Memories..Better Wright Them Down

Working backwards with what I can remember.

Saturday.   We had a smoked pork rib dinner last night for those people planning to go to Alaska.  There was a total of nine of us.  We had a lot of smoked ribs, a 11 bean soup with sausage, beans, garlic bread, tater salad, buffalo wings and then there were the desserts.  Of course we had a variation of wine and beer.  We all pigged out while watching thousands of video pictures.  It was great.

Friday.  We did the La Colona lunch vice the usual Thursday.  Then Cigar & whiskey night at Mark’s.

Thursday – Thanksgiving.  We had dinner with Jim & Kim Waddle and 7 other guests/friends.  It was a really big dinner and soooo good.   Thanks guys.

Wednesday.  Did nothing memorable.

Tuesday.  Did nothing memorable.

Monday.   Jan & Dave Wilson had a get together for those going to Alaska 2017 that where here in Livingston.   It was really great.

Sunday.  NASCAR – outstanding……

And then there was the week before…..yep it happened too.

Retirement.  It really does happen.  Just let me know when it happens.

See ya…………

Here & There

Thursday we went to my Mom’s nursing home for their Thanksgiving Dinner.  Yes, it was a week ahead of time.  The staff was very accommodating and went out of their way to anybody that needed it. 

Later that evening we went over to Mark’s who was having a Boot Camp staff dinner. 

After that dinner which was 40 miles away from Livingston, we went to Mark’s.  He was having a Thank You dinner for the Escapees Boot Camp staff and helpers.  We have been part of the staff for over 10 years and then became helpers and now are just barely that.  Time for the changing of the guard.  Out with the old and in with the new and all that kind of stuff.  We missed the dinner as expected but got to enjoy the cheers with old (yep old) friends and new younger ones.  It was good!  We did get some great left over desserts.  Their dinner was brisket and I got to taste Mark’s brisket.  Hey Don, I think his might have been a little better than yours.  Maybe I should try yours again.  Do you all see a pattern here?

This past Friday, Saturday was the Escapees Boot Camp.  I usually eat their food, tell a few Mom jokes and leave when the classes start.   It was great meeting new RVers and talking to them about their plans.  Oh what a life it was, it is and will be!

Retirement is like everyday is a Saturday.

See ya……………

Turmoil Or An Adventure?

Not really turmoil, just things happening.  I have to work backwards because that is how my memory works best. 

Carol & I were in the ER/hospital one year almost to the day.  Well, we almost ended up there again.  I got a real bad stomach flu that lasted about 2 days and recovered.  Then Carol got it of course.  Lost five lbs……. we had to sit down with a bucket in our laps when ever we went to the toilet.  Not sure what was going to happen.  Sometimes everything.  Get the picture? 

In the middle of all this it sounded like a 747 airplane landed on our roof about 6:30 AM one morning.  Our roof heat pump came apart.  In the past on other rigs I have gotten up on the roof and repaired something somehow.  This rig is under extended warranty and the heat pump is covered.  Got an appointment 2 December at a local repair shop.   I’m still not really a believer in extended warranties.

Our extended warranted is a zero deductible and is good for 7 years and covers most things.  The cost… almost $8 grand.  Glad we didn’t pay for it.  It was part of the RV deal that was given after it was all said and done for our aggravation by the manufacture and dealer screwing up on our other new rig.  This rig (now own) was our 1st ordered rig then cancelled due to non fulfillment of the delivery date by the manufacture.  Yes you can put that in writing if not delivered by a certain date, no matter the cause, the deal is off.  The 2nd new rig we signed for but did not take delivery had a rear cap installed wrong (major problem).  We went away.  Then a big wig called us from the dealer (Lazydays) and said the famous words, “What would it take to make the deal” on our original ordered rig that they now had.  I just so happened to have a list of things I wanted that totaled over $10 grand.  They wanted to unscrew what had happened.  I’m sure they still made money of course but I’m also sure it wasn’t there usual thousands and thousands of dollars.  We got it for less than 30% off list price out the door (- taxes, tags only) plus this $8,000 extended warranty.  It was a good day.  So much for the flash back.

