When we woke at the Rest Stop we still had no battery power to close the slide. Therefore I had to bring the slide in manually.
All slides do have a manual over-ride' it was just that I never thought to read the manual as I did not expect I would have to use the manual over-ride. After removing some of the cargo I crawl into the cargo space to address the problem. The manual says there is a 3/4 inch nut on the end of the shaft in which to retrieve the slide. I guess the guy responsible for installing that nut was on days off when they built our MH because it was not there. Move to Plan B; a 12 inch pipe wrench would do the trick except I left that wrench at home. I didn't think I would need it but I have since change my mind. Move to Plan C; I do have a 6 inch pipe wrench in my tool kit but is asking a lot from such a small wrench but I must give it a try and Bingo it worked and the slide came in and this procedure took about 1/2 an hour.
So now we headed for Kerriville and we expect to arrive there between 5 and 6 PM, and to stay at the Cracker Barrel overnight. After driving down the road for some time Carroll notice that the interior lights came so for some reason the lost power is back. I'm confused but I still think it has some thing to do with the ignition switch, so I'll call Tiffin when I get to TX.
The trip was pretty much uneventful except for the crosswinds that blew most of the day. By the afternoon, we kept looking for diesel fuel prices that were around the 2.55 price range but most of the Truck Stops where at least 2.85 or more. I did pass one Truck stop that was 2.56 but I was past it before I notice it. Finally, I was down to a 1/4 tank so I had to refuel at 2.99 a gallon.
We arrived at the Cracker Barrel in Kerriville at 5:30 PM so after driving for 10 hours I decided I was overdue for a sip of Crown Royal. After supper we checked our email and there was a message from our friends in Southern Comfort, TX that read "Please call me ASP". I knew right away it was not good so we called on Face Time only to be told our friend Joe , who has ALS and was wintering in Southern Comfort, TX had passed away late Sunday evening. We knew Joe was not well but his death was certainly unexpected. We knew Joe's wife Terry would be helped through this ordeal with Shirley and Don Meakin and hopefully we could be of some comfort when we get there tomorrow. It was another sad night for us. cheers
Friday, 20 February 2015
Leaving for TX 17 Feb 2015
Tuesday in this RV park is "Sticky Bun Day " or if you prefer " Cinnamon Buns. Every Tuesday, a few people get up real early to make Sticky Buns and by 8 AM they open the doors and serve Buns, coffee and Juice for 2.00. These are a real big seller so to speak so most park residence take advance of this offer. What would you expect, we are Seniors.
Our friends, Bob and Karen knew about "Sticky Bun " Tuesday so they came over to join us for breakfast and to say farewell.
By 9:30 AM we were on our way, with our first stop to fuel up. We buy our groceries at Fry's and we had enough points to get a 20 cent discount per gallon up to 35 gallons. Fry's do not have their own pumps at this store so you can use your Fry's card at a Shell or Circle K. I went to the Shell station but the Fry's card does not work at the Pump so you have to have the clerk activate the card; she said I could only get 62.00 of fuel on that card but she could not explain why I could not get my 35 gal discount. I wasn't about to debate the issue as long as I got some discount. However, when I got to the pump I got the 35 gallons with the 20 cent discount.
So off we go for our trip to TX. Somewhere in New Mexico we stopped at a rest stop for lunch. We also picked up some maps and they also have free wifi so we checked the emails. Our plan for the night was to get thru El Paso, TX which is right on the border with NM. I did not want to fight the morning traffic in El Paso. We stopped at the TX Welcome centre and picked up a map and a few brochures. We ask the attendant about a Rest Stop where we plan to spend the night. You are allowed to stay at a Rest Stop for 8 hours but there are no " Rest Stop Ploice ". It was about 37 miles ahead so we stopped for the evening. When we pulled to the Rest Stop there was 1 truck. By 9 PM the place was full with trucks, RVs and pickups parked in any space available. A pickup parked so close to us I had to back up just to get out.
Since we have the MiFi we checked out email and we rec an email from a friend in TX which read; if you rec this email by 9 PM please call me. I had a bad feeling and I said to Carroll that we should call because I think it might be about our friend Joe who is in TX but has ALS but Carroll said we can call tomorrow as they probably want to know when we are arriving in TX.
We had another slight problem with the MH. We moved the slide out a few inches so we could access a cupboard. Then later that evening I tried to move the bedroom slide and "Bingo" we lost all battery power so the slide out would not move. This is a problem to be overcome in the morning so we played cards with our flashlight and went to bed. Cheers
Our friends, Bob and Karen knew about "Sticky Bun " Tuesday so they came over to join us for breakfast and to say farewell.
