Harbour Freight is a small version of our Princess Auto and some of their items are of a lessor quality, however, there are many great bargains every day. You would think that after spending a day in Quartzsite , that I would not need anything else for the MH but you would be wrong. Owning a MH or any RV is a never ending expense.
So what did I need at Harbour Freight? My neighbor who is a retired Sask farmer and a Electrician is really into anything about maintaining a MH. He is well read and knowledgeable and while talking to him he ask me how often I greased the "U' joint. My answer was that I relied on the garage when doing an oil change but he advised me that it should be done every 5000 KM . Well, that got me to thinking that I better heed his advise and get a grease gun and grease the "U " joint. So off to Harbor Freight to purchase a grease gun and the grease cartage with set me back about 20 bucks. Then I returned to the camp and "crawled" under the MH to grease the joints. Luckily that I'm around 170 LBs and not 270 because there is very little room under the rear axle of the MH and it is a dirty but necessary job which takes about 1/2 an hour. Job finally done.
Then we went to see the movie " The Danish Girl" which I would give a 5/6 out of 10 which means that it is not my kind of movie. Since it was an early movie ( a 5 PM start ) we went for supper at a Germany restaurant which has authentic German food. The food was great. cheers
Sunday, 31 January 2016
Quartzsite, AZ
We have been to Quartzsite many times as we have to travel thru the town on our way south. We stay for free , otherwise called " Boondocking " but we never stay any longer that 3 days. Today we convinced our friends , Vince and Lynda to accompany us to Quartzsite as they have not been here for many years. As you drive into town the place looks like a large Circus ,without the animals, unless you call Seniors animals.
For those who have never been to Quartzsite it is an amazing town. The population in July would be about 3 to 4 thousand but from Dec to mid March it goes to approximately 750,000, spread over 1000's of acres. There are two main reasons for this growth. First , the area surrounding the town is all Federal Land (BLM ) and for a annual fee you can park your RV basic anywhere you want. This land grows nothing but "scrub" trees so you can't do much damage to the land however there are some rule such as no dumping of any kind, and no Generators between 10 PM and 6 AM. which is monitored by the Park Rangers. Also if you are staying longer than 2 weeks you will have to pay an annual Fee and this allows you to " Squat " on BLM areas in AZ, CA and NV.
This is very profitable for the town as you can imagine as someone has to supply the necessities such as RV Services, Bars, Restaurant, Bakery, fuel and you can guess the rest of the need for 750,000 people. Those staying in the BLM area get Propane , Water and Septic truck service , who come right to your Rigs for a price. They also have two large areas in the town that provide a one stop service for Water, Sewer dump and Propane and you do not even have to get out of your RV as they have people who do it all at once... for a price.
However there are several attraction starting with a Huge Tent about the size of a Football field that has everything you need for RVers, several States and Cities advertising to visit their area, and includes all the cooking items you can't live without that come with a Life Time warranty that probably runs out by the time to get to the parking lot. It cost me about 100.00 before we got out of the Tent. The Big Tent is only here for 10 days.
They have enough Food vendors that you seldom have to line up longer than 10 minutes. I had Ribs and Carroll had 1/2 a chicken with a side order of fries for 25.00 so the price was not gouging us.
Then there 1000's of RV's/ Motor Homes for sale. These MH will be here for at least a month, some small companies will be here for a few months. . It is such a important place for MH sales that the CEO for Tiffin MH is on site in the yard for anyone to speak with, just like any sales staff.
There is also enough tools for sale that it boggles the mind and they would give the largest CDN Tire store in Toronto a run for it's money.
After the Big Tent shuts down the "Gem " sales are the big draw. There are actually Truck Loads of "Rocks" for sale covering acres of the grounds. I can't imagine making a living selling Rocks. However, several years ago while travelling in New Zealand we met an American who called his business " DR. Fossil" and he says he makes a good living selling "Gems " in Quartzsite and other place in the US.
Different Strokes for Different Folks. Cheers
For those who have never been to Quartzsite it is an amazing town. The population in July would be about 3 to 4 thousand but from Dec to mid March it goes to approximately 750,000, spread over 1000's of acres. There are two main reasons for this growth. First , the area surrounding the town is all Federal Land (BLM ) and for a annual fee you can park your RV basic anywhere you want. This land grows nothing but "scrub" trees so you can't do much damage to the land however there are some rule such as no dumping of any kind, and no Generators between 10 PM and 6 AM. which is monitored by the Park Rangers. Also if you are staying longer than 2 weeks you will have to pay an annual Fee and this allows you to " Squat " on BLM areas in AZ, CA and NV.
This is very profitable for the town as you can imagine as someone has to supply the necessities such as RV Services, Bars, Restaurant, Bakery, fuel and you can guess the rest of the need for 750,000 people. Those staying in the BLM area get Propane , Water and Septic truck service , who come right to your Rigs for a price. They also have two large areas in the town that provide a one stop service for Water, Sewer dump and Propane and you do not even have to get out of your RV as they have people who do it all at once... for a price.
However there are several attraction starting with a Huge Tent about the size of a Football field that has everything you need for RVers, several States and Cities advertising to visit their area, and includes all the cooking items you can't live without that come with a Life Time warranty that probably runs out by the time to get to the parking lot. It cost me about 100.00 before we got out of the Tent. The Big Tent is only here for 10 days.
They have enough Food vendors that you seldom have to line up longer than 10 minutes. I had Ribs and Carroll had 1/2 a chicken with a side order of fries for 25.00 so the price was not gouging us.
Then there 1000's of RV's/ Motor Homes for sale. These MH will be here for at least a month, some small companies will be here for a few months. . It is such a important place for MH sales that the CEO for Tiffin MH is on site in the yard for anyone to speak with, just like any sales staff.
There is also enough tools for sale that it boggles the mind and they would give the largest CDN Tire store in Toronto a run for it's money.
After the Big Tent shuts down the "Gem " sales are the big draw. There are actually Truck Loads of "Rocks" for sale covering acres of the grounds. I can't imagine making a living selling Rocks. However, several years ago while travelling in New Zealand we met an American who called his business " DR. Fossil" and he says he makes a good living selling "Gems " in Quartzsite and other place in the US.
Different Strokes for Different Folks. Cheers
Monday, 25 January 2016
19 and 20 Jan 2015
When you don't have much to do , you go for a haircut. Yep! that's what you do. So I went to the barber shop across from the Marine Base and they had 7 barbers, no waiting. That's my kind of barber shop, because they cut it quickly and quietly all for 8.00.
Now I got the rest of the day to do nothing except Carroll thought of a reason to go shopping even if we didn't really need anything. So we went shopping. cheers
20 Jan Running a few Errands
First I had to get a Power Ball ticket just in case it was my turn to win the big one. Then I went to fuel up the car as the gas is down to 1.79 a gal. Since we shop at Fry's they give 10 cents of per gallon for every 100.00 you spent so we got the gas at 169.00. What a bonus!!
Then I dug up the " nerve " to visit the bank as I was running low on cash. Our dollar was around a 1.69 and I withdrew 500.. USD and it cost me 747.00 CAN. Oh boy does that hurt.
Then we went grocery shopping again as Carroll had a list with 6 items. I can't figure out how we only needed 6 items but the bill come to 95.00. I guess the list was just a starter list. cheers
Now I got the rest of the day to do nothing except Carroll thought of a reason to go shopping even if we didn't really need anything. So we went shopping. cheers
20 Jan Running a few Errands
First I had to get a Power Ball ticket just in case it was my turn to win the big one. Then I went to fuel up the car as the gas is down to 1.79 a gal. Since we shop at Fry's they give 10 cents of per gallon for every 100.00 you spent so we got the gas at 169.00. What a bonus!!
Then I dug up the " nerve " to visit the bank as I was running low on cash. Our dollar was around a 1.69 and I withdrew 500.. USD and it cost me 747.00 CAN. Oh boy does that hurt.
Then we went grocery shopping again as Carroll had a list with 6 items. I can't figure out how we only needed 6 items but the bill come to 95.00. I guess the list was just a starter list. cheers
Sunday, 24 January 2016
Monday Lunch
Last week while checking the monthly schedule I notice a "Free lunch" on Monday and you had to get your tickets ASP as there would be limited seating. When I noticed the "Free " I quit reading and rushed to get the tickets before they would be all gone because as you know a Senior's life is ruled by the word Free or Discount. As it turns out , the Free lunch is on the 25 th.
On Monday we went to the community center for lunch but not the Free one but since we were there Since we were at the community center for the "assumed" free lunch we decided to stay for the Hamburger and soap . Nothing really lost, as we sat with people we did not know so now we have new friends and they were from Hudson Bay SK.
After lunch we had to go to the Westwin RV park to pick up tickets for a music show scheduled for next Saturday. This was a Rock-a-Billy type band which was well renowned.
After picking up the tickets at Westwin I recalled that a military friend use to spend his winter s in Westwin park so I thought I would drive around park ( there over 1000 sites ) and just maybe he would have his name on his RV, MH or park model. As I drove down one street I seen the name of my friend on a house and he was sitting on the deck. I stopped and said hello and ask if he remembered me and of course at 82 and since we hadn't seen each other since 1990 he said "not at all". Once I introduced myself, of course he remembered me. We had a beer and swapped stories for 1/2 an hour then bid farewell. Always nice to me an old military buddy. Cheers
On Monday we went to the community center for lunch but not the Free one but since we were there Since we were at the community center for the "assumed" free lunch we decided to stay for the Hamburger and soap . Nothing really lost, as we sat with people we did not know so now we have new friends and they were from Hudson Bay SK.
