Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Pictures…..

Monday’s wet drive..construction out in the desert?DSC_0001DSC_0006

See the rain clouds in the distance?DSC_0010DSC_0017DSC_0025

Stumpy palm trees?DSC_0029

I didn’t know Sharon & Don had a car dealership.DSC_0030

Pulling into the park Monday. WET!DSC_0031DSC_0032

Tuesday morning the rain had stopped and the sun was out.DSC_0034DSC_0043

The local news said the temps are 20 degrees below normal.  It got up to the low 60’s.

Tuesday we drove the car up to Joshua Tree area and met Jean & Claudette.  We all went to Alaska in 2011 and have been friends ever since.  They got a Slingshot and have driven it 66,000 miles in the last 3 years.  They both love it and use it.  They’re trying to figure out a way to Alaska and avoid some gravel roads.  I suggested take the ferry from Skagway to Valdez to avoid the major part of the gravel roads between Delta Junction and the Alaska border.  They are considering selling their 1999 Jeep Sahara, 6 cyl, 5 spd, hard top. It has futema (right word?).  I asked them to let me have a crack at it when it goes up for sale.  They are thinking about selling there 40’ Alfa Gold (full factory paint) and down sizing.  They are still VERY active and in their 70’s.  It was really nice seeing them again and we had fun.

The rig needs washing bad.  They don’t allow washing of your rig here at this park.  Not really unusual.   You can pay an outfit to come in and wash it but can’t do it yourself.  The wash outfit wants $80.  I’m too cheap in that department of washing.  Maybe go down to Yuma and get it washed and hand wax for about $115.  We shall see.

Retirement is being able to work on more vacation stuff.

See ya when we see ya……………….

Monday, February 27, 2017

TTN Again? Yep, It’s Free–kinda.

We went 275 miles today from Vegas to Palm Springs, Ca Thousand Trails Park (TTN).  Out about 100 miles from Vegas we got wet.  It just rained lightly the rest of the way to Palm Springs.  Just enough to keep your wipers on delay.  Then when we were setting up it started to rain just enough to get me wet after about 10 minutes in it.  Oh well.  It didn’t let up till later that night about 11 PM.  We acquired one leak.  Water running down the driver window and thru the vents somehow and is came in pretty good.

We got a long pull thru site, full hook up with 30 AMP.  Not shabby at all.

Now you probably know how dirty a rig gets driving in the rain.  Yes, the rig is really really dirty after several hours driving in the rain.  the last time it was washed (& hand waxed) was in Yuma in January for $110.  Hmmmm, how to get it done again?

Retirement is washing your vehicles more often and when you want.

See ya when we see ya……

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Yea, It’s Back…..

What is back you ask.  It’s NASCAR.  And it starts with the Daytona 500, the bigee.  They changed some racing rules around.  Not sure if I like them or not.  Time will tell.  Bush won and he only led one lap.  Yedp, the last one that counts and a new guy name Blaney came in second.  He’s the one to watch in the future I think.  He’s a young go getter.

Our daughter had to work and came over for Ma’s green pepper dinner.  She stayed a little while and went home.  It was nice seeing her.  It will be awhile until we see her again.

Watched the Oscars.  Ho hum…… then there was the ending with best picture.  They gave it to the wrong picture and then had to undue everything.  That was a sight – hey, live TV and a big bo bo.

Tomorrow we go to TTN Palm Springs.  That TTN has the next to tightest RV sites.  This TTN in Vegas I think has the tightest sites.  Since we are only staying 4 days again, it don’t really matter.  It’s about 275 miles.  I don’t know why I thought it was a lot more.  The TTN membership we have permits us to go to park to park (TTN) as long as we don’t exceed 4 days.  If we exceed 4 days and up to 14 day stay, we have to stay out of the system for 7 days.  We’ve had this plan since 1999.  Yes, 1999.

Retirement is not being able to talk NASCAR at work on Monday.

See ya when we see ya…..

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Vegas Continues

We didn’t have to leave the park Saturday.  Kristy, our daughter, came over later in the day.  The girls chatted and I played around with my GoPro. 

I will have to relearn how to make movies and even to use the device.  I take that back about relearning the movie maker.  I really never LEARNED.  Hey, it’s not user friendly for me, maybe others.  Eventually it will happen.

I’m starting to go over all my Alaska notes from 2014 and now too.  I’m in the process of over planning but no reservations of course.  I encourage those going not to make reservations unless it’s for Denali National Park.  Then it takes a lot of research.  We will go there but without reservations.  We might have to wait a day or two to get what we want but no big deal. 

If you are going to Alaska this year and would like to meet other RVers going or meet while up there, send me an email (dennisrving@gmail.com).  You might want to join our Loosey Goosey Group.  We are not a caravan……..

Retirement is more time to pay attention to the details if you want.

See ya when we see ya,

Friday, February 24, 2017

Vegas Is For Others

We don’t care for Las Vegas.  It’s not our type of area.  Too touristy, too fast, too glitzy, too expensive, too much traffic, too many idiots, just too many too’s.   Some love it but we are not in that group for sure.  If our daughter wasn’t here to visit, we would not come here.  We are glad she is some where we can visit.

So that being said, yesterday we didn’t do a whole bunch.  We had breakfast with our daughter at Cracker Barrel.  It was crowed but on well.  Carol went shopping with our daughter and I went back to the campground.  I did a little of this and that, walked around the park and watched a triple axle 5th wheel park.  That was fun.

Our daughter, Kristy, had dinner with us.  We had some real Texas smoked pulled pork sandwiches.  Yep, it was a spicy one that I forgot that I had.  It’s amazing what you can find way back in a freezer.

