This morning I had an electrician out to give us a quote on installing a 50 amp power outlet on the corner of our house. I need to run our extension cord from the RV which will be parked out front to some power source. Right now, I have nothing but a single outlet that is above our front door and is the one we used for our Christmas lights. That one does not provide for enough power.
The electrician discovered that our power box was already full and there was no room for an additional 50 amp breaker. Not good news. He did however, find a solution for us in conversations with his boss on the phone. There is a way he can combine a 30 amp breaker to an existing (double) slot in the box to allow for a 30 amp power box to be installed where we need the connection. We can attach a 30 amp adapter to our 50 amp cord which will satisfy the requirement. The price is higher than we anticipated but it is something we will always need as long as we travel with an RV. He is now starting work on that project.
Basically, the only major (anticipated) expense left before we leave is the Dish TV antenna to be carried with us while traveling. I think the best price for that will be through Amazon but I still have research to do on that. Setting up service through Dish will be easy with just a phone call to add the service for $7/mo while away from home.
The birds are now beginning to appear with their babies. We have no pictures yet, but this morning there were two quail running with two little babies. We expect to see lots more soon as it is that time of the year...
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Monday, April 29, 2019
Tentative Plan
It appears now that Josie will be getting a break at Mother's Day and only have to work through the Saturday before - May 11. In that case, we have tentatively set the following schedule:
May 11 Josie's last day at work and Bob bring the RV to the house.
May 12 (Mother's Day) Load up RV
May 13 Load up RV, last minute house adjustments
May 14 Leave for Wyoming, stay in Mesquite, NV
May 15 Travel to Heber City, UT (Deer Creek State Park)
May 16 Arrive in Jackson, WY
May 17-19 Setup in Jackson, acclimate to area
May 20 Begin work at Visitor Center
Of course, there is a lot to be done before all that happens. There are some things that we haven't figured out yet, like: what to do with some of our houseplants, who and how often should the house be checked, making room in the garage for the car, etc.
These next two weeks will be very busy...
May 11 Josie's last day at work and Bob bring the RV to the house.
May 12 (Mother's Day) Load up RV
May 13 Load up RV, last minute house adjustments
May 14 Leave for Wyoming, stay in Mesquite, NV
May 15 Travel to Heber City, UT (Deer Creek State Park)
May 16 Arrive in Jackson, WY
May 17-19 Setup in Jackson, acclimate to area
May 20 Begin work at Visitor Center
Of course, there is a lot to be done before all that happens. There are some things that we haven't figured out yet, like: what to do with some of our houseplants, who and how often should the house be checked, making room in the garage for the car, etc.
These next two weeks will be very busy...
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Back to Normal
We took the batteries that needed to be recharged back to the RV yesterday morning. It appears that we are now ready to do some inside prep to the rig. We have about two weeks left to get our things together and loaded into the RV. Most of what we will be taking will be loaded after we take the rig to the house and park out front for the last two days. Another step closer.
The last of the people we knew from Austin's team at Western Michigan University signed a contract yesterday with the Minnesota Vikings. He was signed as an unrestricted free agent and is now heading to the team to begin his new adventure. That makes three individuals now - Corey Davis (Titans), Troy Fumagalli (Broncos) and John Keenoy (Vikings) - with pro contracts and gives us a lot to watch for on weekends during the NFL season. Of course, Austin knows a lot more players and he will be watching several more teams. Troy, of course, played at Wisconsin and is still a very close friend of Austin and has been since grade school.
It looks like today will be a day to just relax. Josie has to go back to work tomorrow which begins the Mother's Day rush...
The last of the people we knew from Austin's team at Western Michigan University signed a contract yesterday with the Minnesota Vikings. He was signed as an unrestricted free agent and is now heading to the team to begin his new adventure. That makes three individuals now - Corey Davis (Titans), Troy Fumagalli (Broncos) and John Keenoy (Vikings) - with pro contracts and gives us a lot to watch for on weekends during the NFL season. Of course, Austin knows a lot more players and he will be watching several more teams. Troy, of course, played at Wisconsin and is still a very close friend of Austin and has been since grade school.
It looks like today will be a day to just relax. Josie has to go back to work tomorrow which begins the Mother's Day rush...
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Full Day
Our day started with a visit from a local security company. I have been looking at options for a camera security system for outside and wanted to get expert advice on what to look for and how to proceed. I have come close to purchasing a 4 camera, wireless system for around $300. My problem is how to best install the system. Anyway, he arrived at around 10 AM and spent two hours taking me through his options while walking around the house. He was about 5 minutes into his spiel and I knew there was no way we could afford to do what he has suggested. We just want a simple, straight forward, inexpensive and unsophisticated system. He is going to work up a proposal for us and I can almost guarantee that the cost will be over $1,000. It isn't going to happen. Back to the drawing board.
