August 19, 2013 "Hurry up and Wait"

While in Central Iowa, we made our way by Newton for a stop at Maytag Dairy, for some of their fantastic blue cheese. After sampling some white cheddar and havarti, those were also in our shopping basket.

Hurry up and wait, is what we are now doing. Making our way to Leach RV in Lincoln, NE for our August 6 appointment, we decided on a stop in Papillion, NE for a week long stay at Walnut Creek Lake RV Park. We have stayed here before, and even though they only have electric, the peace and quiet offered outweighs the absence of full hook-ups.

In keeping with our travel theme this year, CC planned a visit with her longtime friend, Dixie, who lives nearby. Plenty of laughter is always present when those two get together.

While in the area, Dixie and her family treated us to pizza at Big Fred’s, an Omaha tradition since 1965. CC and I ordered a small, and we had leftovers. The others in the party ordered larges, and also had leftovers times 10. Later in the week, Dixie invited us for a family meal with Nathan, Nicole, Elijah, Dixie, Noah, CC, Lindsay and Mackinsey.

On the morning of August 6, we traveled the short 55 miles westward to Lincoln for our 8 o’clock appointment at Leach’s. We had three items for them to repair; the passenger side front slide needed an adjustment (or so we thought), the door awning was not fully closing, and the fiberglass engine access door had separated from the steel frame, most likely on the roads of Indiana. Shortly before noon we were notified to door awning had been adjusted, and the engine access door would need to be removed. According to Leach, Winnebago did not use enough adhesive when they attached the cover to the frame, and the adhesive would need to cure overnight. OK, no problem. The slide was another matter. They diagnosed the problem as a broken slide roller, which was beyond their expertise to repair, and we would have to go to the factory in Forest City, IA if we wanted it repaired. The following day when we returned to have the engine door reattached, Leach presented me with the bill, and I was not a happy camper. It seems the Extended Platinum Warranty they sold me in 2011, would not cover any of the repairs, part of which was $165 to diagnose my slide problem, which they did not or could not fix. To say that I am not pleased with my experience at Leach would be an understatement. IMHO, they are just like most of the RV Dealers we have visited; maximize profits with minimal effort.

OK, more hurry up and wait. Our appointment at Winnebago in Forest City is September 9. Do we hang out around Lincoln / Omaha for the next month or move to a cooler climate? We normally spend the month of September in our old home state of Colorado, so this year will be different and we’ll do August. With that decision behind us…….westward ho! As we traveled along I-80, needing fuel, we pulled into Flying J. When we were ready to pull away from the pump, I realized the two truckers on each side of me had pulled out at an angle, fencing me in. I’m sure they were having a good ol’ time knowing exactly what they were doing, so we just sat and waited them out.

We arrived in Elizabeth, CO, and pulled into our usual spot on C and D Loop at Rick and Zoe’s RV Resort. The following morning I got up early enough to capture a shot of the rising sun.

While our time in Elizabeth was short, we had an enjoyable visit and caught up on the past years events of our mutual friends and immediate families. Dinners were always memorable with lively conversation, great food and wine.

While we were in Troy, MO last month, we tentatively made plans to spend August and/or September with Carl and Carla, playing tour guide for them in our old home state. Carl and Carla arrived in Elizabeth, and Rick and Zoe were gracious enough to let them camp overnight before our departure to Buena Vista, where we spent two days sightseeing.

The drive from Buena Vista to Gunnison over Monarch Pass had CC white knuckled, as she buried her head in her Kindle as we descended the steep, winding road. After we arrived and got settled in at our campground, Carl was anxious to experience some off-roading in the National Forest around Lake City.

After a brief two day stay in Gunnison, we moved westward on US-50 to Montrose, where the Cedar Creek RV Park will be our new home for the balance of August. We have numerous sights to see and things we want to do while we are here, so I’m sure the time here will seem short. After Labor Day, CC and I will head eastward to Forest City, IA, and Carl and Carla will continue their journeys through Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, take care and stay well………………….

August 25 – 31, 2011 “Our New Home”

We received a few inquires as to what is involved in the installation of a ceiling fan, and what the cost of the MCD shades were. The short answer is, they were included in the price of our new motorhome; a one owner 2010 Itasca Ellipse 42AD with only 4,100 miles on her, aptly named “Elly”.

Since we were impersonating “The Jefferson’s”, we also decided it was time to upgrade our toad to something with better fuel economy, a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox that is rated 22 in town, and 32 on the highway, almost double the MPG of the Jeep Wrangler.