After lunch we had to go to the Westwin RV park to pick up tickets for a music show scheduled for next Saturday. This was a Rock-a-Billy type band which was well renowned.
After picking up the tickets at Westwin I recalled that a military friend use to spend his winter s in Westwin park so I thought I would drive around park ( there over 1000 sites ) and just maybe he would have his name on his RV, MH or park model. As I drove down one street I seen the name of my friend on a house and he was sitting on the deck. I stopped and said hello and ask if he remembered me and of course at 82 and since we hadn't seen each other since 1990 he said "not at all". Once I introduced myself, of course he remembered me. We had a beer and swapped stories for 1/2 an hour then bid farewell. Always nice to me an old military buddy. Cheers
Sunday Drive
Our friends ( Linda and Vince ) from Yorkton, SK ,who have a Park Model in this camp, dropped in around 10 AM and suggested we go for a drive around the area with no real destination. We spent the first 20 minutes discussing with each other where we might go, that we have not already seen. Finally we agreed to go to a specific date farm as Linda wanted a box ( 11 LBS ) of dates to take home. This Date company will keep the box of dates in their cooler until you are ready to leave for home.
We do not need any dates as we still have a "ton " of dates in the freezer which we purchased 2 years ago. Apparently, Carroll can't find a receipt for dates. I would have thought by now that the "Cooking Channel " would have had at least one receipt but I guess not!!!. Incidentally, did you know that dates are one of the few fruits that you can " thaw /freeze and thaw /freeze again without damaging them.
We then decided to take a drive out into the area to see how many people where Boondocking at the Bureau of Land Management ( BLM ) areas. There is many 1000's of acres of unusable Federal Land in AZ ( also NV and CA ) and for a small annual fee of 150.00 you camp dry camp on these lands. Some of these lands actuality provide a location to dump your sewage and have potable water. One area that we visited had showers however, this is not provided at most sites. These sites all have a name attached and most areas are named after a person or a landmark etc. We have visited sites like, High Joly, Dome Mountain, Hurricane Peak, Pilot Mound, Squaw Lake and Holtsville Hot springs.
There are actually 100's ( sometime 1000's ) of campers in these area in these area and if they were all to move into a camp ground in the Yuma area there would not be enough site for everyone.
By now we were feeling a little hunger and I might say "thirsty " so we knew, if we took the right trail we would find a bar at Martinana Lakes. This a Marina, camp grounds and boondocking area on the Colorado River and it never hurts to have a Bar located near a recreation area.
After munching down a large batch of Fries chased by a beer we headed home and called it a day. cheers
We do not need any dates as we still have a "ton " of dates in the freezer which we purchased 2 years ago. Apparently, Carroll can't find a receipt for dates. I would have thought by now that the "Cooking Channel " would have had at least one receipt but I guess not!!!. Incidentally, did you know that dates are one of the few fruits that you can " thaw /freeze and thaw /freeze again without damaging them.
We then decided to take a drive out into the area to see how many people where Boondocking at the Bureau of Land Management ( BLM ) areas. There is many 1000's of acres of unusable Federal Land in AZ ( also NV and CA ) and for a small annual fee of 150.00 you camp dry camp on these lands. Some of these lands actuality provide a location to dump your sewage and have potable water. One area that we visited had showers however, this is not provided at most sites. These sites all have a name attached and most areas are named after a person or a landmark etc. We have visited sites like, High Joly, Dome Mountain, Hurricane Peak, Pilot Mound, Squaw Lake and Holtsville Hot springs.
There are actually 100's ( sometime 1000's ) of campers in these area in these area and if they were all to move into a camp ground in the Yuma area there would not be enough site for everyone.
By now we were feeling a little hunger and I might say "thirsty " so we knew, if we took the right trail we would find a bar at Martinana Lakes. This a Marina, camp grounds and boondocking area on the Colorado River and it never hurts to have a Bar located near a recreation area.
After munching down a large batch of Fries chased by a beer we headed home and called it a day. cheers
Thursday, 21 January 2016
Shootout at the OK Corral
16 Jan
I don't have to tell anyone that the Americans are really into Guns but we were treated to something different. An American friend who is into the "old Muzzle Loaded" guns suggest that we might like to watch a target shooting competitions. At first I thought " not really" as it sounded as if watching the rinse cycle in the washing machine may have been more interesting. I original thought there would be a few Senior Men shooting at a target and that would be it. How wrong I was; it was very interesting especial for us Canadians who do not think or care much about guns.
I'll set the stage:
First we drove to the range area and were surprised to see that there were at least 200 vehicles, possible more, and many were RV's and Motor Homes that means they must be camping at the range area. There were venders all set up with food, guns and related equipt and " Annie Oakley" type cowgirl dress shops, etc.
Then were heard bullets bouncing off a metal target some we meandered over to one of the several ( about 5 ) shooting ranges.
The shooters form or belong to a "Posse" of about 25 shooters and it includes men and women ( mostly couples ). It is an individual sport but you are seeded to your ability. Each shooter has to shoot with 4 different weapons at four different targets. First they have to unholster a ( Wyatt Earp type ) pistol and fire 4 shots, then change to another pistol and shoot 1 shot at two different targets, then move to another "window " and fire 4 shots with a pump rifle, then move to another "window" and fire 4 more shots with a Pump shot gun. The winner did this "shoot" in 11.9 seconds which was amazing. Most shooter were between 18 and 30 seconds. The oldest lady shooting was 82 years old and she was good.
One couple realized we were Canadians so they came over to us and explain what was going to happen so we would have a better understanding. They explained that the weapons had to be of the 1879 era or replicas of those weapons. We ask the price of the 4 guns that each shooter was using and they said you don't want to know but it is in the thousands of dollars but it is their hobby and they love it. One shooter showed us his lever action rifle and he said it cost 400.00 to have it modified so he could fire it quicker that the original model.
I wish I had taken a camera because they treated their guns like a family heirloom. Every shooter has a cart to move the guns from point A to point B and they cover their guns with a protective sleeve once the shoot is over. I ask about the cost of bullets and they said if you did not reload your own shells you could not afford to be in this sport , which was a surprise to me. Incidentally, all shooters have a alias related to the era ie ( Jesse James ) .
Although this is not a spectator sport we really enjoyed watching this demonstrations as I never considered there was any such Hobby. It was well worth the time spent at the range.
In the afternoon we visited friends from Ontario that I grew with. It's always nice to catch up news from home and about the people I grew up with , even thought I left in 1962. Cheers
I don't have to tell anyone that the Americans are really into Guns but we were treated to something different. An American friend who is into the "old Muzzle Loaded" guns suggest that we might like to watch a target shooting competitions. At first I thought " not really" as it sounded as if watching the rinse cycle in the washing machine may have been more interesting. I original thought there would be a few Senior Men shooting at a target and that would be it. How wrong I was; it was very interesting especial for us Canadians who do not think or care much about guns.
I'll set the stage:
First we drove to the range area and were surprised to see that there were at least 200 vehicles, possible more, and many were RV's and Motor Homes that means they must be camping at the range area. There were venders all set up with food, guns and related equipt and " Annie Oakley" type cowgirl dress shops, etc.
Then were heard bullets bouncing off a metal target some we meandered over to one of the several ( about 5 ) shooting ranges.
The shooters form or belong to a "Posse" of about 25 shooters and it includes men and women ( mostly couples ). It is an individual sport but you are seeded to your ability. Each shooter has to shoot with 4 different weapons at four different targets. First they have to unholster a ( Wyatt Earp type ) pistol and fire 4 shots, then change to another pistol and shoot 1 shot at two different targets, then move to another "window " and fire 4 shots with a pump rifle, then move to another "window" and fire 4 more shots with a Pump shot gun. The winner did this "shoot" in 11.9 seconds which was amazing. Most shooter were between 18 and 30 seconds. The oldest lady shooting was 82 years old and she was good.
One couple realized we were Canadians so they came over to us and explain what was going to happen so we would have a better understanding. They explained that the weapons had to be of the 1879 era or replicas of those weapons. We ask the price of the 4 guns that each shooter was using and they said you don't want to know but it is in the thousands of dollars but it is their hobby and they love it. One shooter showed us his lever action rifle and he said it cost 400.00 to have it modified so he could fire it quicker that the original model.
I wish I had taken a camera because they treated their guns like a family heirloom. Every shooter has a cart to move the guns from point A to point B and they cover their guns with a protective sleeve once the shoot is over. I ask about the cost of bullets and they said if you did not reload your own shells you could not afford to be in this sport , which was a surprise to me. Incidentally, all shooters have a alias related to the era ie ( Jesse James ) .
Although this is not a spectator sport we really enjoyed watching this demonstrations as I never considered there was any such Hobby. It was well worth the time spent at the range.
In the afternoon we visited friends from Ontario that I grew with. It's always nice to catch up news from home and about the people I grew up with , even thought I left in 1962. Cheers
Tuesday, 19 January 2016
Doctor's Call
Carroll's had to visit a Doctor because of a blister on her toe.
This seems ridiculous but it all started on our way home from Puerto Plata when Carroll put on her running shoe which she hadn't worn while we were in P.P. When we arrived in Toronto Carroll noticed that her toe was hurting albeit slightly . However, we first had to clear customs and then hurray to our departure gate to catch our "already delayed " flight to Calgary. The hustle and bustle to get thru customs, then dropping off our luggage for the flight to Calgary followed by long lineup to clear security, and as a result, the pain in Carroll's toe seemed to subside. After we cleared customs we had to walk to the "last" gate in Terminal 3. It was so far I thought we were doing a "Walk for Cancer " .
