell ya, my work is steady lately and for that I am also grateful.  Whew!  Keeps me hopping during the week.  As a matter of fact, I contemplated putting in some time yesterday or today (days off) but then thought, “Nope.  Not gonna get in the habit of that.  I need my time off.”  Thursdays are my “Mondays,” and catch-up days, so I know I’ll be hustling tomorrow.

Yesterday was errands-and-chores day, and I did accomplish everything, including a late afternoon boogie to H.E.B. for groceries.  I like to get all the errands done in one day, so the next day I can just be here at home to cook, chill or whatever, “whatever” being a blog post, crashing in my recliner in front of the TV . . . taking a day at a slower pace.

When returning home from the post office in the early afternoon yesterday, I overshot the exit to the park.  Was just grooving along in the truck with tunes cranked up and, next thing I knew, I was passing the park.  Contributing to that overshoot is the fact that the exit for the park is closed due to construction, so one has to get off the highway via the exit right before this one. 

Oopsies.  It was just one of those days when I was digging the drive and could have driven from here to . . . Iowa.  Ha!

Keeping in mind the new routine I want to establish of giving the truck a workout now and then, I just said, “Why not?” and kept on going.  Turned my sights to Hearne, a small town about 20 miles north on Hwy 6.  Cranked up the music and settled in to enjoy the drive.  Engaged the cruise control for a while just to make sure it still works.  It does. 

There’s not a whole lot in Hearne of interest from a quick glance, excepting perhaps the Ace Hardware store downtown.  Small-town Ace Hardware . . . love ‘em.  I tried to think of something I might need as an excuse to go in and wander around, but came up short.  So I went around the block and pointed Truck toward the barn.

Me, Truck, highway and tunes.  Bliss.

When I did arrive home about an hour later, I realized I felt bit more relaxed.  Thanked Truck for some much-needed windshield time.  “Me” time.  Sweet.

Dave got busy this morning and washed our awning.  He did a great job and it looks soooo much better!  We were able to leave it deployed for a while, but then the wind intensified and we had to retract it.  He clocked 30 miles on the bike after taking care of that maintenance task.

Wednesday cooking ensued while he was away – sausage kolaches, a beef-and-wild rice casserole and then cinnamon rolls (not from scratch, sorry).  Dog fed and walked, dishes done and dried, and now steak fries are in the oven which will accompany the burgers I’ll make in a bit.

Whew!  There are 40+ work emails awaiting my attention, along with routine end-of-week tasks and current special projects. 

That DIY project I alluded to recently?  It’s still in the box here in the living room.  I’ve eyeballed what needs to be done but need 2-3 hours of dedicated, uninterrupted (quiet) time to tackle it.  Hopefully soon.

Yeah, right.  Ha!

There are other things I’d like to talk about, but it’s just about time to put the burgers on. 

Perhaps next time, whenever that might be!

Thanks for stopping by!  Ya’ll be safe out there, okay?

We Sure Got a Lot Done

We’re on the down side of our weekend, nicely tired from having a productive two days off.  Dave started yesterday (Tuesday) with a morning bike ride and, when he returned, we tackled washing the rig.  He began with the roof.  Man, you should have seen the dirty water pouring down the sides!  Once finished we teamed up to do the rest of our home.  I tell ya, we were tired afterwards.  We then splurged on carry-out pizza and spent the evening watching the election returns on TV.

The grass had gotten pretty out of control with recent rains, warm weather and then sunshine.  The yard service wasn’t scheduled to come until Thursday, but the owner/manager brought in his own mower and mowed quite a bit of the section here up front.  What a relief!  We really appreciated that.  That “we” includes Maggie, too.  It was getting to be quite a jungle for her.

Today started much like yesterday with Dave off for a 40-mile ride.  I decided to do what laundry there was in the hamper, as there’s rain in the forecast starting tonight.  After that, I boogied outta here and landed at Target. 

We are in a humid climate, and it will be both hot and humid before long.  I had seen reviews both from RVers and “regular” purchasers of the Eva-Dry countertop units, and this is what I was after.  Target was supposed to have them in stock.

And so they did!  There were two, actually, so I brought this puppy home.  It sits about 8.5” tall, just the right size for countertop placement.  With its size, I can put it in the bathroom, bedroom or here in the kitchen/living area.  It is indeed whisper-quiet.  It think I’m going to like it! 

Next stop was H.E.B. for our week’s worth of provisions.  Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the two days I have access to our truck; if I’m going to run any errands, those are the days.

After putting everything away, we were back outside to clean the exterior windows.  They ended up being a bit streaked from yesterday’s bathing of the rig.  Thanks so much to my hubby for working so hard on our home on his two days off!  We’re now all clean, inside and out.  Yay!

The yard service showed up today, probably because of the rain forecast which is supposed to kick in tonight.  They mowed the rest of the park and did the edging and trimming around our site.  Of course, that meant more grass clippings to be swept off our patio and parking spot.  They do come around and blow everything, but I always do a more thorough sweeping.

One long-term forecast model has us in store for a pretty darn hot summer, so anything we can do (I.e., dehumidifier) to make it cooler and more comfortable inside is imperative.  We’ll also get to Lowe’s before long for insulation panels like we used for skirting in New Jersey.  The street side of our rig gets direct sun pretty much all day, so we’ll put up panels in the windows on that side.  The panels, the dehumidifier, the LED lights and the dark curtains I put up while in NJ should all help keep it more tolerable in here.

I hope.

For now, however, we enjoyed two days of nice weather and, although there may be a bit of rain, we are to be treated to more seasonable temperatures back in the 70s for a wee while.

I’m good with that.

There are quite a few work emails awaiting my attention tomorrow, so I’ll be hitting the ground running again.  This lull has been a productive time, but I’m looking my usual full days of assisting my clients.

Thanks for stopping by!

February 10th, Really?

Well, I’m just about falling off the grid when it comes to blogging.  Once again it’s a record time in between posts, this time being almost a month.