Purchasing a new automobile is definitely NOT one of my favorite pastimes, but I was pleasantly surprised how easy this purchase was. I have had a GM MasterCard for 20+ years, and had accumulated almost $3,000 in earnings. GM places limits on each of their models, and on the Equinox it was $1,000. When the sales manager took my card to apply my earnings to the purchase price, he returned asking me, “Did you know you were a “World” member?” Sure, I replied (but hadn’t a clue exactly what that meant). He said, “You can use ALL of your earnings toward the purchase, if you’d like”. Now, where I come from, that’s called a no brainer. (Click on any image to enlarge)

Followers of our blog realize we have been searching for a diesel pusher and something more comfortable, since we live in our rig full time. What caused us to bite the bullet and move up? Well, it was a combination of things. One, a fellow full timer of one year, just like us, commented that he bought his third rig first; a 2010 Tiffin Allegro Bus. That got me thinking about the concept. Secondly, saving $80K on this 2010 versus the 2012 42AD, we picked out at the Winnebago Rally last month. And lastly, the unit was barely used. The speedcook oven, cooktop, outside entertainment center, Kingdome in-motion satellite system, and 2 of the 4 TV’s had never been used, as the original owner had only used it 4 times.

It only took us 3 days to move in to the new rig, and the time it took for Chevy to order and install a new base plate and receiver (for the bikes) on the Equinox was 5 days. Leach RV had almost a week to fix the little things we noticed that weren’t right, move the brake and light systems from the Jeep to the Equinox, and do the final detail, which included waxing and topping off the diesel and propane. So………..... After being in Lincoln for 2 weeks, we finally departed.

The trip across Nebraska in I-80 was like floating on air. The air bag suspension, coupled with the 400 HP Cummins, kept the ride soft and the noise in the rear; neither of which we were accustomed to in the Suncruiser. CC and I each commented that this rig, 4 feet longer that the Cruiser, didn’t handle like it was bigger at all. Do I have buyer’s remorse? Not at all. Do I think we overspent? Anytime money leaves my hands it causes me redefine our plans for retirement and this lifestyle. Are we happy with our decision? So far, so good. If momma's happy, everyone's happy.

We arrived at Tom and Trudy’s in Cheyenne, WY, around 4 pm, and were set up by the time they got home from work. They have a wonderful home on 2 acres they built about 7 years ago.

Complete with a 40 foot by 60 foot “pole barn”, as Tom refers to it, where he houses all of his “toys”; 4 motorcycles, a boat, 2 trailers, and their “baby”. I think everyone with a motorhome needs a “pole barn”, don’t you?

We had a wonderful visit, and it was great to catch up with old friends. One thing life has taught me; when you re-aquaint with good friends, time spent apart seems to disappear, and you resume just like you had seen each other yesterday. Thanks Tom & Trudy, for everything!

From Cheyenne, we bolted down I-25 to our old stomping grounds around Denver, CO. CC pushed that big rig right through downtown and out to the “burbs”, where we arrived at our friends, Rick and Zoe, just outside of Elizabeth, CO, about 50 miles SE of Denver.

We will be in the Denver area for the month of September. Only a brief side trip to Lake Powell on the tenth, for 7 days on Rick and Zoe’s houseboat, and then back in the Mile Hi City for the remainder of the month. We have doctor appointments, haircuts, and hopefully a few lunches and/or dinners with friends here in the area. As CC said as she piloted the rig down I-25, it’s good to be home. I couldn’t agree more.

Until next time, take care and stay well…………………..

August 14 - 24 "New Ceiling Fan"

We are currently in Lincoln, NE. CC thought we needed a ceiling fan in our bedroom, so we called Leach RV, and they were only too happy to oblige.

After seeing how good the fan looked and worked, CC decided that MCD shades would be a nice addition to our home on wheels. These had to be ordered, so we just hung out for a few days, seeing the sights in Lincoln.

More pictures to come, as soon as I can charge the camera battery. Until next time, take care and stay well.......................

August 3 - 14, 2011 "Madison, WI to Omaha, NE"

The drive to Madison was uneventful, thankfully, and we checked into Smokey Hollow Campground. This is the most unique RV Park we have seen, with more rides and attractions for the kids, more like a mini-amusement park than a campground. The “swimmin’ hole” has numerous floating attractions for kids of all ages, even a “dunk tank” for those interested in evening the score with a friendly foe. (Click on any image to enlarge)

The owner is quite the “inventor”, and has several motorized rides, including Cinderella’s Pumpkin, and this oversized shopping cart.