I think this blog will be a weekly thing until we start moving again or something exciting happens.  We still are enjoying living in our 2014 36M Winnebago Journey diesel pusher RV behind my Mom’s mobile on our lot here at Rainbow’s End.   We use the mobile to do laundry and large meals and party.  Mom is doing kinda OK in her nursing home and we are attempting to get her back into Medicaid.  What a lot of friggin paper work.  That should be done about the end of December then we’re out of here.

Our little 25 footer camper is all ready for our 7 month Alaska & East Coast (?) adventure.  That will start this April when we return from the West Coast adventure with some close friends.

So, that being said…..

See ya…………..

One More Time

I reloaded the camper again.  I did because I had the rear storage bumper bin finally ready to go into the receiver and final wiring.

I’ve had this bin and carrier for over a year and working on it on and off, mostly off.  I got them at separate times from Tractor Supply during their Black Friday/Weekend last year.  It’s now installed in the carrier and wired.  I even soldered the twelve wire connections I had to do.  Plus I installed the saddlebags and tail light.  I took my time that’s for sure.  All the lights on it work.

I loaded the bumper bin with stuff I will need when I pull into a sight.  Stuff like levelers, water hose, etc..  I was able to put the sewer hoses into the bumper.  That was nice.

I also put a lock on the hitch (silver thing) and a hitch stabilizer (black thing next to the lock) on to keep movement to zero.

I only have a few things to go in the rear compartment like food bins, BBQ grill and the electrical autoformer.  Yes, I have a lot of room but that don’t mean I need to fill it.  I also have a lot of weight capabilities which is real nice…. not over loaded at all, not even close.

Water was on sale for $2 a case.  It will not go into the camper but into the big RV for use in Quartzsite.

We’ve always had those brown or green plastic tables but have decided to go over to the aluminum ones.  They’re a little bit bigger plus taller and lighter.  These are easier to use as a table to eat from because they are taller.  $24 at Walmart.

Retirement is like being on vacation everyday except you don’t spend all that money on tourist things.

See ya……..

Trump It’s Just Business

Why not!  It’s new and different BS.

Retirement – Set back and ride the waves.

See ya………

Unload the RV and Try Again

I repacked the storage compartments in the camper again.  Yes, I already did it once.  I’m trying not to carry the “might need” stuff to Alaska.  It’s hard for me because I “might need” it.  Then someone said how to fix that problem.  Don’t carry the “might need” stuff and if you do need it, buy it when you need it.  That makes a lot of sense but I’m having a hard time doing it.  I already removed some stuff  like the “might need” tools.  Then the portable sat dome and the cables that go with it I took out.  That might go back in for when we aren’t in Alaska 3 months out of a 7 month gone away adventure.  In our camper (loaded) we can carry another 500 lbs and still be under our gross vehicle rating and axle ratings (by 1,100 lbs)  That’s real good for a small camper.  The tires are way within their ratings.  I might install the portable freezer (12/110 volt) out of the big rig into the camper.  Hey, what’s another 50 lbs?  That would be to carry halibut on the return trip out of Alaska.  Not sure about it yet.

I installed a new frig roof vent.  I clipped the old vent with a branch and it needed to be replaced before now before Alaska. 

I will be carrying extra oil/air filters for the engine and the generator.  I plan to change them myself up North (Alaska).  The oil I will get up there.  Too heavy/bulking to carry something that is easy gotten up there.  It will just be a little more expensive.  The filters are light weight and I don’t want to go in search of those things up there.

What chairs to take to Alaska?  That’s where I’m at now.  Maybe I’m spending too much thought into it but I do want us to be very comfortable setting out enjoying the never ending scenery.  Normally no big deal.  Normally we carry several different kinds/sizes.  This time just one each so they need to be very comfortable.