Our days (and weeks) seem to pass by in somewhat of a blur.  I find myself occasionally stopping to ask myself, “What day is today?”  Crazy.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing.  Our weekends are Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Dave is still working at Walmart, really being “one of the gang” on his crew and even one of the long-timers by comparison.  I continue with my telecommuting as a virtual assistant and still enjoying that.  Our days and evenings are full, making the time we spend together before and after work (and our weekends) more special. 

Dave is now a fully permanent employee, so we’ve enrolled in health benefits and he is now accruing vacation time, although he won’t be eligible to take any time off until next year.  The health insurance is sort of a good thing and not so good thing.  A bit more expensive, but we’re now in a PPO vs. an HMO (via the Exchange) and there are some nice aspects of the plan we’re in.  It’s a bit scary . . . giving up some of our independence, so to speak.

One thing about this location; it is windy at least 9 days out of 10.  It’s reasonably flat here and quite open and, hey, it is Texas . . . so it’s windy. 

We’ve had a few warm days already, and I am really, really not looking forward to the summer months.  Mr. Sun hits the driver side of our RV all day; we’ll get to Lowe’s for some of the insulation panels we used to skirt the rig in Jersey, cut it to size and put it up on our big windows on that side.  Long before temps heat up.  I’m really only talking the side-facing windows in the slide-out on the street side.  There’s a small section of the big window that opens, so we’ll not cover that up.  Yes, it will make it darker in here, but that’s the idea.  Darker = cooler.  The door side of the rig is in shade all day.

Did I mention that we have changed out our interior lights to LED?  That’s excepting a couple of wall lamps.  The others that we use regularly are done.  I like the quality of the light much better and those puppies sure are a lot cooler, not to mention more energy-efficient.  Even though we don’t pay separately for electricity here, increased energy efficiency is a plus.

All that being said, I may be establishing my own private nudist camp in here during the hot summer months.  Well, not totally.  How about semi-clothed camp?  Ha!  And lots of quick cold showers.

The weather for our “weekend” (yesterday and today) this week has been pretty icky with nonstop rain.  So much for washing the rig again this week.  I did get out during a lull yesterday and headed to Office Depot in College Station.

A bit hard to tell from the photo, but that’s an ergonomic desk chair.  After snooping around on the internet, I found this model at Office Depot at a greatly reduced price.  I tested the display model, really liked it and was lucky enough to get the last one that was boxed.  Yay me!  I had an ergonomic chair prior to our full-timing in 2010; I sold it, as our rig had no desk and I didn’t need it any longer.  Well, now I have a desk and am spending quite a few hours each week working.  So.  Chair.  There are adjustments for height, seat tilt and lumbar adjustment and the armrests are height-adjustable.  I like it a lot so far.  I’ve always like the mesh-backed chairs, as they stay cooler and really are more comfy.

What else to do on a rainy day?

One other item I picked up at Office Depot was something for Dave’s cycling documentation.  At this point, he doesn’t have a proper desk, but uses a small computer table that is just big enough for his laptop and nothing else.  He keeps stats on his cycling, so his “stuff” was ending up on the floor beside his recliner.  Ugh. 

Now everything is tidy and handy for him to use.  It looks neater in his area and the hassle of moving all this stuff every time I vacuum is eliminated. 

Every now and then, actually just about every week lately, I go through another drawer, another cabinet, take a sweep through the closet . . . and am sorting through/organizing items with the result that some go out the door. 

Seems I am feeling burdened by too much stuff these days.  From 2011 up until last October, we had an office at our work locations.  We could spread out a bit, and we acquired some items that were necessary in our line of work, including heavy clothing and outerwear for the harsh winter conditions in New Jersey.  Our lifestyle has changed, we no longer have an office and, at least for the foreseeable future, we certainly are not experiencing harsh winter weather here in Texas.  Being outdoors was an integral part of our security jobs, and that is no longer the case.

That being said, I can’t (yet) bring myself to toss out expensive insulated overalls, heavy outwear and other items for extreme weather conditions.  Heck, most of those items weren’t cheap and I have worn/used them now and then even in our new way of life. 

Maybe it’s just the onset of Spring.  I’ve even measured living room furniture and our space in here with the thought of rearranging our furniture configuration. 

My measuring tape says that ain’t gonna happen.

I look at what folks are doing to their interiors on some social media groups and . . . sigh.  Oh well.  Ours is comfy and not disgusting . . . just not “spiffy” like some I see.  Of course, I wonder about the added weight of some of the furniture additions these folks make and I’m really not into painting the walls or cabinets in here.

I also wonder how folks keep the interior of their RVs looking like a showplace.  Really?  Do they actually live there?  Do they put the toaster away somewhere when not actually using it?  Do they realize the added weight of that wood wine cabinet and all those bottles of wine?  Perhaps it makes a difference that we eat at home all the time and that we are still working vs. being retired.

Ah well.  In the meantime, I did pick up a new comforter for the daybed that ties in better with the colors we have going on and a new doormat that does the same.  Whoohoo!  I’m glad I put in curtains while in NJ and that we have changed over to LED lighting.  Those things help.

Still . . . I’d love to be the winner on a program “Redo My RV Interior.”  Ha!

No, I don’t want a new rig.  I like ours and there’s nothing wrong with it.  I’d just like to do something with the inside.  Hence, new comforter, new doormat, etc.  Little things can make a world of difference.

But . . .

If you hear of a program like “Redo My RV Interior,” let me know.  I just might apply!

Stay safe out there, okay?  Thanks for stopping by!

Two Weeks and a Day

Wow.  We have been here at Aggieland RV Park 2 weeks and a day as of today.  It sure seems like a lot longer to both of us.  That’s not a bad thing, really, it’s just that we have been busy.  The days seem to fly by and run together.  Dave has Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, so our days get a bit blurred; our “weekend” starts Monday night. 

Let’s see.  He survived Black Friday, although it sure was crazy, especially Thanksgiving evening and Friday, and he did work some overtime.  Crazy.  He’s getting a firsthand glimpse of the retail world during the holiday season.  Yes, he worked Thanksgiving, and so did I.  This was the first time in decades that I did not prepare a typical Thanksgiving dinner.  Oh well.  I did cook bridies while he was off that week, so we had a nice meal.  He is settling in quite nicely with his job, even enjoying it now, and we hope – but not expect by any means – that he will be kept on after the holiday season. 