Following that experience, Josie and I went to the RV dealership and picked up our trailer. We could tell right off the bat that there was going to be a problem with power to get the trailer hitched and unhitched again at the storage facility. We paid the bill, hitched up with the help of their battery jumper and took the trailer to our storage unit down the street. Our fears were realized. The batteries were dead. Evidently, the dealer's workers left something on inside the rig and ran the batteries down to nothing without any recharging. There we sat, unable to unhitch the trailer and nobody around to help. I called the dealership, talked to our service advisor to ask for help and he said he would check to see how he could help us. He never called back. In the meantime, about a half hour later, the folks that own the motorhome parked next to us miraculously showed up to do some things to their rig. I asked for their help and, of course, they did everything possible to accommodate. They ended up driving their car to the other side of our rig and connecting jumper cables to the batteries. Walla! Success! Here are a couple shots of our (finally) unhitched fifth wheel:
The other thing that upset us is that the dealership never gave us the "courtesy wash" that was promised so our rig is still filthy dirty. If the place wasn't so convenient for us I would forget them for any other work in the future. I certainly will not recommend them to anyone outside of our area.
The last task of the day was to remove the batteries from the RV and go purchase a battery charger to charge the batteries at home. We went to Lowes down the street, found a super buy on a charger and headed home to hook them up to the charger. This morning, I have two fully charged batteries and we will return them to the RV this morning and reinstall them.
Overall, it was not a fun day but we accomplished some important objectives...
Following that experience, Josie and I went to the RV dealership and picked up our trailer. We could tell right off the bat that there was going to be a problem with power to get the trailer hitched and unhitched again at the storage facility. We paid the bill, hitched up with the help of their battery jumper and took the trailer to our storage unit down the street. Our fears were realized. The batteries were dead. Evidently, the dealer's workers left something on inside the rig and ran the batteries down to nothing without any recharging. There we sat, unable to unhitch the trailer and nobody around to help. I called the dealership, talked to our service advisor to ask for help and he said he would check to see how he could help us. He never called back. In the meantime, about a half hour later, the folks that own the motorhome parked next to us miraculously showed up to do some things to their rig. I asked for their help and, of course, they did everything possible to accommodate. They ended up driving their car to the other side of our rig and connecting jumper cables to the batteries. Walla! Success! Here are a couple shots of our (finally) unhitched fifth wheel:
The other thing that upset us is that the dealership never gave us the "courtesy wash" that was promised so our rig is still filthy dirty. If the place wasn't so convenient for us I would forget them for any other work in the future. I certainly will not recommend them to anyone outside of our area.
The last task of the day was to remove the batteries from the RV and go purchase a battery charger to charge the batteries at home. We went to Lowes down the street, found a super buy on a charger and headed home to hook them up to the charger. This morning, I have two fully charged batteries and we will return them to the RV this morning and reinstall them.
Overall, it was not a fun day but we accomplished some important objectives...
Friday, April 26, 2019
Round 1 Completed
It seemed like a very predictable draft night to me last night. The top three (favored) choices were taken in the first three choices. The Cardinals did choose Kyler Murray as the first pick and it could prove to be the best move they ever made - except for getting rid of last year's coach and hiring a new, young and talented coach in Kliff Kingsbury. I expect to see dramatic improvement this year in the Cardinals.
The Seahawks traded away two of their draft slots and only made one selection. They are known for selecting quality choices in the later rounds and it looks like this year is no different. If you look at most teams starting lineups, most of the top players have come from "Podunk U" and not the big conference schools. Rounds 2 and 3 are today.
We get to finally pick up our RV today at 1:30 PM. After almost two months, all the work has been completed. We will go directly to the storage facility and begin to line up the tasks that need to be performed before finally departing around May 15 for Jackson...
The Seahawks traded away two of their draft slots and only made one selection. They are known for selecting quality choices in the later rounds and it looks like this year is no different. If you look at most teams starting lineups, most of the top players have come from "Podunk U" and not the big conference schools. Rounds 2 and 3 are today.
We get to finally pick up our RV today at 1:30 PM. After almost two months, all the work has been completed. We will go directly to the storage facility and begin to line up the tasks that need to be performed before finally departing around May 15 for Jackson...
Thursday, April 25, 2019
RV Ready for Pickup
The work on the RV has been completed and I will pick up the unit tomorrow. Actually, it was ready for pickup today, but I wanted Josie to go with me so we could do the walk through together. We will then get it settled back in our storage unit and decide what order we should do things to get the RV ready for the summer. She is working today, but is off tomorrow. We will also get a "courtesy" wash before pickup. The bill ($3600) came within $200 of the estimate but the wash will just about make up for the difference.