All is well.

Retirement is doing things that you would not have done while working.

See ya when we see ya……

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Vegas Is Chilly & Windy but Sunny

We stopped at Sam’s and got diesel for $2.44 as we left Bullhead, AZ.  It was all mountains to get out of Bullhead North to Las Vegas.DSC_0004DSC_0007DSC_0008Fuel mileage was very low for today and it’s 100 mile trip.DSC_0021DSC_0022

Got solar!DSC_0027DSC_0032DSC_0041DSC_0043

As anybody leaves the guard shack they will see us straight on.  It turned out to be one of the better sites.DSC_0044DSC_0045

Our daughter told us that the women are real friendly outside the RV park entrance.  Isn’t that nice to have friendly people out and about near our park?

It’s cold here all of a sudden here in Vegas we were told.  Temps are expected to be only 55 degrees today.  What’s up with that.  I guess you can say that we are preparing for our ferry trip this May towards Alaska mainland.  It is sunny and of course windy.

Retirement is forgetting about your old job and those people forgetting you.

See ya when we see ya…….

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

There To Here

Well, it’s been awhile since I posted so here are some pictures at least from there to here.DSC_0054DSC_0060DSC_0062

Ate a good lunch here.DSC_0075

Here comes Mark to his rig.DSC_0079

Here but for the Pyro Winterblast in Lake Havasu.DSC_0093

Boone docking again and a nice site.  Out standing fireworks.DSC_0100

Carol and I had some friends over for breakfast near the end of the week long rally.DSC_0101DSC_0103DSC_0107DSC_0108DSC_0109DSC_0111DSC_0113

At least somebody is aware that there are asses out here.DSC_0118DSC_0116

The rest of the pictures are all taken from from our site.  DSC_0129DSC_0131DSC_0132DSC_0133DSC_0136DSC_0137DSC_0140DSC_0002-001

Tomorrow we head for Las Vegas.

Retirement is more time to do less and enjoy more.

See ya when we see ya…….

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Dinner Out Like Outside

Just another day of doing not too much.  Carol went line dancing of course.  I did some trip rearranging on the computer.  Just not much of anything.

We got invited to go over to George and his wife’s place for an outside dinner.  George grilled us (Mark, Ed/Sandy, Carol and me) some fat big steaks that will be hard to beat in the future.  Big, juicy, and cooked just right.  Ahhh boy…….. thanks George……DSCN1583

Yes the weather was that nice and especially no wind.

It’s nice to have an almost uneventful day.  I had to deal with my Mom’s retirement facility.  They took money out of her account for their unauthorized rehab that was not authorized by anybody.  They neglected to call Blue Cross to get authorization beyond 10 days.  They had written instructions by me that it was not to be paid out of her account.  They took it out and paid themselves.  It ain’t right.  Anybody know who I should contact?

Anyway, it was a quiet day in the neighborhood.

Retirement – another word for getting older.

See ya when we see ya………

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

What No TV

Trying to get caught up on things over looked the past week during Boot Camp.

Our front Samsung 40 inch TV appears to have gone up.  The red power light on the TV comes on but that’s it.  Since it happened while setting still we assume it’s the TV gone bad.  I pushed, pulled and switched cables with the same results – none.  I checked to see if it’s covered under our extended warranty and it says it is.  Now to get it to a dealer and all that stuff.  That’s the hard part.  Maybe we will wait tell we get to Livingston and deal with a local repair shop there.

Yes,we have two other TV’s.  Another one in the living room (40 inch) and one in the bedroom (32 inch) so we will be fine.

I continued to push buttons and the front TV came alive.  It’s alive, it’s alive.  Yes, scratch that off my list.

What do you do with 5 1/2 dozen eggs left over from Boot Camp.  Well I learned how to make deviled eggs.  Never made the before.  I had already boiled these eggs the other day.  Boy is that anther story another day.  Anyhow, I peeled about a dozen or so eggs, no problem.  then I made the center devil part.  No problem.  Pretty easy as a matter of fact.  Then I see George and Mark walking by.  Ah ha,  Guinea Pigs.  There went a half dozen.

Later we went over Ed & Sandys to get rid of more eggs.  I mean to visit.  Got rid of more those things.  Mark & Jim were already there and then Jim left.  I guess we were having too much fun and scared Jim off.  We played that game (like Sorry) called Fast something maybe Fast Track?  We had a blast the entire evening.

I think we stayed until about 10:30 PM or so, not sure.  Time goes so fast when we have fun.

Retirement is paying more bills with less money.

See ya when we see ya…

Monday, February 6, 2017

Another RV Boot Camp Is Over

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The Escapees Boot Camp went from 3-5 Feb and it was sold out as usual.  I and others prepared and cooked about 270 hot meals total.  I was the kitchen supervisor with a lot of damn good assistants, about 12 or so.  Wow, what a lot of time and effort went into the kitchen part of this event.  A REAL Thank You to all the assistants in the kitchen.

This is Mark the Boot Camp Director.  What a great job he has done over the years.  This was his next to last Boot Camp.  He is retiring.  Jim and Lisa will be trying to fill his boots.  His last Boot Camp will be at the Escapade.  Sign up for it now!DSCN1577

Here is Sue in her getty up and go van.  She was a new instructor.  She did an outstanding job and will fit in well with the highly qualified instructors.DSCN1572DSCN1578

Here is Steve who was part of the very qualified driving team. DSCN1573

And that ends the Boot Camp here at Congress, AZ.DSCN1579

Retirement is trying to find out what retirement really is.

See ya when we see ya…….

Dennis & Carol