Although I’m still in training on my MT job, I am making good strides.  It’s not the medical terminology/knowledge part, it’s becoming familiar with and implementing the specs, the software requirements, etc.  Things have changed re: formatting, punctuation, etc., since I was an MT 8 years ago, and the specs of the company/accounts are quite different from the “old school” way I was taught and used back when I worked before.  I am still not enamored with voice recognition and being a medical editor; I really still prefer straight transcription.  Well, I’m giving it a whirl, and it is getting better.

My virtual assistant job is percolating along nicely, and I am picking up some additional responsibilities.  I really am enjoying it!  Honestly, if I had a couple of long-term VA clients with ample work, I would seriously consider ditching medical transcription/editing.

I believe I mentioned my work laptop crashed and burned.  Yep, turns out it needed a new hard drive.  It had been in the shop but is home now, and this evening I have it set up to be put back into service.  I’m composing this post on it.  There is still some additional tweaking to be done – getting things back on it – but at least it’s usable again.  I sure missed my larger screen!

Our gray tank is being ordered, being delayed by some issues pinpointing with Keystone exactly what type of tank is needed.  Hopefully we will be having the replacement work done in the next couple of weeks.  They might be able to do it on-site . . . that sure would be nice, although they are only about 10 miles down the road.  We are thankful the facilities are nice here, so it’s a short stroll down to the showers near the front of the park each evening.  Each is a suite unto itself, so one has privacy when showering.  Nice.

Our allergies are finally getting under control.  Yay!  I was able to actually sleep prone in bed last night for the first time in a couple of weeks.  My recliner is comfy, I slept well in it, and I can watch TV from there if I want, but Maggie sure appreciated me being back in bed.  Me, too, I tell ya.  Dave was suffering equally, with the added frustration of plugged ears.  We both are much better with regards to our noses, and his hearing is much improved.

We are even having evening meals together twice a week, the 2 days Dave is off.  I had taken some Mexican lasagna out of the freezer the other day, so that was last night’s dinner accompanied by a green salad.  Tonight was baked fish, wild rice, and sweet corn. The rest of the week, we’re on our own, obviously because of work schedules.

Mr. Sun finally made an appearance today after being AWOL for 4-5 days.  We have had definitely chilly weather – highs in the 40s and 50s – with miserable, drizzly, nonstop rain.  Ugh.  Sure was nice to see sunshine today.  I made a run to a self-serve car wash and washed off a lot of mud from the truck.  It could stand detailing, but at least it looks presentable again now.

Last week I went over to Suddenlink (the park’s ISP) and purchased a modem and then to Walmart for a wireless router.  We now have a direct “pipeline” into the Internet service here at the park, and it is a secure connection via our own router.  Pretty darn speedy, too.  Yay!  We’re wireless and secure in the rig!  Woot!  This is wonderful, as my iPhone is getting a well-deserved rest after serving as a hot spot for a couple of months.   (Note:  The park WiFi is actually quite good, but not secure.  Getting one’s own modem and router is suggested by the park owner/manager if one wants a direct connection and secure network within one’s rig.  If I wasn’t working online from home or we were just here short-term, we would not have done this.  It is groovy, though, eh?)

We have had issues . . . gray tank, computer crashing, Internet and cable going out for 24 hours, miserable rain, allergies, yada, yada, yada, (yes, all in 2 weeks and 1 day) but we truly are liking it here and thankful that we are both working and have landed in a nice environment for our home.

Have I mentioned I really, really appreciate stepping out onto concrete and not mud?

Thanks for stopping by!

24-Hour Rollercoaster

Yesterday until early evening we were pretty darn blissful.  We have been feeling so relieved and grateful to be in this park. 

Our site at Aggieland RV Park in Bryan, TX

Dave was off, so we spent the day pretty much settling in here; he even managed a bit of a bike ride in the afternoon.  He cleaned off the mud and organized our storage bin, spare propane tanks and his fixed-gear bike.  They “reside” at the front of our rig in a tidy fashion, and they are clean once again!  With our work week commencing again today, we went to H.E.B. for a few items and I did laundry, vacuumed and tidied up the inside.

We had a nice stroll around the park in the early evening, feeling relaxed, grateful and settled.  We like our site and the park in general.

Then . . . my work laptop crashed.  Long story short, I was up until 5 AM this morning being extremely disappointed in the remote diagnosis/repair service by Geek Squad.  I have had very good service with resolution of issues in the past via telephone assistance (actually speaking with a tech who walked me through things) and dropping off machines at the location in Best Buy.  The first tech disappeared/disconnected after about 1.5 hours.  I hooked up with another tech, whose last action was performed a little over an hour into the session.  Five hours later, I terminated the session.

Both service notes I received today indicated there was something wrong with the Internet at my end.  I am simply not buying that, as I periodically checked my connection, and it was up and running just fine with no blips or hiccups on my end.  If there had been a connectivity issue, they should have contacted me; my phone number was in the records and I indicated I would be available.

So.  First chance I get I’ll drop it off.  In the meantime, much of today has been spent in a sleep-deprived and stressed state getting my personal laptop set up for work both as a virtual assistant and as a medical transcriptionist.  This laptop has a smaller screen with corresponding smaller fonts, and I am finding it much more of an effort to see what’s on the screen.  sigh

And . . . along about mid morning, I noticed a puddle of water under our rig.  Our bathroom gray tank had split and was leaking.  It will have to be replaced and, in the meantime, we will be showering in the facilities here.  Thank goodness they are nice.  I contacted a dealership/repair facility less than 5 miles down the road.  A mobile tech is supposed to come out tomorrow to check it out, do measurements, etc.  They will order the necessary tank and parts.  Once they have everything, we will roll the rig over to have the replacement performed.

The good news is, things could be worse.  No one died today.  That’s always a bonus.  These issues are worrisome and stressful but, in the big scheme of our life, they are bumps in the road.  Having them occur back-to-back like that just freaked me out a bit.  I’m really not complaining, but 2015 has been a tough one for us.  We carry on, though . . .