By 9:30 AM we were on our way, with our first stop to fuel up. We buy our groceries at Fry's and we had enough points to get a 20 cent discount per gallon up to 35 gallons. Fry's do not have their own pumps at this store so you can use your Fry's card at a Shell or Circle K. I went to the Shell station but the Fry's card does not work at the Pump so you have to have the clerk activate the card; she said I could only get 62.00 of fuel on that card but she could not explain why I could not get my 35 gal discount. I wasn't about to debate the issue as long as I got some discount. However, when I got to the pump I got the 35 gallons with the 20 cent discount.
So off we go for our trip to TX. Somewhere in New Mexico we stopped at a rest stop for lunch. We also picked up some maps and they also have free wifi so we checked the emails. Our plan for the night was to get thru El Paso, TX which is right on the border with NM. I did not want to fight the morning traffic in El Paso. We stopped at the TX Welcome centre and picked up a map and a few brochures. We ask the attendant about a Rest Stop where we plan to spend the night. You are allowed to stay at a Rest Stop for 8 hours but there are no " Rest Stop Ploice ". It was about 37 miles ahead so we stopped for the evening. When we pulled to the Rest Stop there was 1 truck. By 9 PM the place was full with trucks, RVs and pickups parked in any space available. A pickup parked so close to us I had to back up just to get out.
Since we have the MiFi we checked out email and we rec an email from a friend in TX which read; if you rec this email by 9 PM please call me. I had a bad feeling and I said to Carroll that we should call because I think it might be about our friend Joe who is in TX but has ALS but Carroll said we can call tomorrow as they probably want to know when we are arriving in TX.
We had another slight problem with the MH. We moved the slide out a few inches so we could access a cupboard. Then later that evening I tried to move the bedroom slide and "Bingo" we lost all battery power so the slide out would not move. This is a problem to be overcome in the morning so we played cards with our flashlight and went to bed. Cheers
Clean up Day 16 Feb 2015
I'm sure you have noticed that I misdated the 14 th by calling it the 16 th. Senior moment.
Well Monday was a busy day because we are leaving tomorrow for TX. First, of there was curling and Carroll had a "ton" of laundry , something we had not done since we left MX. Also we went to see our friend Bob play ball as he had a 10:30 game so that killed the morning. He plays a very good quality of ball, certainly better that our league at home.
After the game Carroll and I had to drive to south end of Tucson ( not right in the city ) to return the Modem/Router to Cox, the provider of the WiFI which I had rented for the week. Then we revisited AT&T to get another lesson on the G.D. cell phone. We were ask, when they sold us the Sim card if we wanted to included Canada but we said no as we only needed it for the US. However, Todd called us Monday morning but we could not answer him as the phone says we are out of minutes which was not true hence the reason to visit AT&T. The "Techy" told us , unless we pay the extra 5.00 we could not send or rec a call from Canada, something we did not know so we added the Canada to the cell.
There rest of the day was spent packing up as we are leaving for TX tomorrow. It always seems to take about half a day to pack. cheers
Well Monday was a busy day because we are leaving tomorrow for TX. First, of there was curling and Carroll had a "ton" of laundry , something we had not done since we left MX. Also we went to see our friend Bob play ball as he had a 10:30 game so that killed the morning. He plays a very good quality of ball, certainly better that our league at home.
After the game Carroll and I had to drive to south end of Tucson ( not right in the city ) to return the Modem/Router to Cox, the provider of the WiFI which I had rented for the week. Then we revisited AT&T to get another lesson on the G.D. cell phone. We were ask, when they sold us the Sim card if we wanted to included Canada but we said no as we only needed it for the US. However, Todd called us Monday morning but we could not answer him as the phone says we are out of minutes which was not true hence the reason to visit AT&T. The "Techy" told us , unless we pay the extra 5.00 we could not send or rec a call from Canada, something we did not know so we added the Canada to the cell.
There rest of the day was spent packing up as we are leaving for TX tomorrow. It always seems to take about half a day to pack. cheers
Sad Day 15 Feb 2015
We rec an early morning phone call from Carroll's nephew to advises us the her 80 year old brother , Walter was found dead in his home in Montreal. I spoke with Walter on Skype at 5:30 PM on Wed for a few minutes and told him I would call on Thursday. When he was not on Skype Thursday morning I got concerned so I called on the phone but still no answer. On Friday when he was not on Skype so I called his son as Walter should have been on Skype as he practically lives on the computer. I would have called his friend in Montreal but I did not have a contact.
His neighbor noticed that Walter,s sidewalk was not cleared of snow on Sunday so he entered the house to check and found Walter was dead, sitting in an arm chair. He probably died Wednesday evening.