Retirement – Seems like more thinking and less physical work.  At least that’s a goal, I think!

See ya….

Writing A Blog

You know it’s hard for me to write about nothing (sometimes).  So, here I am writing about nothing.

I really did nothing of  great importance the last few days.  Just the normal fun.

Retirement is trying to remember what fun I had yesterday.  It all runs together now. 

See ya……………

Passwords–They Pass Gas For Me

Starting in the early morning (5 AM) I was off on the wrong foot.  My computer wouldn’t let me get my emails. It said error.  Well, that’s the extent of my computer knowledge is reading what the problem is and not knowing what to do.  I resolve matters like this by pushing keys until I get a reaction of some type.  That usually gets me in deeper problems.  So I pushed buttons until it either works or goes down hard.  Hey, it works now.

Then I tried to log in on our local bank.  They changed my password or at least it’s different than what I had.  Now I got to wait until they open up later.

I tried my Mom’s bank.  No luck.  What the hell.  I think they are all out to make me crazy (crazier).

Next was to log on to my blog account and see what’s happening.  They too have a different password than I.  It’s a conspiracy.

I have OVER 2 dozen passwords.  Everything from Amazon to Freightliner to SKP.  Why?

It’s now 6:30 AM and my day so far is a disaster in working.

I went to our local bank and got that all cleared up.

Got back to the RV and called the other bank (Mother’s) and got that all cleared up.  I’m on a roll.

Next was to straighten up the garage.  That’s hard to screw up.  Just move one thing around and it’s straighten up better.  Dave Wilson came over and harassed me.  Him and his wife Jan are going to Alaska in 2017.  They’ve been before.  He was putting solar panels on his rig and heard me start my Harley.  They have a lot two down from us and yes the Harley is that loud that Dave heard it.  Just funning…

Mark dropped off his meat grinder and then had to go back to work.  You know those working people have to go back to work.  For him at least another 5 months until he retires.

I had a 7 lb pork butt all thawed out and ready to do it to it.  I cut it up into chunks that would fit into the grinder.  I ran the meat thru twice using the coarse blade and once with the medium blade while adding seasoning to include caraway seed.  After all that I stuck it the frig.  From the time I started to putting in the freezer all packaged and sealed up in my machinein took about 4 hours.  It made 5 lbs 5 oz of lean pork out of a  7 lb pork butt.  We had some of it for dinner.  I cooked it like you might a hamburger with white gravy, corn and mashed potatoes.   I cooked the meat and Carol cooked everything else.  The meat is really a sausage patty.  It has very little fat and it was really good.  Carol even liked it.

Guess what I had for snackHot cheese and Yoohoo.  What could be better?

In the evening Carol and I went and visited Jim & Linda Works in the campground.  Friends that go way back in the full timing world.  They just got a 2017 25 foot View.  It’s nice.  They went up to Alaska via the Marine Highway in 2008 in a truck camper.  They want to join the Loosey Goosey 2017 Alaska group and go up North.  No problem…..

Retirement is realizing you are still working and not getting paid anymore.

See ya………..

&*^%(*#@* Widows 10

First I unloaded the little Honda bike.  Then I wanted to wash the bugs off the front of the camper.  Well shucks, I might as well wash the whole thing it ain’t that big.  I did.  Carol’s car was setting there in front of it so I washed it too.  This weather is just right for doing these kinds of things.

In the afternoon we went to Woodville and saw my mother.  She seemed to be doing OK.  Of course we took her a carton of smokes and that perked her up.

Got back to the lot and started using my computer – almost.  It wouldn’t let me go into my Windows 10 folders.  It said I had to install & activate my renewal account.  Here we go again.  1 hour later I THINK everything is activated and running.  SOBs……..

Since this is a blog I have to mention food…..so FOOD!

Retirement seems like keeping weight off while you eat like a horse.

See ya……….