Ooooops There Goes Another One

There goes another one.  Computer.  I did one PowerPoint presentation today and was trying to set up for my second.  The computer just wouldn’t respond.  It got worse from there.  Now it won’t boot up.  I did the seminar without the PowerPoint.  Back at the coach I had the original start up disc – it still wouldn’t boot up.  I guess I will have to wait tell I run across Jon or Larry to check it out.  Then I have my little Acer. The problem with it is that it don’t hook up to the projector. The projector searches but can’t find the Acer.  I still have my work computer so I will use it.  I will have to spend an hour or so to change/update the two PowerPoint's that I changed for here at Pomona. Tomorrow AM I will back up my work computer because I will use it with the projector – just in case.

Meanwhile…here’s what some vendors did today about 4:30 PM.  Hey, when there are no attendees around we try out each other’s products first hand.  This vendor tried out the electric bike.  He enjoyed it a lot but $1K was too much.  

As much rain as we have been having we might try out the fold up boats before this is all over.

Carol’s brother called.  Their Mom (82 yrs old) is in the hospital in Maryland having emergency tests ran.  We are in the ready mode if need be.  We have a plan A,B,C and D ready to put in action depending on test results. Right now we are just waiting doing the “what if”  which can be nerve racking in itself.  This is all part of being a full timer and being a modern age gypsy.  The good part is that you can be any place in the U.S. with today’s airlines. If Carol needs/wants to fly back to Maryland she goes that’s all there is to it. Everything else is secondary and can be worked out.

See ya……………..

Rain Again

It rained last night and it started off with it this AM. I forget to mention yesterday I was trying to see Bob Tiffin while he was here.  Between him being surrounded by people and me doing my seminars I never got to catch up with him.  I guess I will call him later this month.  We are already scheduled to go back to Red Bay (Tiffin) in December.  All I have to do is call them on Friday to go in the following Monday.  We need to get some work done and they are covering it still under warranty even though the coach is 2 1/2 years old.  NO other manufacture does that.  This is what Tiffin’s are known for – they take care of their owners – in and out of warranty.

OK..Somebody asked me how much this KOA was a night and it’s $66 a night during the show.  I don’t pay for it and never would. I know – never say never.

Hey, Harrell Hicks fell off a ladder and broke his left wrist pretty good.  I thought he was tall enough that he didn’t need a ladder.  What’s with these people falling off things and breaking their wrists like Susie, Don and now Harrell.  Is this a club or something that I don’t know about.  Well, being a Marine, when I fall I make sure to fall on my head.  It’s the hardest thing I got anymore  -- smile…

The show closes at 6 PM.  This was at 5 PM.

Salesmen…..

Our little set up…

Free advertising for Boot Camp/Escapees.

This Vancouver Is. brother/sister came down and are en route to Bakersfield for an antique auto show.  The car is 1947 Austin with a Chevy V6 with a cam and a two four barrel ram air set up. I was so focused on the car I forgot to ask about the old trailer.

Cats love playing in this type of stuff.  They wait (kinda) their turn to get in.

The RV salesman are a little bored during the week.  One approached Carol while she was looking at the 2011 Monaco’s.  Yes, 2011 Monaco’s. They’re rolling off the assembly line and up for business. Go Navistar – new owners.  Anyhow, this salesman remembered Carol from last year. We look every year. He showed us a coach last year but Carol didn’t like it – it was a 42 footer but she liked it otherwise.  Well, he said he would look around and see if he could find us another upper coach – slightly used and all that.  It’s a buyer market.  Somebody has to tell these dealers that because they seem not to know that.  They appear to be selling the heck out of travel trailers and 5th wheels but slow in the big class A’s.  Tiffin and Winnebago both have come out with a jazzy looking new class A.  Low profile about 30 foot or so and diesel.  Pretty good looking coaches.

Anyhow, the weather is suppose to be the same tomorrow – wet……..

Harrell, I got some duck tape and ice cream sticks and I can fix that wrist of yours.  Do what the doc says and get better soon.

See ya………….

And the Rain Starts

It wasn’t suppose to rain tell Monday but it started last night and did all day today (Sunday).  The people still came out.  It was a hard drizzle most of the time.  We had to load the car up with our “stuff” to take over in the morning.  I’ve been told that electronics and water don’t mix well.  It’s about a 10 minute walk with a wagon and that’s too long in the hard drizzle.  I got a special park pass to park nearby.  I also was able to drive right up to the seminar tent and our booth before the gates opened.  So, it wasn’t that bad.  The attendance at my two seminars during the day wasn’t that bad, just a little down. Activity at our booth was a little slow but again not bad all things considered.  We have had people come by from previous years and say HI.  I have some followers for my seminars each year.  They said they enjoy the “fun” they have listening/watching me.  I guess that’s pretty cool.  We also had a few people that have attended our Quartzsite gatherings show up here and say HI.  They wanted to know if we are doing it again this January and of course the answer is yes.  If any reader wants to attend send me an email for details.  Basically it will be held 28-29 January (Friday/Saturday) and the same spot for the last three years hopefully.