Carroll and I spent the next hour mulling over who we needed to contact, and knowing we had to speak with the family , if for no other reason bring some kind of peace to all of us. Todd and Clark know uncle Walter real well so we contacted them but we had no real info for them. When we rec the call from Walter's son on Sunday morning ,the police had not arrived at the house yet so there was no further news.
We had a breakfast date with our friends ( Bob and Karen ) at 11:30 so that kind of help to set aside the death for the moment. The rest of the day was spent contacting Carroll,s family and of course my family. A sad day but life goes on. cheers
His neighbor noticed that Walter,s sidewalk was not cleared of snow on Sunday so he entered the house to check and found Walter was dead, sitting in an arm chair. He probably died Wednesday evening.
Carroll and I spent the next hour mulling over who we needed to contact, and knowing we had to speak with the family , if for no other reason bring some kind of peace to all of us. Todd and Clark know uncle Walter real well so we contacted them but we had no real info for them. When we rec the call from Walter's son on Sunday morning ,the police had not arrived at the house yet so there was no further news.
We had a breakfast date with our friends ( Bob and Karen ) at 11:30 so that kind of help to set aside the death for the moment. The rest of the day was spent contacting Carroll,s family and of course my family. A sad day but life goes on. cheers
Sunday, 15 February 2015
Curling, The Scotties 16 Feb 2015
For those who don't know or don't care, the Canadian Ladies Curling, better known as the " Scotties " is on TV and we are curling fans and we are hooked on it. Curling doesn't start until 3 PM so we decide to hunt for a toaster oven. However, the local Wal-Mart does not have one so we had to venture into Tucson, some 30 miles away. Our GPS couldn't find a Wal-Mart if we were sitting in the parking lot so we stopped in Tucson to ask directions. I should have known better than to ask a man but I did and one of us got East and West mixed up. However, we stumbled over a Costco so we took a look in there but no Luck. The cashier, a Lady gave us the exact directions for a Wal-Mart and we found the toaster Oven that Carroll wanted.
We returned to the MH to watch the start of the curling, followed by the Toronto / Montreal hockey game followed by curling, followed by the Calgary / Vancouver game. Did I mention that we watched some curling. ha ha . cheers
We returned to the MH to watch the start of the curling, followed by the Toronto / Montreal hockey game followed by curling, followed by the Calgary / Vancouver game. Did I mention that we watched some curling. ha ha . cheers
Friday the 13 Feb 2015
The RV park has lots of activities and one of them is a 1 hour computer course every Friday at 10 AM, which I attended because "heaven knows" I need a lot of help. Today's topic was moving pictures and videos around and sending them out as e-mail. There was two instructors, one on PCs and one on iPads and iPhones. They were a "way way " over my head but I know that there is much more I can learn and of course I now have more questions than answers. There was about 18 people in attendance and about 3 people talking at once so it was hard for me to follow. The gentleman sitting next to me notice that I wasn't "getting" it so gave me some private lesson so to speak which I appreciated.
We spend some of the afternoon running so more errands and while I was filling the Blazer with gas a cyclist got hit by a car while he was riding in the bike lane just in front of the gas station. We did not see him get hit but he was on he ground and several cars stopped to protect him until police etc arrived.
Now for the finale for the night. Every Friday night is Karaoke night from 7 to 9 so we thought it would be entertaining so we attended and most of the singers where pretty good. Actually there was 6 or 7 singers and they just kept cycling thru. After 1 1/2 hours we returned to the MH as I decided that a hockey was slightly more exciting. cheers
We spend some of the afternoon running so more errands and while I was filling the Blazer with gas a cyclist got hit by a car while he was riding in the bike lane just in front of the gas station. We did not see him get hit but he was on he ground and several cars stopped to protect him until police etc arrived.
Now for the finale for the night. Every Friday night is Karaoke night from 7 to 9 so we thought it would be entertaining so we attended and most of the singers where pretty good. Actually there was 6 or 7 singers and they just kept cycling thru. After 1 1/2 hours we returned to the MH as I decided that a hockey was slightly more exciting. cheers
Saturday, 14 February 2015
Camping at Green Valley Feb 2015
Tuesday 10 Feb; After having the 2.99 breakfast including coffee at the casino we, moved to the Green Valley RV Resort. This RV park is located 30 miles south of Tucson, AZ and has 300 RV sites , mostly park models. Green Valley is a large municipality but is not a incorporated city and it seems to attract a vast majority of Seniors during the winter months. It has several great golf courses and more than adequate shopping plus the casino on " Indian " land. It also is the site of a large copper mine and the home of the only inactive Titan missile for a tourist attraction left over from the "cold War ".
I could not get the Satellite signal for some reason so I played with it off and on all day but no luck. I'll work on it tomorrow.
We spent the rest of the day shopping as the Custom office cleaned us out of our food.