Today marks 1 month of being here in Bryan.  I think we have done very well to have both landed jobs and moved to a nicer park which is looking good as a long-term spot.

Thanks for stopping by!

It’s Been a Full Week

Good heavens! We have been here a week and it has been chock full of doing “stuff.”

I’ve been working my virtual assistant job a bit and hope to increase my hours this week. Seems there has been quite a bit to do settling in here, etc.

Keep your fingers crossed, as I had an interview with a medical transcription company this week. I sent out resumes to others and have heard back from some, so if the first one doesn’t work out, there are other possibilities. That process takes a lot of time, actually. Whew!

That’s at least 6 inches deep

As you may have heard, Texas was visited by what was left of Hurricane Patricia over the weekend. Our site essentially turned into a mud pit.

This doesn’t really do it justice, and it got worse after . . .

See the red marker towards the right top of the image? That was us. All that yellow and green passed through over the weekend.

We had prepared by making sure we had provisions and did not need to venture out. Walking Maggie was an adventure, and she received the Royal Princess Treatment, being carried down to the area where we walk her. She wears her pink jacket, which helps keep her dry, especially her belly. She was such a trouper during all this.

The rain finally stopped for good this morning. We located the Walmart and were able to get Dave a new waterproof jacket. Yay! After that, I ventured forth to a wee laundromat nearby.

Dave spotted this place and checked it out on a bike ride last week.

It beats the heck outta the on-site facilities at the park. I had the place to myself most of the time. First time in donkey’s years I have experienced a peaceful laundry setting other than my own.

Late this afternoon, Dave discovered a damp area by the head of the bed, which is in the bedroom slide. Rut roh. Quick check of the Montana Owners Forum and I found where this has happened to others. Examination of the outside caulking on that slide showed that the caulking needs to be redone. The next three days are to be sunny and dry, so Dave has a wee project! The storms this weekend were hitting us broadside, and there was quite a bit of wind. We have typically been inline with storms before, so we’re thinking we experienced a bit of a leak with the weather this past weekend.

WiFi is advertised as one of the amenities here, but it is nonexistent. We are using my hot spot.

Two of the three restrooms (the kind with toilet and shower in one individual room) now have no toilet paper. One of those has been out for a week. Dave is checking them now as a source of amusement and amazed, wondering how long it will be before they are restocked.

We have met a nice couple in our age range that are at the end of our row. They are here temporarily (as we intend to be) and are here because of lack of availability in other parks (as we are). We have enjoyed visiting with them a bit. She is originally from . . . wait for it . . Scotland, although she came over at a very young age. At any rate, it is nice to visit with others with whom we seem to have more in common in the way of lifestyle and expectations.

Guess I don’t know much else worth repeating, so I’ll toddle off for now. Hope you have a great week with amazing adventures and that you stay safe out there!

Thanks for stopping by!

Power Issue on Landing at Traders Village in Houston

We left Beaumont this morning about an hour earlier than usual at about 10:40. We boogied west on I-10 about 30 miles to make a pit stop at the rest area near Hamshire, TX.

Nice!

Grooviest ladies restroom I have ever seen at a rest area!

Our passage through Houston was uneventful and even easy up until we got onto Hwy 290 West. It wasn’t difficult, but a bit tedious; the right-hand lane had those construction barrier concrete walls all along the whole way with no shoulder. You know what I mean . . . makes the lane pretty narrow. We made it through just fine with no incident, although we heard a squeak/scrape sound at one point; Dave said he thought it was the truck behind us scraping the wall. Yoinks! I didn’t feel anything and checked our rig after landing here; it wasn’t us, as there was no sign of us caressing the wall.

Getting into Traders Village wasn’t as bad as I though it might be, although there was a ton of traffic. In case you don’t know, Traders Village is a humongous flea market with an RV park. We made it to our site with no problem and began our process for staying one night . . . lowering landing gear, putting out slides, etc. All was fine until . . .

No power inside the rig. Rut roh.

Power at the pedestal and into our power cord, but zilch inside. What to do? Called a couple of mobile services; it’s Sunday, so no joy there. Called Good Sam and talked with Technical Assistance, who was some help as to what it might be, but all they could do was give me phone numbers of RV service people. No joy there.

Opened all the windows and figured we’d just deal with it overnight and hit an RV service center in Bryan tomorrow (Monday).

Walking around outside, I saw two guys on the roof of a Class A two sites down. Walked that way thinking I might see a mobile tech van. Guy walks up and asks if I’d seen the owner of the coach; they were here doing work on roof and guy left his truck window down.

Nope, hadn’t seen the guy as we had just arrived. Asked him if he happened to be a tech.

Yesssssss!

So he came over and checked stuff with his voltage meter. After doing this, he right away determined it was our ATS (Automatic Transfer Switch), which is in a rig that has an onboard generator or is wired for one, which ours is. He found the box, opened it and voila!

The switch had melted. Yoinks.

He said this was probably due to low voltage. Well . . . our surge protector black box had shut us down a few times at the work site in South Carolina due to very low voltage like 105 (norm is 120). The facility manger had checked and said that everything was fine; however, by the time he would get to the spot to check it, incoming power would be back to normal ranges and our box would power us up again.

This happened several times during September. We weren’t totally convinced that our box was on the fritz, but there was nothing really to be done.

We did notice during our time there that our interior lights weren’t as bright as they had been . . .

So! Rhoan (the tech guy) commenced to fixing us. Since we do not have an onboard genny and have no plans to get one, he bypassed that portion of the ATS. Now power comes straight in and to the rig without going through that extra portion.

That boils down to power coming straight from the pedestal to the load (the rig). No middleman, so to speak.

Dave watching Rhoan (inside basement) rewiring the ATS. You can tell we have no A/C at this point, because our door is open and so are all our windows!

Rhoan works at Demontrond RV but also works freelance on weekends. I tell ya, after checking voltage in a few places, he knew right away what it was. Said he has seen this happen quite a few times before. He said we would probably notice our lights were brighter since we were using straight power now and bypassing the ATS.