Adjacent to the jumping pillow, there is a volleyball court and a water balloon wars arcade, complete with a fill station for buckets and balloons.

The owner left this as it was “planted”(?)  a few years ago, about 10-11 feet off the ground, in hopes other drivers of RV’s would notice and take extra precaution in preventing it from happening to them. (That ornery Murphy again; he certainly gets around.)

We departed the campground to meet with Duncan Industries at a nearby Hampton Inn for our scheduled window repairs. All the way, we kept our fingers crossed that this time, the third try, they would, as Larry the Cable Guy says, “Git ur dun”. Guess what? Murphy is absent, and we are now with clear, sealed windows. Finally.

Since it was about 7:30 pm when they completed their work, we decided to boondock at Wally World; a first for us. We picked up some fried chicken from the deli for dinner, and hit the rack about 10 pm.

Depart Madison, WI, for Moscow, IA, to the HWH plant where hopefully they can find and repair that pesky little leak we have in our hydraulic leveling/slide-out system. A few miles after we got on I-80 west, we noticed a sign that read, “World’s Largest Truck Stop – Next Exit”………….so we did, cause we can.

We thought about our trucking buddies from Country Sunshine, Cool Whip and Lena, aka, Carl and Kenny. (That’s no typo, I said trucking.) Both were career men with Yellow Freight, and now we were about to step into their world. CC would not be denied, as she climbed up into that big rig.

Back on the road and arrived at HWH about 1 pm. Without an appointment, they said it would most likely be tomorrow before they could work us in. No problem, as they have 9 spots with electric. We were told to just go back into any one available, kick back and take it easy until tomorrow; so we did. We had just finished setting up, when we heard a knock on the door. Murphy, is that you? No, it was Troy with HWH to tell us they were ready for us. OK, tear down and wait for repairs. We’re getting good at this. Shortly before 3:30, Troy reappeared and said we were done; he replaced a bad fitting on one of the hoses. $95 later we were out the door.

After we hooked up the toad, we did the customary light check and walk around. I noticed some oil dripping from the area that was just repaired. So………..back inside I ventured to speak to customer service. It was almost 4 pm, and all the technicians had left for the day, but they paged Bill, one of the supervisors, to come in and discuss my options. Bill said, “Let’s take a look at it”. He proceeded to crawl under the rig, on the gravel parking lot, to diagnose the source of the leak; another bad fitting. Within 30 minutes he replaced the bad part, and we were on our way. Hooray…..all those little nit pikin’ items are now fixed and off our list; Ms. Sol Crucero is as good as new. It felt good to have all that behind us.

It was another night boondocking at Wally World, another first for us; dry camping for 2 days in a row. We are saving some big bucks I tell ya. LOL ;-)

The following morning we were up before the sun, and made an early departure, in route to the Omaha area to visit CC’s friend Dixie, who lives nearby. We checked into the Bluff Run Casino RV Park, and called it a trip. Now, CC has itchy fingers, and will most likely drop a few quarters in one or two video poker machines. Who knows, if her feminine intuitions are right on, and she hits the jackpot, our decision, at least financially, to go ahead and move up to a bigger rig, will be an easy one to make.

From here, we will continue our westerly way to Cheyenne, WY, to visit longtime friends, Tom and Trudy. Until next time, take care and stay well………………………………..

August 30 - September 7, 2010 - "7 Second Rule"

Numerous “lurkers” have expressed a desire to learn more about The 7 Second Rule. It’s pretty simple. I wake up in the morning and if it takes me longer than 7 seconds to dress, the temperature is too cold, so a move to someplace warmer is in order. That’s it!

Also, you can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.

OK, now, on to what we’ve been doing. Not much, really.

We departed Ogallala, NE in route to Omaha. No trip across I-80 would be complete without a stop at Cabela’s in Kearney. We had narrowed or search on a new gas grill and it was purchased at Cabela’s for $99. Comparable stainless steel grills at Camping World sell for $259.