I didn’t take any pictures of the rain.  I figured you all know what it looks like.  We have a creek running thru our booth and I will take some tomorrow.  The running water keeps our shoes clean.  We don’t have any inventory in boxes like a lot of the other vendors do so it’s no big deal for us.

See Ya…………..

Criminal

When an RVer does this it’s criminal that’s all there is to it.  Maybe that’s one reason why it costs $66 a night here.  Sights are very tight, turns are tight and it’s understandable about having to cut corners but this was NO accident – idiot!

Here’s our sight.  One sight next to us has been empty so far.

Here’s our booth.  That’s our new yellow wagon.  We really need it because of the sound and projector, etc. that I have to use each day for the seminars.

The vendor tent.

The seminar tent.

So, that’s about it for a Saturday at the RVIA Pomona Show.  We went out to a local small restaurant for dinner.  It’s a little Ma Pa place that we go to several times each year we have been here. I tried to talk to Bob Tiffin today but he had a bunch of people around him.  Tomorrow I will try to catch him before the show opens up.

See Ya…………….

Show’s First Day

Today was RVIA’s opening day.  It was OK and not a door smasher by any means.  I did my two seminars and had about 25 plus people at each one.  It was pretty good.  We are getting to meet new vendors which is pretty cool along with the old crowd.  The vendor count appears to a be a little less than last year.  I forgot my camera and didn’t realize it till we got back to coach. 

The RV salesman caught me as the show was ending today.  He said that we weren’t close on our offer on the used rig.  I just said “oh well!” He immediately responded with that they would work on the price some more.  I reminded him of our price so forth and so on……hey, we don’t have to buy – it’s a buyer market and we know it…

The temps are OK and they are suppose to drop down to the 70s next week.

see ya…………..

Looooong Day

We went 225 miles today for a starter. When we arrived at Pomona we had to do some RV site rearranging so we could get our datastorm up.  It’s been giving me trouble the past few days.  It finds the satellite quick but won’t let me get connected for anywhere from 6 to 12 hours.  Yes, that’s right.  What’s up with that Steve?  Then we had to unload our show “stuff” and take it over to the vendor tent – two trips, set up our vendor boot, set and test our equipment at the seminar tent and then it happened.  We had parked across from an RV that we booth liked and it had dealer tags.  About that time a salesman came out and we asked about it. Yep it’s for sale.  It’s a little longer than our 40 footer and the color is right on – tan with orange – yes orange! He did some number crunching with the figures we gave him.  He said it would probably work but had to get an OK with his boss.  I know the “game”. The numbers won’t work but it was a nice coach.

Anyhow, tonight (early tomorrow) I will have to trim/adjust my powerpoints (Driving & Alaska) to fit the way I want to do them here. Then I will put them on my extra computer that has nothing really on it.  It’s the one the cat broke and I fixed with a new hard drive earlier this year.  It’s the same computer that I use now but it has Vista and this one has Windows seven.  I can’t tell the systems apart. 

Anyhow, here are some pictures from today.

These palm trees didn’t make it.

I always wonder about these places like this.  What’s the story?

All rest areas that we came upon today in California were closed.  I guess people in cars pee in bottles like the truckers do.  Oh no – more yellow bottles along the road.

This is coming out of the mountains into the Palm Springs area.

 

This is way to busy for us.

 

The wind wasn’t blowing today.  Some times these babies are cranking.

See the layer of smog?  These people call it everything except smog.  I call it smog.  We drove down into it and you could still see it.  My eyes started to burn and probably will for most of the 10 days we are in Pomona.  No thank you…….

We arrived at Pomona at lunch time and went did our preparation for tomorrow’s opening.  Pictures will follow tomorrow. 

See Ya….

Denny’s en route

We got up and decided to go to Denny’s for breakfast on the way out.  Breakfast was $17 what a rip.  We’re not use to paying that for two small meals. I had the small slam and Carol had her waffle.  Their prices have gone up so we just won’t go anymore.  We got out of there about 7:30 AM with 480 miles to go to Quartzsite our next stop.  We had a tail wind that lasted ALL DAY.  This is rare.  Usually the wind is blowing from the west – a head wind.

AZ retirement home.

I guess you noticed the RVer is not driving on the road.

These flowers were growing next to the interstate.  I think they want someone to pick them up and take them out of the desert.

 

These people know how to make an Apple pie that is almost unbelievable.              

 

How would like to meet this guy coming down the road in the middle of the night.  ouch……

Sandstorm.  If it was California they just call it normal smog.

Before Quartzsite exit 45 I-10 is a ZIP Travel Center.  Diesel was $2.97.  I filled that sucker all the way up the neck.  With the tail wind I got 9.6 MPG…honest…

Carol took the pciture of the book store for the girls.  Nope he wasn’t around wearing his what ever you call it.

  

Where’s the Big RV Tent? It will be here in December.

Mile marker 98.5 off route 95 south - our spot for tonight.  It got to 93 degrees insdie the rig and we finally turned on the generator and got it back down into the 70s.  That night the wind died and it stayed in the low 70s.

See Ya……….