Turning on our living room overhead lights after dark . . . wow whee! Yep. It’s brighter in here again! We had replaced the regular bulbs with LEDs a few months ago and had commented on how nice and bright it was in here. We had noticed – while in SC – that it was dang dark in here and Dave was struggling to read or use the computer in his recliner.

Well, it was money we really didn’t need to spend on repairs, but taking it to an RV dealer might have cost us more, taken longer and might not have even been fixed.

Just Providence, good luck or whatever that I happen to look around and hook up with Rhoan.

So we’ve gone from looking at a relatively miserable evening and hassle tomorrow in getting to a dealer before landing at our spot in Bryan to being comfortable. A/C is working fine. I can charge my phone. The TV has picked up some sort of movie station (showing Gregory Peck movies).

Whew. What a day. I am looking forward to getting to our landing spot tomorrow, settling in, working my virtual assistant job and finding a medical transcription job. Hoping our life will settle down and we can get in a comfortable groove.

I am very grateful for today’s safe passage of a bit over 90 miles under beautiful skies and gorgeous weather.

Hope your Sunday was pleasant and that you stay safe out there!

Thanks for stopping by!

Another Week Gone

We have had some hot days this week, but have stayed comfortable in our RV with two A/C units cycling on and off and the living room ceiling fan circulating the air.  We accomplished a couple of minor maintenance chores this week.  I cleaned our A/C filters and Dave flushed our hot water heater and changed out the anode rod.

The anode wasn’t in really terrible shape, but it was time for a new one.  I ordered two a couple of weeks ago, one to use now and one as a spare.  We’ll be good for a while now.

I’ve been taking Sunday nights off from my virtual assistant job, giving myself one night to blog, chill out while on duty or whatever.  Gives my brain a rest. Tonight it was time to clip Maggie.  She starts off standing up, then sits down and shortly thereafter . . .

She just sort of sinks to the floor in complete relaxation.  This makes it actually easier for me to get at some spots for clipping, especially her front legs.  She does not seem to mind my trimming her front legs when she’s like this; otherwise, she really does not want her front legs and paws to be clipped, inspected or messed with in any shape or form.  She’s easy to slide around so I can get to her from different angles.  Ha!  So we spent about 1.5 hours together getting her trimmed up.  Now she’s passed out on her bed next to my desk here in the office.  She’s cute all the time, but especially so when freshly clipped.  She is such a good-natured pup.  She is also pretty darn silly.

Well, there really is not any earth-shattering news from our wee corner of South Carolina this week.  Dave did encounter a large, majestic owl perched on a fence one night on patrol.  Lucky him!

I had envisioned putting our grill/smoker together and doing some grilling while we are here.  We were also looking forward to and planning to resume our epic chess matches during our time back here.  Ya know what?  It’s too freakin’ hot to be cooking outdoors.  We can’t seem to muster the enthusiasm or mental energy to place chess.  I really think it’s the hot weather; we mentioned earlier this evening that perhaps chess is a cool-weather pastime.

We have just under two months left here and are just enjoying our time here.  Dave is getting in some good runs on the bike and is not being assailed by dogs as he was previously.  Me?  I’m content to be in one spot for a while.

Hope you’ve had a good weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

It’s Saturday, Not Sunday

For some reason, Dave and I both have felt like today is Sunday.  Well, tomorrow is Sunday.  Of course, by the time you read this it may very well be Sunday.

It can be a dizzying world when one works night shift.  That’s okay, though.

I’m not sure about the type and size of the font I’m using this evening.  I just updated Writer on the laptop I’m using in the office.  Yes, we have a spare laptop, just in case one crashes;   I keep my main one over the rig.  This one is also a Lenovo and is a few years older, but it still works just fine.  Right now it’s working just fine, that is.  I use it to do my virtual assistant work at night when I’m just hanging out here in the office in between patrol rounds.  I’m not crazy about moving my main one back and forth (plus it’s a hassle) each evening and don’t want to leave it over here as it essentially has our lives on it.  If you’re a full-timer, you know what I mean.

So!  It’s been about a week since my last post.  Can’t say there has been anything exciting happening, but that’s really a good thing for a change.  We have been working nights and pretty much laying low during the daytime inside where it’s cool.  Yesterday and today the mercury has topped out at 100F, but our rig has been comfortable inside.

We hardly ever use the ceiling fan in our living room, but Dave took it apart today for a good cleaning and we’ve used it today.  I do believe it helped keep the inside of our RV home at a comfortable temperature (along with the A/C units) even with the triple digits outside. 

After some research, this week I booked an appointment with a local surgeon for later this month in order to get my annual CT scan and mammogram arranged.  Of course, it’s always pretty much a roll of the dice when looking for a new healthcare provider.  I pick out two or three possible candidates, research different aspects of each and then narrow that down to a final choice.  Ideally, I would have preferred to return to New Jersey in order to follow up with my surgeon there, but that just wasn’t doable . . . at least this year.  Who knows what the future holds, eh?

It’s nice to have the capability to stream Netflix again.  We’ve been watching a few episodes of Frasier (never realized how funny this is; I find myself busting out laughing at Frasier and Niles) each evening and NCIS (used to watch this religiously on network TV years ago) a bit now and then.  We’re playing a bit of catch up with Longmire on the episodes we have not yet seen.

I know this all sounds rather mundane and routine, but you know what?  I really am content just doing our own thing and having some peace and quiet . . . and no traveling on a schedule . . . for a change.

Seeing new places is interesting, but it’s also restful to be somewhere for a while and just . . . “be.”

Thanks for stopping by!

Travel Day 15 - And Yet More Done

First off, my apologies to Randy for accidentally deleting your comments.  I hit the “Delete” button instead of the “Publish.”  Oops!  I do thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment.  The truck inspection was no big deal and, you guessed it, we are really enjoying ourselves at this park. Good luck with your Class B inspection!

We are making the most of our time and the (so far) lovely weather here in Texarkana at Shady Pines RV Park.  More little things were accomplished inside and out with regards to our rig. 