After we got on the plane, Carroll removed her shoe so the toe felt OK and it is not easy to check your toe when you are on a plane. When we arrive in Calgary it was another rush to get the luggage and "try " to get a cab because it is now around 1 PM on 1 Jan and Cabs where at a premium. To get a cab at the Calgary airport was a 25 minute wait outside in the -13C temperature so Carroll's toe was not foremost on her mind. When we arrive at Todd's house at 3 PM on 1 Jan, Carroll finally removed her shoe and sox and it was then that she seen that the blister was long gone and she had a open sore slightly larger than a quarter and it did not look good. We treated it with Polysporin , hoping that it would heal quickly. The Polysporin seem to be doing the trick.
Needless to say , Carroll threw out those shoes and we bought a new pair ( 2 Jan ) the next day as we were leaving for Yuma on the 4 Jan. We continued to treat the sore with Polysporin and or Triple Antibiotic and since we were travelling she was not doing much walking. The sore was healing slowly, in fact too slow for me so on the 15 Jan we went to the local "Walk in Clinic ". Actually we tried to find a Podiatrist but there was a two week wait, hence the reason we went to the clinic. The clinic doctor gave Carroll a prescription for Antibiotic pill and said to continue with using the Triple antibiotic . Here is the Kicker: When we went to the clinic the clerk ask if we had insurance. We said no, we are paying for it so the charge was 100.00. She said if we had insurance it would cost 250.00. They even wrote on the invoice 250.00, less the doctors discount 150.00, total cost 100.00. What a scam???
All that to say Carroll's toe is healing albeit too slow for my liking. She doesn't want to go in the pool until it heals over. However, our weather is not pool weather as we have a morning temp of 52 F and a daily high of 73 F.
We had a visit in the afternoon, from friends ( Otto and Edna ) that we travelled to MX several years ago. cheers
This seems ridiculous but it all started on our way home from Puerto Plata when Carroll put on her running shoe which she hadn't worn while we were in P.P. When we arrived in Toronto Carroll noticed that her toe was hurting albeit slightly . However, we first had to clear customs and then hurray to our departure gate to catch our "already delayed " flight to Calgary. The hustle and bustle to get thru customs, then dropping off our luggage for the flight to Calgary followed by long lineup to clear security, and as a result, the pain in Carroll's toe seemed to subside. After we cleared customs we had to walk to the "last" gate in Terminal 3. It was so far I thought we were doing a "Walk for Cancer " .
After we got on the plane, Carroll removed her shoe so the toe felt OK and it is not easy to check your toe when you are on a plane. When we arrive in Calgary it was another rush to get the luggage and "try " to get a cab because it is now around 1 PM on 1 Jan and Cabs where at a premium. To get a cab at the Calgary airport was a 25 minute wait outside in the -13C temperature so Carroll's toe was not foremost on her mind. When we arrive at Todd's house at 3 PM on 1 Jan, Carroll finally removed her shoe and sox and it was then that she seen that the blister was long gone and she had a open sore slightly larger than a quarter and it did not look good. We treated it with Polysporin , hoping that it would heal quickly. The Polysporin seem to be doing the trick.
Needless to say , Carroll threw out those shoes and we bought a new pair ( 2 Jan ) the next day as we were leaving for Yuma on the 4 Jan. We continued to treat the sore with Polysporin and or Triple Antibiotic and since we were travelling she was not doing much walking. The sore was healing slowly, in fact too slow for me so on the 15 Jan we went to the local "Walk in Clinic ". Actually we tried to find a Podiatrist but there was a two week wait, hence the reason we went to the clinic. The clinic doctor gave Carroll a prescription for Antibiotic pill and said to continue with using the Triple antibiotic . Here is the Kicker: When we went to the clinic the clerk ask if we had insurance. We said no, we are paying for it so the charge was 100.00. She said if we had insurance it would cost 250.00. They even wrote on the invoice 250.00, less the doctors discount 150.00, total cost 100.00. What a scam???
All that to say Carroll's toe is healing albeit too slow for my liking. She doesn't want to go in the pool until it heals over. However, our weather is not pool weather as we have a morning temp of 52 F and a daily high of 73 F.
We had a visit in the afternoon, from friends ( Otto and Edna ) that we travelled to MX several years ago. cheers
Monday, 18 January 2016
Nothing Day
13 Jan
You may have seen the Seinfeld show where Geo tell Jerry that "This show is about Nothing" and Jerry tries to debate it but Geo insist that it is about "Nothing ". Well, this day for us was about "Nothing". I can't think of another Nothing day as I always like to do some type of maintenance , if for no other reason to say I did "something:. cheers
14 Jan iPhone Class
One of the Ladies in the park , who really understands Apple, iPhones and iPads, has volunteered to hold a class, once a month, for us near illiterate users and that includes T and C. Now if you have ever had an opportunity to be in a ( free ) class with 30 senior , do yourself a favor and stay home and watch the rinse cycle in the washing machine. These folks would shame a class of Kindergarten Kids.
First , they will not stop talking ( mostly women ) and then they must spend hours thinking up a stupid question. As an example , the instructor is walking us thru a procedure on the iPhone and says "you will see the icon in the top right corner". One lady says that I don't have that icon on my phone so the instructor goes to her table to show her. The instructor says , you have an Android phone and this is an iPhone class. The lady doesn't stop there; she follows that by saying , is there a difference.
The instructor certainly has the patience of " Jobe ". One guy was sitting about 8 feet from the instructor and speaks up to say he can't hear what she said. Another guy speaks up and says "Rudy " you are deaf which is the reason you can't hear.
Then the instructor shows us how to send a picture on the iPhone. She says "go to you pictures". Rudy says, I don't have a picture on my iPhone so she say , just snap a pic of someone in the class but Rudy says I only talk to my daughter and she wouldn't want a picture of someone here. It is hard to imagine that these people have a Vote!!.
Suffice to say most of us gain a lot of information about the iPhone and iPad but we have a lot to learn.
In the afternoon we had a couple ( Cam and Joann ) pay us a visit. They were in the Military with us and who we have not seen since 1990 when we left Comox. We had a great visit and got caught up on all the news about Family and Friends . They are camped about 30 KM away and we will pay them a return visit in the following weeks. Cheers
.
You may have seen the Seinfeld show where Geo tell Jerry that "This show is about Nothing" and Jerry tries to debate it but Geo insist that it is about "Nothing ". Well, this day for us was about "Nothing". I can't think of another Nothing day as I always like to do some type of maintenance , if for no other reason to say I did "something:. cheers
14 Jan iPhone Class
One of the Ladies in the park , who really understands Apple, iPhones and iPads, has volunteered to hold a class, once a month, for us near illiterate users and that includes T and C. Now if you have ever had an opportunity to be in a ( free ) class with 30 senior , do yourself a favor and stay home and watch the rinse cycle in the washing machine. These folks would shame a class of Kindergarten Kids.
First , they will not stop talking ( mostly women ) and then they must spend hours thinking up a stupid question. As an example , the instructor is walking us thru a procedure on the iPhone and says "you will see the icon in the top right corner". One lady says that I don't have that icon on my phone so the instructor goes to her table to show her. The instructor says , you have an Android phone and this is an iPhone class. The lady doesn't stop there; she follows that by saying , is there a difference.
The instructor certainly has the patience of " Jobe ". One guy was sitting about 8 feet from the instructor and speaks up to say he can't hear what she said. Another guy speaks up and says "Rudy " you are deaf which is the reason you can't hear.
Then the instructor shows us how to send a picture on the iPhone. She says "go to you pictures". Rudy says, I don't have a picture on my iPhone so she say , just snap a pic of someone in the class but Rudy says I only talk to my daughter and she wouldn't want a picture of someone here. It is hard to imagine that these people have a Vote!!.
Suffice to say most of us gain a lot of information about the iPhone and iPad but we have a lot to learn.
In the afternoon we had a couple ( Cam and Joann ) pay us a visit. They were in the Military with us and who we have not seen since 1990 when we left Comox. We had a great visit and got caught up on all the news about Family and Friends . They are camped about 30 KM away and we will pay them a return visit in the following weeks. Cheers
.
Sunday, 17 January 2016
Washing the Motor Home
Tuesday 12 Jan
You don't actually think that I would wash my Motor Home when someone else will do it for 40.00. Sergio's RV Wash will wash your Park Model , Motor Home or other type of RV for 40.00 and if your car needs a wash he will through that in for free and he will not take a tip. Our MH needed a wash badly so I ask if he could do it on Sat but he too was overbooked so my appoint was late Tuesday afternoon. Sergio has two wash trucks and they use RO water so there is no streaking. However Sergio sometime has a timing issue and has in the past came early so we stuck around all afternoon and this time he came right at 4 PM. However he could not do my car as his "2nd" Rig blew a water pump and he other appointments today and he doesn't like to disappoint customers. He promised to return tomorrow to do my car when he gets caught up. I know he will keep his word.