Wednesday 10 Feb: Our friends from Medicine Hat, Bob and Karen Charette , who spend the winter in Green Valley as they are avid golfers and Bob plays ball twice a week so we called they and they dropped in for a visit after his Ball game.
I found the satellite signal this morning; I'm not sure were it was hiding yesterday.
The park has free WiFi at the office bldg. and / or you can purchase WiFi that is available at your site. However, our neighbor , "Jim " ; there is always a Jim in each park, dropped over to check us out and he said the WiFi was the " shitts " but he gave me the phone number for a company who would hook me up within 24 hours to the phone system, so I call them. I called them at 5 PM on Tuesday and they delivered the modem by UPS at 9 AM on Wed and said a Tech would hook me up no later then 5 PM. He showed up at 4:45 PM . Hello Telus.... are you listening; same day service, have you ever heard of it ????
The techy is only suppose to hook a customer from the phone kiosk to the MH but I pleaded computer illerate so he connected us to the modem and called the office to activate the modem. Now I have WiFi.
Wednesday, is Pot Luck supper night at the park so we bought a Marie Callender pie ( she makes great pies ) while shopping so we grab the pie and head for the supper. We also get to sit at a table and met some very nice people. Our table was from Minnesota so they are practically Canadians. cheers
Thursday 11 Feb: today was another " run around day ". First we found an ACE hardware store ( no Home Depot here) as I needed some nuts and Screws and few other items. Then I found an O'Rielly auto shop so I purchased a fuel filter as I intend to change it before I have another problem. They had to order it but promised delivery in1 hour. Hey, NAPA are you listening; 1 hour not 1 week. We then visited Radio Shack to get a Sim card for our iPhone but they are out of sim card but did sent us to ATT some 20 miles away. By the way Radio shack has applied for Bankruptcy Proctection, I wonder why. We then drove to ATT and they inserted the Sim Card but we have not used our phone since Nov and of course it was dead so they could not verify it would work but the Tech assured us it would. Once we charged it , it did work.
Bob and Karen invited us for supper so we had a great supper and got to chat to catch up on the happening at home as they too keep in contact with some friends who just happen to stay in Med Hat for the winter. It just so happen that the Evander Kane trade happened so Bob and I got to beat the hell out of that trade. Another day done. cheers
I could not get the Satellite signal for some reason so I played with it off and on all day but no luck. I'll work on it tomorrow.
We spent the rest of the day shopping as the Custom office cleaned us out of our food.
Wednesday 10 Feb: Our friends from Medicine Hat, Bob and Karen Charette , who spend the winter in Green Valley as they are avid golfers and Bob plays ball twice a week so we called they and they dropped in for a visit after his Ball game.
I found the satellite signal this morning; I'm not sure were it was hiding yesterday.
The park has free WiFi at the office bldg. and / or you can purchase WiFi that is available at your site. However, our neighbor , "Jim " ; there is always a Jim in each park, dropped over to check us out and he said the WiFi was the " shitts " but he gave me the phone number for a company who would hook me up within 24 hours to the phone system, so I call them. I called them at 5 PM on Tuesday and they delivered the modem by UPS at 9 AM on Wed and said a Tech would hook me up no later then 5 PM. He showed up at 4:45 PM . Hello Telus.... are you listening; same day service, have you ever heard of it ????
The techy is only suppose to hook a customer from the phone kiosk to the MH but I pleaded computer illerate so he connected us to the modem and called the office to activate the modem. Now I have WiFi.
Wednesday, is Pot Luck supper night at the park so we bought a Marie Callender pie ( she makes great pies ) while shopping so we grab the pie and head for the supper. We also get to sit at a table and met some very nice people. Our table was from Minnesota so they are practically Canadians. cheers
Thursday 11 Feb: today was another " run around day ". First we found an ACE hardware store ( no Home Depot here) as I needed some nuts and Screws and few other items. Then I found an O'Rielly auto shop so I purchased a fuel filter as I intend to change it before I have another problem. They had to order it but promised delivery in1 hour. Hey, NAPA are you listening; 1 hour not 1 week. We then visited Radio Shack to get a Sim card for our iPhone but they are out of sim card but did sent us to ATT some 20 miles away. By the way Radio shack has applied for Bankruptcy Proctection, I wonder why. We then drove to ATT and they inserted the Sim Card but we have not used our phone since Nov and of course it was dead so they could not verify it would work but the Tech assured us it would. Once we charged it , it did work.
Bob and Karen invited us for supper so we had a great supper and got to chat to catch up on the happening at home as they too keep in contact with some friends who just happen to stay in Med Hat for the winter. It just so happen that the Evander Kane trade happened so Bob and I got to beat the hell out of that trade. Another day done. cheers
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