One of those was changing out a regular 110 bulb in a drop light over our kitchen counter for an LED bulb.  We picked up one of these at the Camping World in Anniston, AL and I just now got around to changing it out.   Dave did a couple of things outside and then went for a nice bike ride, clocking another 40 miles here in Texas.  Today I:

• Cooked chicken, rice and chili con queso
• Had my meal of the day of the above!
• Vacuumed
• Took out trash
• Walked Maggie a few times
• Washed the dishes from the first item
• Changed out said light bulb
• Set up our KOA campground Facebook page (there is still a lot more to be done); feel free to visit it and give it a “Like” and thank you for doing so!
• Established a WordPress site for our KOA (again, it’s just out there and that’s it for now)
• Started the morning with a load of laundry
• Spent time this afternoon working my virtual assistant job
• Put the plants back in their box inside the truck in preparation for Friday’s move

Dave saw his first real shooting star last night!  Yay!  I missed it, but he said it was really awesome – large with a long tail.  I’m so glad he has experienced that at last.  We were treated to Northern Lights while living in Minnesota, but he had never seen a honest-to-goodness shooting star.

Yes, we’re back under the big skies of Texas. 

In the row across from us, there is a horse trailer that has been converted (or perhaps it came that way) to an RV.  I can’t tell from looking at it if it is entirely living space or if there is still a section in the back for horses.  It actually looks like all of it is living area.  Saw the gentleman getting out of his truck and going in this afternoon, dressed in his cowboy hat, jeans and boots. 

What I have always loved about small Texas towns is that when you see someone dressed like that, it’s not for show.  It’s the real deal.

Right now Dave is watching some TV and I’m listening to Enya on earbuds while I compose this.

I’m keeping an eye on the weather overnight, as a front is expected to blow through here; the same one that has dropped tornadoes on Oklahoma today.  The NOAA says we have a 70% chance of severe thunderstorms after 1 AM; looking at the radar at this point, it looks like we  might be just on the southern tip of this system.

I might toss some things in our bug-out bag . . . just in case. 

Tomorrow is looking like it will clear up after 1 PM; that’s a good thing, as we’ll be starting preparations to make our move Friday over to the KOA.  We’ll  also go to Albertson’s and restock a few essentials.

While tomorrow is  our last day here and we’ll be getting into travel mode, I still intend to milk every moment out of this precious down time, this trip from South Carolina we have also considered a vacation.  It will be a while before we see this much time off again.

That being said, I am looking forward to starting our new job, and have begun to organize my thoughts in that direction.

Well, not too much . .  . there’s still another day here!

Yay us!

“While living I want to live well. I know I have to die sometime,but even if the heavens were to fall on me,  I want to do what is right. I think I am a good man . . . There is one God looking down on us all.  We are all children of he one God.  God is listening to me.  The sun,the darkness, the winds, are all listening to what we now say.”

- Goyathlay (Geronimo), Apache medicine man and war chief, to General George Crook during a peace conference,  March 25, 1886

365 Days of Walking the Red Road

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior

The above bracelet is a Toby and Max design

 

Travel Day 14 - More Things Accomplished

I know it may seem like we are spending quite a bit of time here in Texarkana and perhaps you’re right, but we do have some personal business items to take care of now that we’re back in Texas.  We ticked off another one today in getting our truck inspected.  Instead of a sticker, we now get a “certificate,” or piece of paper.  We will need to present that when we renew our registration later this year.  Not sure how it’s going to work with us, since our registration and inspection months are out of sync.  Oh well, I guess we’ll find out when registration renewal time comes along.  At any rate, we’re street legal again.

While Dave got in 32 miles on a bike ride this afternoon, I went next door to the RV center and made a couple of purchases.  We needed a new set of tire covers, so two boxes of those puppies went on the counter.  A while back, we had a support under our kingpin and it did help stabilize the rig a bit.  I liked the idea of having  wee bit of support under the kingpin because we are stationary for such long periods of time.  We had been using the tripod from our long-gone Internet satellite setup; however, that tripod bit the dust back in 2012.  I walked out of the RV center with a new one, a heavy-duty model with a cup for the kingpin.  The prices weren’t outrageous, actually; in fact, I figured I did better on both purchasing locally instead of online for a couple of reasons.  There was no shipping involved and, if for some reason there was an issue with any of the purchases, we were right here and exchange would be simplistic versus returning something that involved shipping.  Besides, we supported a local business.

Once back, I assembled the stabilizer and set it up just to make sure it fit and was okay.  Yep.  Thumbs up on that.  I dismantled it and stowed it away; we’ll set it up for good once we get to our campground.  Same thing with the tire covers.  Just wanted to make sure everything was there and that they indeed fit our tires.  We were good on that, too, so they are snugged up in the box again.

Maggie being silly this afternoon, spying on me from under the comforter

Maggie seems to be enjoying this park as much as us.  She has a superb vantage point on the daybed pillows for watching any goings-on outside.  While this is by no means a bustling park, there is just enough activity to hold her interest.  She, Dave and I had a nice walkabout just a bit ago. 

We (Dave and I) also went down the Highway 67 a bit to the Redwater Diner in Redwater, TX.  Dave spotted this on a ride the other day, so we tried it.  We both ordered burgers and shared an order of tater tots.  The burger was okay, but we both prefer the ones I do at home.  I have never been a fan of tater tots, but what the heck.  I bet, though, that some of the dinner plates are pretty good.  Can’t complain at all about the prices, and I would return to check out a regular dinner.  That’s what I had in mind when we decided to eat there; however, it was just too plain hot today for me to consider a heavy meal.

There are still a few minor maintenance things, both inside and out, we are hoping to accomplish during our stay here before departing Friday.  Nothing major by any means; we’re just taking this opportunity to do some things now that we are no longer working night shift and have some time before starting to work again.  We know that once we hit Mt. Pleasant on Friday, we’ll be busy learning the ropes and settling in. 

Since 2010, our jobs have included an office, so we had the luxury of spreading out a bit.  That’s come to a screeching halt with this new gig.  I’ll have to figure out a work/desk area for myself and Dave.  Not sure what the heck is gonna happen there.  There’s some rearranging that needs to be done and assuredly some more things will go out the door.

Since I began this post, we have spent some time sitting outside and have had two walks around the park.  Dave counted 45 sites on one of those strolls.  Yep, it’s a small park.