We all have a soft spot for Sergio because he had Polio as a child and as a result he has a twisted short leg which causes him to have a real bad limp. I personally think it is great that he can run a business that hires 6 or 8 workers. As a result of his handicap he can not climb on the roof of the RV's. Cheers
You don't actually think that I would wash my Motor Home when someone else will do it for 40.00. Sergio's RV Wash will wash your Park Model , Motor Home or other type of RV for 40.00 and if your car needs a wash he will through that in for free and he will not take a tip. Our MH needed a wash badly so I ask if he could do it on Sat but he too was overbooked so my appoint was late Tuesday afternoon. Sergio has two wash trucks and they use RO water so there is no streaking. However Sergio sometime has a timing issue and has in the past came early so we stuck around all afternoon and this time he came right at 4 PM. However he could not do my car as his "2nd" Rig blew a water pump and he other appointments today and he doesn't like to disappoint customers. He promised to return tomorrow to do my car when he gets caught up. I know he will keep his word.
We all have a soft spot for Sergio because he had Polio as a child and as a result he has a twisted short leg which causes him to have a real bad limp. I personally think it is great that he can run a business that hires 6 or 8 workers. As a result of his handicap he can not climb on the roof of the RV's. Cheers
Horse Races/ Steak Supper
Monday 11 Jan
We went to the monthly Horse Races but before you think real horses, it is not. It works this way: There are 6 wooden cutout horse complete with jockeys. You pay 12.00 per person and that includes a steak supper and it is always sold out. Luckily a couple turned there tickets in Monday morning and I got them. The race is held in the Meeting Hall and the people sit around the outside and the Race track is in the middle. The horse have to move 20 tiles to be the winner and they are moved by the roll of the dice. One Die to indicate the horse number and one Die to say how many square to move. To bet you draw a card with a horse number however, the cards are turned over so you actual draw blind. You bet 25 cent a horse with a limit of 4 card ( 1.00 ) There were 8 races and I had a Win or a Place on every races so I cleared 3.00 for the afternoon. That is 3.00 more than I won on the Power Ball.
The table that you sit at for the races is predetermined and since we got the last to ticket we had to sit with people we had never met. The first couple we met just happen to be the Firefighter who trained our son Clark in Shilo, MB some 27 years ago. (Clark is now the Fire Chief for Suncor in Ft. Mc Murray) . The next couple where born and raised in Medicine Hat, AB and he is the brother of Cory Snyder, who was a World Champion Bull Rider. So you never know who you may shake hands with as you travel around the world.
The T-bone steaks where huge and the supper was great. I'm sure we will go to the next Horse Races but it was humorous to see the Seniors holler to cheer on a "Wooden Horse ". Seniors are just older Kids. cheers
We went to the monthly Horse Races but before you think real horses, it is not. It works this way: There are 6 wooden cutout horse complete with jockeys. You pay 12.00 per person and that includes a steak supper and it is always sold out. Luckily a couple turned there tickets in Monday morning and I got them. The race is held in the Meeting Hall and the people sit around the outside and the Race track is in the middle. The horse have to move 20 tiles to be the winner and they are moved by the roll of the dice. One Die to indicate the horse number and one Die to say how many square to move. To bet you draw a card with a horse number however, the cards are turned over so you actual draw blind. You bet 25 cent a horse with a limit of 4 card ( 1.00 ) There were 8 races and I had a Win or a Place on every races so I cleared 3.00 for the afternoon. That is 3.00 more than I won on the Power Ball.
The table that you sit at for the races is predetermined and since we got the last to ticket we had to sit with people we had never met. The first couple we met just happen to be the Firefighter who trained our son Clark in Shilo, MB some 27 years ago. (Clark is now the Fire Chief for Suncor in Ft. Mc Murray) . The next couple where born and raised in Medicine Hat, AB and he is the brother of Cory Snyder, who was a World Champion Bull Rider. So you never know who you may shake hands with as you travel around the world.
The T-bone steaks where huge and the supper was great. I'm sure we will go to the next Horse Races but it was humorous to see the Seniors holler to cheer on a "Wooden Horse ". Seniors are just older Kids. cheers
Waiting on TimeWarner
Saturday 9 th
We were advised by Time Warner ( TW ) to stay home all day Sat as they may have a cancellation and would try to "Squeeze " me in for an Internet connection. As it turns out this was a wasted day as a Installer Tech later told me this never happens because there are so many Snowbirds arriving that a cancellation just means that they go to the next guy on the list. Besides they only give you a window such as " before noon " or late afternoon as was in our case.
However, I did sneak away for ten minutes to grab a couple of Power Ball tickets but as it turns out it was a waste of 4.00 USD because some "dam " American won the pot.
Oh Ya; I also hit the gym as I thought I could "tone " my body if I had to stay in the park. I also found out that if go to the Gym it is much quicker to do your workout and leave. I made the fatal mistake of asking a "older " gentleman how he was doing and I now know all about having a heart valve replaced and all the lead up causes and a step by step of the operation and the recovery process.
As it turns out that is my second "Heart Operation" story that I sat thru in two days. Why does everyone think I want to know about their health problem? I guess they are just happy to be on the "Green " side of the grass. Cheers
Sunday 10 Jan
Since we can't get the Internet connected we decide to get out Cell phone activated. To do this we thought we could get it done at the Verizon Store in the Yuma Mall as they have a big store there and we have Verizon for our cell at home. Being Sunday we assumed it would not open until 10 AM so we got there around 10:30 only to find out that it opens at 11:00. To waste 1/2 an hour we cruised around the Mall area to check our other stores that "Carroll " might like to visit. I kept reminding her to add 40 % to all prices.
However, we did spot Best Buy and we were having a problem ( mostly operator error ) with the iPad so after we get the Cell phone operational we would return to Best Buy.
We return to the Verizon store at 11:00 and ask to have our cell phone activated will a Sim card. The Tech says , "we can't do that" and I said "what " why not; his reply was that, Verizon doesn't handle cell phone. But, he says if you go to the AT&T store across the parking lot they will do it for you. This seemed odd to us but we went to AT&T and they sold us a Sim card with unlimited calls in the USA for 25.00 and for and extra 5.00 we could get 250 minutes for Canada, which of course we purchased.
Then we moved to the Best Buy and got a female tech who was "Badged" as the Team Leader. After spending about 20 minutes showing us a few things that we did not know and playing with the iPad she suggested that we might want to get a new one because ours was out of date. What!! it is only 3 1/2 years old. Anyway, we then ask about a new computer so she handed us over to " Martin " a young guy who seem extremely knowledge and did not seem to mind dealing with two " Computer Illiterate" seniors. He also explained that I could get a reduced price ( from 10 to 50 percent ) if I would take a "returned " computer or better still if I took an "Open Box " computer.
Returned , mean someone took it home and actually used it but returned it. The "Greeks " cleaned the computer and it was back to new. Open Box means the buyer took the computer home but never used it.
The salesman continued to tell us about this man (a Senior ) who bought a computer and his wife "Marched" him right back and stood over him until he got his money back. He says it was quite humorous.
The bottom line is that it is just too expensive for me to buy a computer in the USA.
In the evening we visited with friends from Medicine Hat who, it seems that we see more often in Yuma then we do at home. Cheers
We were advised by Time Warner ( TW ) to stay home all day Sat as they may have a cancellation and would try to "Squeeze " me in for an Internet connection. As it turns out this was a wasted day as a Installer Tech later told me this never happens because there are so many Snowbirds arriving that a cancellation just means that they go to the next guy on the list. Besides they only give you a window such as " before noon " or late afternoon as was in our case.
However, I did sneak away for ten minutes to grab a couple of Power Ball tickets but as it turns out it was a waste of 4.00 USD because some "dam " American won the pot.
Oh Ya; I also hit the gym as I thought I could "tone " my body if I had to stay in the park. I also found out that if go to the Gym it is much quicker to do your workout and leave. I made the fatal mistake of asking a "older " gentleman how he was doing and I now know all about having a heart valve replaced and all the lead up causes and a step by step of the operation and the recovery process.
As it turns out that is my second "Heart Operation" story that I sat thru in two days. Why does everyone think I want to know about their health problem? I guess they are just happy to be on the "Green " side of the grass. Cheers
Sunday 10 Jan
Since we can't get the Internet connected we decide to get out Cell phone activated. To do this we thought we could get it done at the Verizon Store in the Yuma Mall as they have a big store there and we have Verizon for our cell at home. Being Sunday we assumed it would not open until 10 AM so we got there around 10:30 only to find out that it opens at 11:00. To waste 1/2 an hour we cruised around the Mall area to check our other stores that "Carroll " might like to visit. I kept reminding her to add 40 % to all prices.
However, we did spot Best Buy and we were having a problem ( mostly operator error ) with the iPad so after we get the Cell phone operational we would return to Best Buy.
We return to the Verizon store at 11:00 and ask to have our cell phone activated will a Sim card. The Tech says , "we can't do that" and I said "what " why not; his reply was that, Verizon doesn't handle cell phone. But, he says if you go to the AT&T store across the parking lot they will do it for you. This seemed odd to us but we went to AT&T and they sold us a Sim card with unlimited calls in the USA for 25.00 and for and extra 5.00 we could get 250 minutes for Canada, which of course we purchased.
Then we moved to the Best Buy and got a female tech who was "Badged" as the Team Leader. After spending about 20 minutes showing us a few things that we did not know and playing with the iPad she suggested that we might want to get a new one because ours was out of date. What!! it is only 3 1/2 years old. Anyway, we then ask about a new computer so she handed us over to " Martin " a young guy who seem extremely knowledge and did not seem to mind dealing with two " Computer Illiterate" seniors. He also explained that I could get a reduced price ( from 10 to 50 percent ) if I would take a "returned " computer or better still if I took an "Open Box " computer.
Returned , mean someone took it home and actually used it but returned it. The "Greeks " cleaned the computer and it was back to new. Open Box means the buyer took the computer home but never used it.