We overnighted at the very crowded Buffalo County Fairgrounds in Kearney, NE; definitely did not have the “it” factor, but for $10 and 50 amp hook ups, what can you expect? After all, we are on a fixed income, and must watch every penny we spend. http://www.buffalocountyfairgrounds.com/

The next morning it was on to Papillion, NE where we stayed at Walnut Creek for 2 days, in close proximity to CC’s friend, Dixie, who lives in a town nearby. http://www.papillion.org/public_works_walnut_creek.cfm

Dixie and her husband Ken invited us over to put on the feed bag. Fresh out of the garden jalapeno peppers were stuffed and grilled. Ken marinated, slathered, dry rubbed, kissed, fondled, baked, grilled and otherwise coaxed the 9 racks of baby back ribs to a mouth watering, fall off the bones tenderness that melted in your mouth like “butta”. And yes, there were leftovers. Surely you didn’t think we could devour 9 racks, did you?

CC and Dixie worked together a few (?) years ago and became best friends. When these two get together, you would never know they were separated by so much geographical distance. We both had a wonderful visit and a fantastic meal (with a few adult beverages).

We departed Walnut Creek, just west of Omaha, in route to visit CC’s cousin, Joy, who lives just down the road in the Kansas City, MO area. No visit to Joy’s is complete without a meal from Dominic’s. Again, a “one of a kind” combination Italian carry out restaurant and car wash. http://thebetterwash.com/ Great food, a nice bottle of Vino, and interesting conversation made for a delightful evening, before returning to the rig tied up at Miller’s Kampark for two nights.

http://www.millerskampark.com/

The next evening, Joy treated us, along with her friend Brit, to a fantastic home cooked dinner, another great bottle of Vino, and one or two other adult beverages. While dining, one of her two girls decided to try and make a break from the constraints placed upon her, by digging out of the compound. But Joy, ever the diligent “Warden”, apprehended her before she managed to escape. Poor Kaylee…………..

 

The week long journey continued eastward to Jefferson City, MO for Fester’s family reunion. Saturday evening, my cousin Kay and her husband Darrell, hosted a “cousin’s reunion” at their house with an ol’ fashioned backyard cookout, complete with burgers, brats, numerous side dishes, and the best damn sauerkraut salad I have ever tasted. Oh, did I fail to mention the adult beverages? Yea, we had those as well.

The reunion was Sunday, right after church. A gathering of 100-125 was expected, and I would estimate by the amount of food present, everyone was expecting at least 400 attendees. It has been about 20 years since I have attended a family reunion, not because I didn’t want to, but merely the shear driving distance involved, 1500 miles roundtrip, that restricted CC and I from attending. But now that we’re retired, no problemo! I followed the advice of one of my cousin’s-in-law, that it’s not so easy to remember the names of relatives you only see once every few years, but you just remember their face. OK then, I’m down with that. Of course, nametags supplied by the producers of the event aided me in my face recognition.

Photos of the event were numerous, but most cannot be “published”. CC and I are aware that more than one parole officer follows our blog, AND, as they say, blood is thicker than water, and I would not want to be the one responsible for sending one of my relatives back to the “Big House”. (Just kidding)

On Monday evening, cousin's Tom and Judi held a pizza party at their home. While the guys watched Monday Night Football in the basement, the girls were upstairs doing what they do best. Pizza, beer and football; it just doesn’t get any better.

The family reunion was vastly overshadowed by an award presented by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, on behalf of the French Government, to my Uncle Gilbert. (My Mom’s brother) CC and I gladly accepted an invitation to attend the ceremony held in the Governor’s Office. I am still in shock that the French would award any American for anything, but more overwhelmed by this award. Although not exclusively awarded for military service, the Legion of Honor is France's highest award and was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802. Please take the time to click on the hyper-link and watch the video or read a “professional” writers account of the event.
http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=508075

While CC and I were at the State Capitol, we decided to take the tour. It only lasted an hour, but well worth every minute. The building is built mostly from Missouri limestone from the Carthage mine, and was constructed from such, due to the fact that two previous Capitols, built from wood, caught fire, and burned to the ground. The interior, and it’s artwork will marvel even those not as well versed in art as CC and I ;) The House Lounge was originally built with white walls, but in the 1930’s, the people of Missouri, commissioned local artist Thomas Hart Benton, to “muralize” the room; controversial then, as well as now.

While touring the outside of the State Capitol we came across another tidbit of the state’s history. I’m sure, there are some that disagree with allowing such a monument on public property, but I applaud the people of Missouri for their strong will and moral values.

And lastly, as our week comes to a close, we discovered the Lewis & Clark Monument.

It has been a very full week. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute with family and friends, and a little discovery on the side. Take care, and next, we’re moving to Oklahoma City. See ya there……………..