Rain is in the forecast again starting tomorrow into overnight and Thursday, a cool front swinging through the area.  That’s okay.  Dave has had a couple of nice rides here and we have accomplished the major items on our list, excepting the professional wash/wax. 

The next two days are for anything else we can get done indoors and out, weather permitting, and for simply recharging our batteries.  We had 5.5 months of night shift with no days off, and that was sort of tough in a variety of ways.  We have also traveled from South Carolina to here in extremely rainy weather and sloppy conditions, and that was a hassle. 

We’re going to manage to get in some chillin’ time over the next two days before going back to work!

“Misfortunes do not flourish particularly in our path.  They grow everywhere.”

- Black Elk, Oglala Sioux, 1863-1950

365 Days of Walking the Red Road

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior

The above bracelet is a Toby and Max design

 

Travel Day 13 - What a Productive Day!

In contrast to yesterday, today was a highly productive day.  Here’s what we accomplished between us with an assist from the folks at Shady Pines RV Center:

• A mountain of laundry done
• Porch light on our RV home replaced
• Some minor touch up of our RV home roof
• A/C units checked in our RV home
• A/C filters and grills cleaned
• Gray tank emptied
• Vacuuming
• Dave had a 30-mile bike ride
• Got two black ink cartridges for the printer
• Made some phone calls related to personal business
• Picked up a couple of items from the grocery

Alrighty, then!

The catch-and-release lake here at Shady Pines RV Park.  The RVs to the right are part of the inventory at Shady Pines RV Center next door.

As you can see from the photo above taken this evening, today has been absolutely gorgeous.  Finally!  We reached a high around 83F here, but it did not feel very humid and was actually rather pleasant.

While we were next door at the RV center to pick up some items, we ducked into a couple of new models . . . neither was a Montana like ours, but still nice.  We came out commenting how it might be nice to trade in/up, but . . . gee, we’d have to go through all the new-rig breaking in and troubleshooting and besides . . . ours is home.  It is reliable and solid and serves us very well.  Seems like most of the new rigs have residential-style refrigerators; this contributes to making the RVs prohibitively heavy for our truck.  Besides, I like having the option to run on propane if necessary.  We seem to get by quite well with our smaller fridge and supplement that with a dorm-sized unit.  If we were sitting someplace permanently, that would indeed be practical. 

So, no, we did not come away with “new rig fever.”  We can always change out furniture when our recliners need to be retired and change up the look and feel of our interior.  Yes, they are pretty.  Yes, I would enjoy the bathroom layouts in many of them, specifically the tub-sized shower. 

But.

This is home.  It’s cozy.  It’s sturdy.  We went through a lot to get this.  We have a bond with it her.

Two things we have noticed since being back in RV parks.

Lots of folks do not chock the wheels of their RV.  We always do, even if just overnighting and still hooked up to the truck.  We also put down our front landing gear just to take off some of the weight from the truck and to steady the RV. 

Quite a few folks leave their RV door open, including the screen.  Eeek!  Bugs!  I guess I just don’t get that. 

Sorry if I offended anyone; it’s just a couple of observations.

When we returned from our trip to Albertson’s this  afternoon, there was a new neighbor down the road . . .

A 1923 1-ton Model T RV

These folks were away from the park, but another neighbor told us this gem appears at festivals and rolls along in parades throughout the country.  See that separate “building” in the rear?  That’s an outhouse!

Not sure if anyone is actually staying in it overnight, but . . . possibly, I guess.  We just haven’t seen anyone around it yet.  Perhaps they park it and lodge elsewhere.  Pretty cool, eh?

We still have two errands of personal biz to achieve while we’re here, but no more alarm clocks are needed this week, at least through Friday.  I  had mine set (for the first time in months) for 6:30 AM in order to hook up with the service department next door as early in the day as possible.

I have not  heard from the mobile wash company, so it looks like that’s a no-go at this point.  Oh well, at least we accomplished the important maintenance/repair tasks, so I’m good.  Yes, we are still here three more days, but rain is slated to return Wednesday/Thursday.  At least Friday looks good so far for traveling over to Mount Pleasant.

Hope you’ve had a bright and sunny Monday!

“We do not take up the warpath without a just cause and honest purpose.”

- Pushmataha, Choctaw tribal leader, 1764-1824

365 Days of Walking the Red Road

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior

The above bracelet is a Toby and Max design

Travel Days 10 and 11 - Shreveport, LA to Texarkana, TX

We spent last night in Shreveport, and I really don’t have anything to say about that.  It rained.  That was travel day #10.

Today was day #11, and we were away from the Shreveport/Bossier City KOA at our usual departure time of around 11 AM.  Yes, it was raining.

Yes, we traveled in rain.  It wasn’t a heavy downpour, just a steady rain under leaden skies with no wind.  I’m grateful for that.

You know, I think that’s my first time towing in prolonged rain.  Easy peasy.

We took I-20 East to I-220 North and then connected with the new I-49 North out of Shreveport.

Man!  What a sweet highway is that I-49!  There are no amenities along the way, but the road is absolutely lovely.

We needed to connect with Loop 151 on crossing into Arkansas at exit 29-B, but there was no indication of it being 151.  Oh well, I knew we needed to head west into Texas, so we took the left fork.  A little ways along there was a sign by the side of the road indicating it was Loop 151.

Yay me!

We are now at Shady Pines RV Park in Texarkana, Texas.  It is associated with Shady Pines RV Center next door.  This is a really nice park with paved streets and paved, level sites.  Paved!  Level!  Hook-up pads in the middle of the site pad so our sewer reaches! 

Yay us!

It is by far the nicest park we have stayed at on this trip and the least expensive with our Good Sam discount.  I’ll try to get photos of the clubhouse and wee lake while we’re here. 

Unhitched and settled in at Site B6.  I could stay here for a long time.  It’s a very comfortable, pleasant and small park.

We arrived midafternoon and, after setting up, scooted back into town to Albertson’s for a few groceries.  We will be here until Friday, at which time we will roll on down the highway to Mt. Pleasant and our new home at the KOA there.