The salesman continued to tell us about this man (a Senior ) who bought a computer and his wife "Marched" him right back and stood over him until he got his money back. He says it was quite humorous.
The bottom line is that it is just too expensive for me to buy a computer in the USA.
In the evening we visited with friends from Medicine Hat who, it seems that we see more often in Yuma then we do at home. Cheers
Friday, 15 January 2016
Things to do on our first full day at Benito Mesa
8 th Jan Friday
First thing this morning, was my attempt to convince Time Warner (TW ) that I needed my internet ASP. I later found out that "ASP" is not in their vocabulary. Since I did not have our cell phone activated yet, I visited a neighbor/friend to use their phone and called TW hoping to lay on my charm to get the Internet connect on Friday or Saturday. Dennis ( the TW scheduler ) was adamant ; no sooner that the 18 Jan BUT if they had a cancellation they would try to squeeze me in. I felt somewhat convinced that Dennis would really try to get me hooked up sooner because I just can't wait until the 18 th. So later in the afternoon I called back to TW to ask if they got any cancellation for Saturday. ( It doesn't hurt to ask ). This time I got "Anthony " and he said there was no cancellation but he had an opening on the 15 th at 4 PM so I took it. He also said that I should stay home on Saturday as their Techs were in Benito Mesa on Saturday and MAY squeeze me in. At least this was encouraging even if it was a long shot.
Our next move was to go grocery shopping and this would be a big one as our MH was empty of any perishables since it was parked in Mesquite since Oct. The grocery bill was 158.00 USD. The up side is the for every 100.00 you spend at Fry's you get 10 cents off a gallon of gas or diesel.
Our MH, like all MH's has power operated sun screens , one on the driver's side and one for the co-pilot ( Carroll's ) side. The windshields are quite huge so a Sun vision, like one in your car is really not practical hence the need for a Sun Screen. The plastic support brackets broke off on the way down in Oct and no Cdn RV dealer could supply the brackets so I went to the local Discount RV shop to see if the could order me the brackets. They did not have a bracket in stock , nor did I think they would have. However, the guy at the order desk suggest I order it on line myself because if he ordered it, he would have to add his markup. I thanked him for the advise and I will order once I get my internet.
We thought about getting our Cell activated but had done enough running around for today so we opted to take the afternoon to rest and to set the chairs, Bar-B-Q etc. Besides, Happy Hour was creeping up. cheers
First thing this morning, was my attempt to convince Time Warner (TW ) that I needed my internet ASP. I later found out that "ASP" is not in their vocabulary. Since I did not have our cell phone activated yet, I visited a neighbor/friend to use their phone and called TW hoping to lay on my charm to get the Internet connect on Friday or Saturday. Dennis ( the TW scheduler ) was adamant ; no sooner that the 18 Jan BUT if they had a cancellation they would try to squeeze me in. I felt somewhat convinced that Dennis would really try to get me hooked up sooner because I just can't wait until the 18 th. So later in the afternoon I called back to TW to ask if they got any cancellation for Saturday. ( It doesn't hurt to ask ). This time I got "Anthony " and he said there was no cancellation but he had an opening on the 15 th at 4 PM so I took it. He also said that I should stay home on Saturday as their Techs were in Benito Mesa on Saturday and MAY squeeze me in. At least this was encouraging even if it was a long shot.
Our next move was to go grocery shopping and this would be a big one as our MH was empty of any perishables since it was parked in Mesquite since Oct. The grocery bill was 158.00 USD. The up side is the for every 100.00 you spend at Fry's you get 10 cents off a gallon of gas or diesel.
Our MH, like all MH's has power operated sun screens , one on the driver's side and one for the co-pilot ( Carroll's ) side. The windshields are quite huge so a Sun vision, like one in your car is really not practical hence the need for a Sun Screen. The plastic support brackets broke off on the way down in Oct and no Cdn RV dealer could supply the brackets so I went to the local Discount RV shop to see if the could order me the brackets. They did not have a bracket in stock , nor did I think they would have. However, the guy at the order desk suggest I order it on line myself because if he ordered it, he would have to add his markup. I thanked him for the advise and I will order once I get my internet.
We thought about getting our Cell activated but had done enough running around for today so we opted to take the afternoon to rest and to set the chairs, Bar-B-Q etc. Besides, Happy Hour was creeping up. cheers
Wednesday, 13 January 2016
AVI to Yuma
Today is the 7 th Jan. I forgot to mention that yesterday was Carroll's Birthday. I bought supper at the casino and she won 8.00 which is better than dropping her usual 20.00.
We left AVI around 9 AM and we stayed on the CA side which is HWY 95 as this hwy is much more of a casual drive than the AZ side. The trip from AVI to Yuma is a casual 6 hour drive assuming we did not stop in Quartzsite and we did not stop as the "Big Tent " was not open yet. Then we took hwy 62 to Parker AZ where we would stop for fuel as the price is at least half of the CA price. Since we are sometimes a " creature of habit" so we stop at a favorite Haunt for breakfast.
After leaving Parker we sailed right thru Quartzsite heading for Yuma which is 85 miles from there. About 1/2 way I need a "Pit " stop and there are few pull-offs so I spotted a somewhat level dirt area and pulled off. On my entry back on to the hwy I then realized that it had been raining here recently and as my wheels hit the soft sand my next though was "Holy Shit " what have I done. So I gave the throttle a slight touch and we spun the wheels a little but made it back on the road. Another disaster averted.
We arrived at the RV park around three PM and then had a long discussion about where we wanted to park and where they would let us park. Our first choice was taken and since we have a 40 foot MH with 4 slides we are limited. The park attendant wanted to put us in a spot that we had before but we refused as the neighbor has 2 "Yappy " dogs and the tree at the back of the MH "houses" many birds at night an they use our MH for a bathroom. After several conversation the gentleman who " parks " us said; let's jump into my cart and go find a suitable site. We found a spot with nobody on either side and a very friendly " Binder Pilot " from Sask , who we had met last year , just spots away. Problem solved.
After getting set up we went grocery shopping and pickup a Chinese supper at the grocery store. the day is done and I need a beer. Cheers
We left AVI around 9 AM and we stayed on the CA side which is HWY 95 as this hwy is much more of a casual drive than the AZ side. The trip from AVI to Yuma is a casual 6 hour drive assuming we did not stop in Quartzsite and we did not stop as the "Big Tent " was not open yet. Then we took hwy 62 to Parker AZ where we would stop for fuel as the price is at least half of the CA price. Since we are sometimes a " creature of habit" so we stop at a favorite Haunt for breakfast.
After leaving Parker we sailed right thru Quartzsite heading for Yuma which is 85 miles from there. About 1/2 way I need a "Pit " stop and there are few pull-offs so I spotted a somewhat level dirt area and pulled off. On my entry back on to the hwy I then realized that it had been raining here recently and as my wheels hit the soft sand my next though was "Holy Shit " what have I done. So I gave the throttle a slight touch and we spun the wheels a little but made it back on the road. Another disaster averted.
We arrived at the RV park around three PM and then had a long discussion about where we wanted to park and where they would let us park. Our first choice was taken and since we have a 40 foot MH with 4 slides we are limited. The park attendant wanted to put us in a spot that we had before but we refused as the neighbor has 2 "Yappy " dogs and the tree at the back of the MH "houses" many birds at night an they use our MH for a bathroom. After several conversation the gentleman who " parks " us said; let's jump into my cart and go find a suitable site. We found a spot with nobody on either side and a very friendly " Binder Pilot " from Sask , who we had met last year , just spots away. Problem solved.
After getting set up we went grocery shopping and pickup a Chinese supper at the grocery store. the day is done and I need a beer. Cheers
Mesquite to AVI Casino
Our plan was to have breakfast, then go to the storage and pick up the Motor Home (MH ), go to the Casablanca RV park, ( there is no security ) fill up with water to last until we get to Yuma and head for AVI Casino where we would overnight for free.
That was the plan but it did not work out that way. When we got to the storage area the batteries in the MH were dead with not enough power to honk the horn.
About 5 years ago on Christmas eve "Day " we were parked in a parking lot in Mesquite and the alternator in the Ford truck failed or to coin a phase, "it shit itself ". Since I did not know where I could get help I ask trucker who was parked near us, and he told me to go to John's Diesel as he was the best mechanic in NV. So I again solicited John's help to see if he could Jumper the MH. John is a talker and he was holding court with guys so I did not want to interfere so I stood near by and kind of stare at him to get his attention. Finally he ask me if he could help and I said I needed a boost for my MH. He called one of the mechanic who did not seem busy and told him my problem. The mechanic apparently runs the Mobile Service Truck and he knew the location of the storage and said he would be there in 10 Minutes.
The Service Truck arrived and had to let his vehicle run for 10 minutes to charge up the batteries before the MH would start. A 120.00 later the MH was running and we headed to the Casablanca RV Park where I quickly top up the water tank and of course nobody seemed to notice nor did the Security show up. We hooked up the tow car and headed for AVI Casino which is a 4 hour drive and is 15 miles out of Needles, CA but located in NV.