My plants fared well in the cab of the truck, nestled in a box next to Maggie’s crate.  They are enjoying their first Texas evening outside right now.

Haven’t seen this in a store in . . . well, quite a while.  Yes, we’re back in Texas!

Shiner Bock is in the house in honor of our return for Dave’s last vacation weekend

While here in Texarkana, we are having a minor repair done on the rig, hopefully having it professionally washed and waxed and taking care of some personal business.  I need to get our truck inspected.  These roads are true Texas roads with wide shoulders, so Dave is ready to get out there and clock some bike miles.  I have laundry to do and am looking forward to doing some cooking for a change.  Working night shift in South Carolina pretty much prohibited that on any regular basis.  We also plan to relax and rest from the road – recuperate from all the lousy, rainy weather – and thereby be refreshed and energized for heading into our job as campground managers.

We have already visited with a couple of folks here in the park when walking around this afternoon/evening.  We are looking at more rain tonight and tomorrow but . . . I don’t care!  Bwahaha!  We’re off the road, set up nicely and we’re on concrete!

I am, folks, in heaven.

We are a bit under 60 miles to our final destination.  I am so grateful that we have had a safe and uneventful journey this far.  “Thanks, Dad, for watching over us and for imparting so much knowledge – both practical and intuitive – to me throughout the years.”

The first rig I remember as a child. We lived in the house that had this backyard until the summer before I entered second grade in school.

Maggie and I  had a prolonged, enjoyable walk earlier.  This has been the best place for walking her and she certainly deserved some fun time outdoors after all the traveling and the bad weather.  She is  crashed on the bed, happy and relaxed.  She is such a great traveler and has seen quite a few states now.

Speaking of states, I hope to get our state map up on the window while we’re here.

Okay, I need to get this posted.  In spite of a yummy cup of coffee a bit ago, I bet I’ll sleep tonight!

“The Kiowa braves have grown up from childhood, obtaining their medicine from the earth.”

- Satank, Kiowa, c, 1810-1871

365 Days of Walking the Red Road

Thanks for stopping by!

I am a Warrior

The above bracelet is a Toby and Max design

 

 

 

New Shoes for Our Home

 

Pretty much first thing this morning – before breakfast, even – Dave and I prepared our 5th wheel for getting new tires.  Dave did a few things outside and I got the interior ready to bring in the slides.  It’s a good thing we did that, because at 8 AM I received the phone call saying the tire guy would be here in about 30 minutes. 

Yay!  Yikes!

“Junior” from Performance Tires arrived and set out to putting on our rig’s new “shoes.”  Took him what . . . maybe two hours, probably less, and he was done.

We now have four new Goodyear G614 tires on our RV.  They were manufactured this year right here in the USA.  No more “China bombs.”  We were fortunate we did not have any incidents with them.  We have gone from E-rated tires to G-rated, and I’ll feel a bit better on the road with the new ones.

It was fairly quiet here on the property today, but I was busy taking care of paperwork and sorting through things in preparation for our departure later this month.

Our route is all plotted out and ready; I wrapped this up a few days ago.  After looking at atlases and tools like MapQuest, I plot out our route, listing each day’s starting point and destination and the estimated mileage.  I then look for campgrounds and make reservations for each day’s stopover.  I’m keeping each day around 200 miles.  Once that is done, I rewrite my notes in a neat manner, starting with a general overview of each day’s route, destination and information on the campground, including details about rate, site, confirmation number, etc..

From that main page, I break each down on a separate piece of paper in my notebook.  This has detailed information on the route and campground, including directions from the interstate to the campground.  When we’re traveling, the page for the day is taken out of the notebook and is with me in the truck.  That way I don’t have to look at maps, etc.  It’s all spelled out in detail. 

We keep two atlases in the truck when traveling – a general one and the Motor Carriers Atlas.  Dave uses these to follow along and see where we are.  This gives him something to do while I’m driving.

Short post tonight, as my brain is tired.  Looking forward to snuggling under the blankies with book and sweet Maggie.

Thanks for stopping by!

Truck Serviced Today

 

2008 Ford F350 – Love this truck

Took our Ford F350 to Milham Ford over in Easton, PA after work today for 50k service, including oil change and tire rotation.  They also do a check of all systems, batteries, etc. at servicing.  Everything checked out okay!  I received several compliments on the truck (a common occurrence when out somewhere, even the grocery store), and the service manager said, “You must not touch the brakes,” meaning that they were in excellent condition, especially considering that the truck is a 2008 towing an RV.

I am so glad that is done and dusted and that there were no issues that cropped up.  It took two hours, but that is time well spent to be good for the road.

That is my last major errand.  I have a hair appointment next week and the week after I’ll take a last run to Maggie’s vet for her records, meds and food. 

That being said, I still have a lot to do, but at least it is at-home stuff.  What a relief!

Tomorrow our 5th wheel gets new “feet,” with the tire company coming out sometime in the morning to put on four new G-rated tires.  They will call beforehand, giving us time to put in the slides.  Yay!  New feet for the rig! 

I’m actually starting to look forward to the trip.  We’ll spend two nights in Virginia and then land at Bass Lake Campground in Dillon, SC for four nights.

November 2010 – Bass Lake Campground

We spent a good part of November 2010 at Bass Lake and thoroughly enjoyed our time there.  It is owned and managed by a lovely couple from England; they had recently acquired the park when we were there in 2010.  The residents were comprised of overnighters (it’s located right on I-95), short-timers (like us), those staying the winter months and long-timers.  At that time, it was a friendly bunch and felt very much like a neighborhood.  Made some long-term friends there; unfortunately, they won’t be arriving until November and we’ll be gone already.  That photo seems like eons ago . . .

I planned an extended layover at Bass Lake for us to do laundry, stock up on groceries, test our macerator (which we’ll need at the work site) and order a new one if necessary and . . . rest.  Our new work location is less than 40 miles from Bass Lake, so I’m thinking we’ll take a drive down to the facility just to say howdy before heading there on October 1 to start work.

Well, I’m outta here for now.  Will be busy in the morning . . .

Thanks for stopping by!