We have stayed at AVI Casino several times over the years as they have a 5 acre gravel lot where many RVers park overnight or for a few days. If you stay longer than one night you are suppose to gamble but they are fairly lenient. Any how we pulled into the lot along with 100 or so other Freeloaders and parked. Carroll went to unlock the door and the deadbolt lock was stuck. I tried to turn the lock but no luck. " What the hell can we do? ".... We are locked in with no way to get out. Carroll opened a window and hollered at two men who where sitting nearby and I'm sure they could believe what this lady was hollering about. The two guys took our keys but could not turn the lock so we are now trapped inside our MH. The lock is secured by two bolts from the inside the MH but when the lock is in the "Locked " position the Thumb Knob covers the two screws. I ask the two helpers to get me a screw driver and I turned the Thumb Knob just far enough to remove one bolt which slightly loosened the lock. Then I sprung the Thumb Knob far enough to remove the second bolt. Finally the lock fell apart and we where now "Freed ". Needless to say the deadbolt will never be reinstalled as long as we own the MH. If we had a fire and the lock jam the isn't hope in Hell of getting out alive.
That was the plan but it did not work out that way. When we got to the storage area the batteries in the MH were dead with not enough power to honk the horn.
About 5 years ago on Christmas eve "Day " we were parked in a parking lot in Mesquite and the alternator in the Ford truck failed or to coin a phase, "it shit itself ". Since I did not know where I could get help I ask trucker who was parked near us, and he told me to go to John's Diesel as he was the best mechanic in NV. So I again solicited John's help to see if he could Jumper the MH. John is a talker and he was holding court with guys so I did not want to interfere so I stood near by and kind of stare at him to get his attention. Finally he ask me if he could help and I said I needed a boost for my MH. He called one of the mechanic who did not seem busy and told him my problem. The mechanic apparently runs the Mobile Service Truck and he knew the location of the storage and said he would be there in 10 Minutes.
The Service Truck arrived and had to let his vehicle run for 10 minutes to charge up the batteries before the MH would start. A 120.00 later the MH was running and we headed to the Casablanca RV Park where I quickly top up the water tank and of course nobody seemed to notice nor did the Security show up. We hooked up the tow car and headed for AVI Casino which is a 4 hour drive and is 15 miles out of Needles, CA but located in NV.
We have stayed at AVI Casino several times over the years as they have a 5 acre gravel lot where many RVers park overnight or for a few days. If you stay longer than one night you are suppose to gamble but they are fairly lenient. Any how we pulled into the lot along with 100 or so other Freeloaders and parked. Carroll went to unlock the door and the deadbolt lock was stuck. I tried to turn the lock but no luck. " What the hell can we do? ".... We are locked in with no way to get out. Carroll opened a window and hollered at two men who where sitting nearby and I'm sure they could believe what this lady was hollering about. The two guys took our keys but could not turn the lock so we are now trapped inside our MH. The lock is secured by two bolts from the inside the MH but when the lock is in the "Locked " position the Thumb Knob covers the two screws. I ask the two helpers to get me a screw driver and I turned the Thumb Knob just far enough to remove one bolt which slightly loosened the lock. Then I sprung the Thumb Knob far enough to remove the second bolt. Finally the lock fell apart and we where now "Freed ". Needless to say the deadbolt will never be reinstalled as long as we own the MH. If we had a fire and the lock jam the isn't hope in Hell of getting out alive.
Monday, 11 January 2016
Idaho to Mesquite Nevada.
When we got up on Tuesday at Idaho Falls a light snow had fallen during the night and it looked nasty. However, we did not want to pass up the free "Hot Breakfast " promised by the Comfort INN. During breakfast we drummed up a conversation with a couple from Sask who were heading to Surprise, AZ and a couple from AB who going to Mesa.
Even thought the roads were snowy, followed by a light misty rain for all of the way to SLC we played "Leap Frog" with the above two couples as we all seemed to think the 120 KMH was the preferred speed.
However, we usually stop south of SLC at a place called San Quintan which is apple country to purchase a bag of Pears and Apples. We also stopped there for fuel since it was 2.22 a gal. Since this stop took about 1/2 an hour our Leap Frog friends were long gone so we never seen them again.
From San Quintan to St. Geo was clear sailing again as they weather became sunny and clear. We stopped in at St. Geo as Carroll purchased an overprice set of " Bamboo" sheets when we where there to play ball in Oct. The sheets frayed on the first wash so we wanted to exchanged them which the company did without any question.
We planned to stay in Mesquite , at the Virgin River casino hotel tonight and to get the MH out of storage tomorrow. We arrived in Mesquite, NV around 4 PM and the weather started to cloud over and within 1/2 an hour it started to pour rain and it continued throughout the night. We had hoped that the rain would stop in the morning so we could unload the car into the MH without getting drenched.
We went to the casino to have supper ( Prime rib special for 6.99) and for Carroll to donated another 20.00 to the casino to ensure that it stays afloat for another year. I believe she dropped the 20.00 in record time. After supper we went to Lee's Discount Liquor store to pick up a supply of Beer, wine and Rye as the price are always reasonable. We met either the owner or one of the salesman and he and I discussed Canadian Whisky, mainly Crown Royal and he knew all about the Crown Royal being brewed in Gimli, Manitoba and the fact that Crown Royal is no longer aged for 12 years because of the demand for the product. Also, any Crown Royal consumer probably is aware that they have new product such "Black " and " Maple" which are flying off the shelf. Cheers
Even thought the roads were snowy, followed by a light misty rain for all of the way to SLC we played "Leap Frog" with the above two couples as we all seemed to think the 120 KMH was the preferred speed.
However, we usually stop south of SLC at a place called San Quintan which is apple country to purchase a bag of Pears and Apples. We also stopped there for fuel since it was 2.22 a gal. Since this stop took about 1/2 an hour our Leap Frog friends were long gone so we never seen them again.
From San Quintan to St. Geo was clear sailing again as they weather became sunny and clear. We stopped in at St. Geo as Carroll purchased an overprice set of " Bamboo" sheets when we where there to play ball in Oct. The sheets frayed on the first wash so we wanted to exchanged them which the company did without any question.
We planned to stay in Mesquite , at the Virgin River casino hotel tonight and to get the MH out of storage tomorrow. We arrived in Mesquite, NV around 4 PM and the weather started to cloud over and within 1/2 an hour it started to pour rain and it continued throughout the night. We had hoped that the rain would stop in the morning so we could unload the car into the MH without getting drenched.
We went to the casino to have supper ( Prime rib special for 6.99) and for Carroll to donated another 20.00 to the casino to ensure that it stays afloat for another year. I believe she dropped the 20.00 in record time. After supper we went to Lee's Discount Liquor store to pick up a supply of Beer, wine and Rye as the price are always reasonable. We met either the owner or one of the salesman and he and I discussed Canadian Whisky, mainly Crown Royal and he knew all about the Crown Royal being brewed in Gimli, Manitoba and the fact that Crown Royal is no longer aged for 12 years because of the demand for the product. Also, any Crown Royal consumer probably is aware that they have new product such "Black " and " Maple" which are flying off the shelf. Cheers
Okotoks to Idaho Falls.
We left Todd's place at 8:08 AM , just as the G/Kids left for school and we headed for Idaho Falls. The weather was -8 C when we left AB and the roads were great all the way to Idaho Falls. Except for the preverbal stop at the Duty free to pick up two bottles of Crown Royal and the "Where are from and Where are you going questions " at the border the rest was clear sailing except for gas. Gas in MT was 2.35 and diesel was a little cheaper, and it got cheaper as we went south except for UT so I avoided it. The weather was a little rainy in Idaho Falls and since the temp was dropping we expected snow in the morning.
I used my charm at the Comfort INN to get a good room for a reasonable price. The price started at 80.00 for a Queen bed on the second floor so I ask for a discount for a Senior which did not move the needle at all. Then I used the " I am a Veteran " card and that got me a 10.00 discount once I showed proof. The I used " my wife has two new knees and can't climb stairs " card so the clerk gave us a suite on the 1 st floor with a King bed at no extra cost. I told you I used my charm.
We had supper at the Olive Garden before we got a room so after getting the room we hit the pool and the hot tub. By now we were tired and wanted to get an early start tomorrow so we hit the bed shortly thereafter. cheers
I used my charm at the Comfort INN to get a good room for a reasonable price. The price started at 80.00 for a Queen bed on the second floor so I ask for a discount for a Senior which did not move the needle at all. Then I used the " I am a Veteran " card and that got me a 10.00 discount once I showed proof. The I used " my wife has two new knees and can't climb stairs " card so the clerk gave us a suite on the 1 st floor with a King bed at no extra cost. I told you I used my charm.
We had supper at the Olive Garden before we got a room so after getting the room we hit the pool and the hot tub. By now we were tired and wanted to get an early start tomorrow so we hit the bed shortly thereafter. cheers
Todd's place
2 Jan 2015
Todd and family have been at the cabin in BC since Christmas, polishing their skiing skills and will be returning home today. Since they have been away since the before Christmas the fridge was empty so we decided to do some grocery shopping so there would be the necessary food supplies when Todd, Yvonne and the 4 "Human Garborators " arrived home around supper time.
In the morning we sent Todd a message and ask if we were to make supper for them . Todd's answer was no , they would eat on the way home. We bought a 5 lb roast along with other groceries just in case they didn't stop on the way home. Around 3 PM we rec an email from Todd saying , you can make supper as we have changed our plans and will now be home around 6 PM. Luckily I checked my email at 4 PM and seen Todd's message and then panic set in. We cranked the oven up to 400 F and put the roast in hoping it would be done by 6 or 6:30. Todd is notorious for being late and this is one time I had hoped he would miscalculate his arrival time.
As it turns out , Todd and family arrived home around 6 PM and Carroll had every thing ready by 6:30 so we had supper and then the G/kids shows us there Christmas presents.
3 Jan 2015.
Since we are leaving for Yuma tomorrow ( the 4 th Jan ) around 8 AM and /or after the G/Kids leave for school, we had to sort out the clothes we are taking and those that are staying behind. We would normal leave our summer clothes in the MH when we left it in Mesquite, NV but we had to bring some home to take to Puerto Plata. We also need "winter" clothes for the first two days of travel, for going south. It always seems that our vehicles are too small for the items we have to take with us. I'm sure I can get by with a lot fewer things than Carroll but who am I to argue that point!!!!!
Todd and I build a hockey rink in Nov and he has been trying to get it flooded every since. The dam weather has been fluctuating above and below Zero during Dec so it was hard to get a smooth surface. Since it was minus 13 today, we got 350 gallon of water from Todd's work and dumped it on and sealed the edges and to smooth out some ruts.. He will get a water truck to flood it later in the week.
The we decided to string the necessary lighting to make this " Coliseum " as close as possible to look like then" Saddle Dome ". After working outside at -13C for about 3 hours I almost forgot how cold that is so we call a " Timeout " I think Todd allows two timeouts per day , so I could warm up.
Later I finished packing the car so we could get an early start as we had hope for good weather so we could get to Idhao Falls tomorrow. cheers
Todd and family have been at the cabin in BC since Christmas, polishing their skiing skills and will be returning home today. Since they have been away since the before Christmas the fridge was empty so we decided to do some grocery shopping so there would be the necessary food supplies when Todd, Yvonne and the 4 "Human Garborators " arrived home around supper time.
In the morning we sent Todd a message and ask if we were to make supper for them . Todd's answer was no , they would eat on the way home. We bought a 5 lb roast along with other groceries just in case they didn't stop on the way home. Around 3 PM we rec an email from Todd saying , you can make supper as we have changed our plans and will now be home around 6 PM. Luckily I checked my email at 4 PM and seen Todd's message and then panic set in. We cranked the oven up to 400 F and put the roast in hoping it would be done by 6 or 6:30. Todd is notorious for being late and this is one time I had hoped he would miscalculate his arrival time.
As it turns out , Todd and family arrived home around 6 PM and Carroll had every thing ready by 6:30 so we had supper and then the G/kids shows us there Christmas presents.
3 Jan 2015.
Since we are leaving for Yuma tomorrow ( the 4 th Jan ) around 8 AM and /or after the G/Kids leave for school, we had to sort out the clothes we are taking and those that are staying behind. We would normal leave our summer clothes in the MH when we left it in Mesquite, NV but we had to bring some home to take to Puerto Plata. We also need "winter" clothes for the first two days of travel, for going south. It always seems that our vehicles are too small for the items we have to take with us. I'm sure I can get by with a lot fewer things than Carroll but who am I to argue that point!!!!!
Todd and I build a hockey rink in Nov and he has been trying to get it flooded every since. The dam weather has been fluctuating above and below Zero during Dec so it was hard to get a smooth surface. Since it was minus 13 today, we got 350 gallon of water from Todd's work and dumped it on and sealed the edges and to smooth out some ruts.. He will get a water truck to flood it later in the week.
The we decided to string the necessary lighting to make this " Coliseum " as close as possible to look like then" Saddle Dome ". After working outside at -13C for about 3 hours I almost forgot how cold that is so we call a " Timeout " I think Todd allows two timeouts per day , so I could warm up.
Later I finished packing the car so we could get an early start as we had hope for good weather so we could get to Idhao Falls tomorrow. cheers
Saturday, 2 January 2016
Happy New Year
As mentioned, in our last report we got to Todd's home in Okotoks about 2:30 Am 1 Jan. On the way home we seen a MacDonald's that was open so we thought we would grab a burger and a coffee. Now remember this about 2 PM and the drive through had a lineup of about 50 vehicle. They were actually wound around the parking lot. We went inside and found out that you could only order by a computer activated menu panel; actually there was 4 of them. I ask one guys how quick were they filling the order and he says I'm number 286 and the last number called was 195. I looked and Carroll and said, We are out of here. So we had some leftovers at Todd's and got to bed around 3 AM.
We woke up at 10:30, had a shower followed by breakfast and then decided to unpack the suite cases. To my absolute amazement and shock, I had picked up the wrong suitecase . As soon as I open the suite case and seen the ladies underwear I new I was in the wrong pair of pants ( so to speak ). About the same time Todd phone to say that WestJet called our house sitter in Med Hat and they in turn called Todd to say that WestJet had found our lost luggage, which really wasn't lost. The mix up was that I quickly checked the name on the tag and I thought it was Esl on the tag but it was Ebl. It was a paper tag and of course it was wriggled .
My first thought was to call the name on the luggage ( that I stole ) and to deliver and apologize for my error as the phone number was AB. However, I called WestJet and they said just return it to arrivals and pick up your own luggage. Problem solved; but can you imagine if we were going home to Med Hat and the other person was connecting to who knows where.
Quite a way to start 2016. And we got 364 days to go???? We leave for Yuma on or about 4 Jan.
My next blog will be a brief outline of the life and times about the interesting people we met in PP. We hope all our readers will have a Happy and Prosperous new Year . Cheers
We woke up at 10:30, had a shower followed by breakfast and then decided to unpack the suite cases. To my absolute amazement and shock, I had picked up the wrong suitecase . As soon as I open the suite case and seen the ladies underwear I new I was in the wrong pair of pants ( so to speak ). About the same time Todd phone to say that WestJet called our house sitter in Med Hat and they in turn called Todd to say that WestJet had found our lost luggage, which really wasn't lost. The mix up was that I quickly checked the name on the tag and I thought it was Esl on the tag but it was Ebl. It was a paper tag and of course it was wriggled .
My first thought was to call the name on the luggage ( that I stole ) and to deliver and apologize for my error as the phone number was AB. However, I called WestJet and they said just return it to arrivals and pick up your own luggage. Problem solved; but can you imagine if we were going home to Med Hat and the other person was connecting to who knows where.
Quite a way to start 2016. And we got 364 days to go???? We leave for Yuma on or about 4 Jan.
My next blog will be a brief outline of the life and times about the interesting people we met in PP. We hope all our readers will have a Happy and Prosperous new Year . Cheers
New Years Eve
Our taxi ( Fernando ) was scheduled to pick us up at 12:30 so we could be at the airport by 1 PM giving us lots of time, since our flight was scheduled to leave at 3:30 PM. We arrived at 1:00 PM but the line up was already out to the sidewalk, which surprised the hell out of me. Anyway, we meandered along and spoke to a few of the "working folks " who only had a weeks holidays and were envious because we were here for a month. We were no more than 1/2 an hour getting to the wicket. Of course the WestJet clerk reminded us that we had too much luggage and we would have to pay for the over size, over weight. I said I'm a Veteran and she said I need to seen some ID so I gave her my Retirement Card which she cleared with a supervisor and so Ok , no problem.
After filling out an Immigration forum we had to pay 60.00 USD ( each ) because our stay was over 29 days. This made no sense to us but we were told in advance that we would have to pay it.
The trip to T.O. was uneventful and we were made aware, about 2 weeks ago that our 8:30 flight to Calgary would be delayed by 1 hour. What we did not know , until we got to T.O. that there would be another delay to 10:00. However we had to go thru Customs in Toronto which is a bit of a dance. It is all computerized now, which was new to us. Finally we followed the "Herd" and along way a custom agent took our forum that we filled out on the plane and that was it... no questioned ask. If the refugees get into the country that easy, we are in trouble.
At 8:00 PM they announce they would be loading soon. I thought I missed the announcement so I checked at the counter and said " did you say we are loading at 8 and we are going to sit on the runway until 10 PM for takeoff.. are you serious? She said we are loading soon: so I said my definition of "soon " is 15 minute, what is your definition .. she said we are loading soon.
Shortly after that they announced that they were waiting on a flight from Halifax and I noticed the arrival time was 10 PM so I now know that we will be delayed until at least 10:30. We got airborne at 10:45. To make matters worst we got the rear seats that do not recline.
We also spend the arrival of 2016 somewhere over Saskatchewan as the flight attendant counted down the seconds. That is a first for us!!!
After arriving in Calgary ( it is now 12:20 AM 1 Jan 2016) we waited about 20 minutes for the luggage to roll in. After retrieving our 3 bags we rush outside in the cold only to wait another 25 minutes for a Taxi to take us to our car which was parked at Yvonne's brothers place. Todd and family are at there cabin in Fairmont. There were very few cabs as they were too busy taking drunks home who were naturally bigger "Tippers " than a bunch of grouchy WestJet passengers who wanted to get home to bed. Our Cabbie said he was called to come to the airport because he was in the area. We got to Todd's place at 2:30 AM 1 Jan 2016. We left our condo at 12:30 PM 31 Dec 2015. and the story doesn't end here... cheers
After filling out an Immigration forum we had to pay 60.00 USD ( each ) because our stay was over 29 days. This made no sense to us but we were told in advance that we would have to pay it.
The trip to T.O. was uneventful and we were made aware, about 2 weeks ago that our 8:30 flight to Calgary would be delayed by 1 hour. What we did not know , until we got to T.O. that there would be another delay to 10:00. However we had to go thru Customs in Toronto which is a bit of a dance. It is all computerized now, which was new to us. Finally we followed the "Herd" and along way a custom agent took our forum that we filled out on the plane and that was it... no questioned ask. If the refugees get into the country that easy, we are in trouble.
At 8:00 PM they announce they would be loading soon. I thought I missed the announcement so I checked at the counter and said " did you say we are loading at 8 and we are going to sit on the runway until 10 PM for takeoff.. are you serious? She said we are loading soon: so I said my definition of "soon " is 15 minute, what is your definition .. she said we are loading soon.
Shortly after that they announced that they were waiting on a flight from Halifax and I noticed the arrival time was 10 PM so I now know that we will be delayed until at least 10:30. We got airborne at 10:45. To make matters worst we got the rear seats that do not recline.
We also spend the arrival of 2016 somewhere over Saskatchewan as the flight attendant counted down the seconds. That is a first for us!!!
After arriving in Calgary ( it is now 12:20 AM 1 Jan 2016) we waited about 20 minutes for the luggage to roll in. After retrieving our 3 bags we rush outside in the cold only to wait another 25 minutes for a Taxi to take us to our car which was parked at Yvonne's brothers place. Todd and family are at there cabin in Fairmont. There were very few cabs as they were too busy taking drunks home who were naturally bigger "Tippers " than a bunch of grouchy WestJet passengers who wanted to get home to bed. Our Cabbie said he was called to come to the airport because he was in the area. We got to Todd's place at 2:30 AM 1 Jan 2016. We left our condo at 12:30 PM 31 Dec 2015. and the story doesn't end here... cheers
Last working Day in DR.
Since we are leaving tomorrow (31 Dec ) today we have to prepack and close up loose end before we hit the beach for the last time. Carroll is still trying to figure out why she packed 5 pair of Capris since we spent the past month in Shorts and a bathing suite. I still trying to understand we even needed three suite cases, however, that ship has sailed.
After packing and breakfast, we went down to the pool to check the emails, hockey scores etc and to get Joe to arrange for his favorite taxi ( Fernando ) to pick us up at 6:30 tonight and to take us to a restaurant in Puerto Plata called "Kilometer Zero". Apparently it is the favorite haunt of our friends and the meals are generous and at a reason price. Joe speaks a little Spanish and Fernando speaks a little English but they can't understand each other on the cell phone. So Joe types a text in English, then hits the translation key and Fernando rec the msg in Spanish . Fernando sends a reply in reverse order. Now, how fantastic is that?
Since we have to leave the condo clean including the laundry ( sheets and towels ) we arranged with Mario the Landlord to look after that part after we depart. The bonus for the cleaning lady is that she can have all the condiments, can goods and anything in the fridge.
By this time we are ready for our last hurrah at the beach which includes a swim in the warm Caribbean water. Surprising , the beach was not crowded at all. Possibly all the people at the "All Inclusive " where on tours this day or worrying about getting home if they were on SunQuest.
After spending a few hours at the beach we got ready for supper and went down to the pool area to wait on our taxi. Our friends ( the three couples and Mario ) where checking their emails and sipping on a drink and they told us again what a great restaurant this Kilometer Zero . So off we go in the taxi only to find out that the Restaurant is closed on Wednesdays. " Just the type of friends we needed". We were slightly disappointed but luckily we knew that the Las Palmas was open and we had eaten there a few weeks earlier so the Taxi dropped us off there. The main area has ten table and additionally, they have a sunken garden area that I'm sure would hold another hundred customer but it is not as fancy. When we walked in at 7 PM we were the only customers and I'm thinking, how do they make any money and why do you need 4 or 5 waitresses. By 7:30 the main area was full and by 8:00 there was at least another 50 customers in the Garden area including our friends who sent us to Kilometer Zero. They were all apologetic and Judy and Peter came to our table to apologize again. We can understand how you can lose track of the days in Puerto Plato. However, I will not let them forget it.
Well, that capped our last day of Fun in the Sun as we leave tomorrow. Luckily we are not traveling with SunQuest. cheers
After packing and breakfast, we went down to the pool to check the emails, hockey scores etc and to get Joe to arrange for his favorite taxi ( Fernando ) to pick us up at 6:30 tonight and to take us to a restaurant in Puerto Plata called "Kilometer Zero". Apparently it is the favorite haunt of our friends and the meals are generous and at a reason price. Joe speaks a little Spanish and Fernando speaks a little English but they can't understand each other on the cell phone. So Joe types a text in English, then hits the translation key and Fernando rec the msg in Spanish . Fernando sends a reply in reverse order. Now, how fantastic is that?
Since we have to leave the condo clean including the laundry ( sheets and towels ) we arranged with Mario the Landlord to look after that part after we depart. The bonus for the cleaning lady is that she can have all the condiments, can goods and anything in the fridge.
By this time we are ready for our last hurrah at the beach which includes a swim in the warm Caribbean water. Surprising , the beach was not crowded at all. Possibly all the people at the "All Inclusive " where on tours this day or worrying about getting home if they were on SunQuest.
After spending a few hours at the beach we got ready for supper and went down to the pool area to wait on our taxi. Our friends ( the three couples and Mario ) where checking their emails and sipping on a drink and they told us again what a great restaurant this Kilometer Zero . So off we go in the taxi only to find out that the Restaurant is closed on Wednesdays. " Just the type of friends we needed". We were slightly disappointed but luckily we knew that the Las Palmas was open and we had eaten there a few weeks earlier so the Taxi dropped us off there. The main area has ten table and additionally, they have a sunken garden area that I'm sure would hold another hundred customer but it is not as fancy. When we walked in at 7 PM we were the only customers and I'm thinking, how do they make any money and why do you need 4 or 5 waitresses. By 7:30 the main area was full and by 8:00 there was at least another 50 customers in the Garden area including our friends who sent us to Kilometer Zero. They were all apologetic and Judy and Peter came to our table to apologize again. We can understand how you can lose track of the days in Puerto Plato. However, I will not let them forget it.
Well, that capped our last day of Fun in the Sun as we leave tomorrow. Luckily we are not traveling with SunQuest. cheers
Friday, 1 January 2016
Trip to Sosua
Our trip to Sosua, which is 25 KM away from our condo cost 70.00 USD and was way way way overpriced and I was sure scammed by the tour guide office. . First I ask for a certain tour guide that we had before and that they had to speak English. The guy we had did not speak any English. I fully intended to go back and rip a stripe off the Bastard who sold me the tour but I ran out of time but I told everyone else in the condo about it. So it is what it is; so I will consider it "Lesson Learned".
The town of Sosua is a nice tourist town located in a quite bay where many sail boats anchor overnight when sailing past this Islands. I'm sure it is the Beach and the Bars that attracts the visitors. I met a Guy from Drumheller , who spends 6 weeks in Nov/Dec and another 6 weeks in Mar/Apr ( he owns a Condo ) and he says he sees many returnees each year to get their Winter Fix.
There are many ( probably a 100 ) Shops and Restaurants setback about 200 feet from the beach area and if you stop at a shop it becomes high pressure to buy. I actually intended to but a cap but I wanted to check with a few shops to get a feel of the lowest price. The first shop wanted 20.00 USD so I told him where he could shove it but he then ask what I wanted to pay. I said ,so 20.00 is not your real price so give me your best price and he kept said how much you give me; I said no , I'm not buying you and left.
The next shop owners was funny and in fact lived in Canada at one time. He even said he would take Canadian Tire money and he spoke good English. I just argued with and let Carroll bargain with him and he agreed to sell me a Cap for 10.00. Then Carroll wanted a painting so her and him bargained back forth and finally she got it for 10.00.
We sat around the beach for awhile then had an excellent lunch at a reasonable price. In the early afternoon the tour guide said our tour was over and went home. If we go to Puerto Plata again I think we would stay in Sosua for a couple of days just to see the sites and sounds of the town.
We seen two interesting sites. A young lady was carrying two flats of eggs on her head with weaving in and out among the visitors at the beach. Another guy was carrying a huge basket of fruit on his head selling them to those basking in the sun along the beach. Can you imagine one of us trying balance that on our head. I have a hard enough time just keeping my cap on. Cheers
The town of Sosua is a nice tourist town located in a quite bay where many sail boats anchor overnight when sailing past this Islands. I'm sure it is the Beach and the Bars that attracts the visitors. I met a Guy from Drumheller , who spends 6 weeks in Nov/Dec and another 6 weeks in Mar/Apr ( he owns a Condo ) and he says he sees many returnees each year to get their Winter Fix.
There are many ( probably a 100 ) Shops and Restaurants setback about 200 feet from the beach area and if you stop at a shop it becomes high pressure to buy. I actually intended to but a cap but I wanted to check with a few shops to get a feel of the lowest price. The first shop wanted 20.00 USD so I told him where he could shove it but he then ask what I wanted to pay. I said ,so 20.00 is not your real price so give me your best price and he kept said how much you give me; I said no , I'm not buying you and left.
The next shop owners was funny and in fact lived in Canada at one time. He even said he would take Canadian Tire money and he spoke good English. I just argued with and let Carroll bargain with him and he agreed to sell me a Cap for 10.00. Then Carroll wanted a painting so her and him bargained back forth and finally she got it for 10.00.
We sat around the beach for awhile then had an excellent lunch at a reasonable price. In the early afternoon the tour guide said our tour was over and went home. If we go to Puerto Plata again I think we would stay in Sosua for a couple of days just to see the sites and sounds of the town.
We seen two interesting sites. A young lady was carrying two flats of eggs on her head with weaving in and out among the visitors at the beach. Another guy was carrying a huge basket of fruit on his head selling them to those basking in the sun along the beach. Can you imagine one of us trying balance that on our head. I have a hard enough time just keeping my cap on. Cheers
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