Our landscaper did an excellent job putting in the required water lines. The pots, new lime tree and the grapevine are now set for the hot summer. He also spread some fertilizer on the fruit trees to help with the crop this year. He is a "keeper" and indicated he would check our landscaping periodically during the summer to make sure there are no leaks and that everything is OK.
Tonight is the long awaited NFL draft. The Cardinals have the overall first pick - first time in team history - and are expected to draft the quarterback from Oklahoma - Kyler Murray. He is also the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner. I don't recall too many Heisman Trophy winners that made it big in pro football. I hope this is one. The Cardinals do need a quarterback to replace the disappointing Josh Rosen (Last year's first round pick) and, on paper at least, should do very well by drafting Murray. It will be fun to watch. We are rooting for John Keenoy from Western Michigan University and teammate of Austin's to be drafted as a Center by some team. We got to know his family very well from the tailgating parties we attended.
We are expecting to hit 100+ degrees tomorrow (or maybe even today) for the first time in 2019. Summer is right around the corner...
Our landscaper did an excellent job putting in the required water lines. The pots, new lime tree and the grapevine are now set for the hot summer. He also spread some fertilizer on the fruit trees to help with the crop this year. He is a "keeper" and indicated he would check our landscaping periodically during the summer to make sure there are no leaks and that everything is OK.
Tonight is the long awaited NFL draft. The Cardinals have the overall first pick - first time in team history - and are expected to draft the quarterback from Oklahoma - Kyler Murray. He is also the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner. I don't recall too many Heisman Trophy winners that made it big in pro football. I hope this is one. The Cardinals do need a quarterback to replace the disappointing Josh Rosen (Last year's first round pick) and, on paper at least, should do very well by drafting Murray. It will be fun to watch. We are rooting for John Keenoy from Western Michigan University and teammate of Austin's to be drafted as a Center by some team. We got to know his family very well from the tailgating parties we attended.
We are expecting to hit 100+ degrees tomorrow (or maybe even today) for the first time in 2019. Summer is right around the corner...
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Roof is Done
The project of the day - patching holes made by woodpeckers in the (foam) roof coating - was completed yesterday. Josie had the day off and helped with the project which was a huge help to alleviate my fear of climbing the ladder to the roof. No problem.
Below are some shots taken during the project:
We were both surprised to find the roof in such good shape. There has not been any serious damage from the birds so the repairs were easy. Just as an aside - we both laughed when we got to the roof as there was a golf ball sitting in the middle.
I mentioned yesterday that our yard was looking sharp with everything in bloom. This shot was taken from our patio and shows the pretty colors. Notice the (purple) ironwood tree near the green:
Lastly, we transplanted one of our cactus that we started growing in a pot that was a "bird poop" seedling and was ready for a new home:
Our landscaper is here this morning and we hope to have all the pots connected to water including the new lime tree.
We are getting closer to being ready to leave for the summer...
Below are some shots taken during the project:
We were both surprised to find the roof in such good shape. There has not been any serious damage from the birds so the repairs were easy. Just as an aside - we both laughed when we got to the roof as there was a golf ball sitting in the middle.
I mentioned yesterday that our yard was looking sharp with everything in bloom. This shot was taken from our patio and shows the pretty colors. Notice the (purple) ironwood tree near the green:
Lastly, we transplanted one of our cactus that we started growing in a pot that was a "bird poop" seedling and was ready for a new home:
Our landscaper is here this morning and we hope to have all the pots connected to water including the new lime tree.
We are getting closer to being ready to leave for the summer...
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
RV Hiccup
I was making the preparations for the roof project yesterday morning when I received a call from the RV repair shop. They needed to know where the lug wrench was located so they could remove the wheels in order to perform the installation of the new suspension. I give up. There was a wrench in the glovebox of my new truck that I thought might be the one so I took it to the RV shop and it didn't work. I kept that required wrench in the glovebox of the old truck and I had no idea where to look for that stuff in our garage. The RV guy suggested I go to Discount Tire in Surprise and try to get one. He had one lug that would match the ones on our rig which he gave me to take to the tire place to try and get a match. Fortunately, Discount Tire had one and the guy didn't even charge me for the wrench. Way to go Discount Tire!
That little exercise cost me coolest part of the day so I postponed the roof project until today. I stopped at Home Depot and picked up some roof foam material to spray into the holes that our "friendly" woodpeckers have made in the roof. I hope to get that done today.
I also received another call this morning from the RV shop asking if I wanted both air gauges (one for each side of the vehicle) reinstalled or just go with one gauge. I opted to keep the dual gauges so I can tell if there is any imbalance. He said they were getting close to having the work done which is good news...
That little exercise cost me coolest part of the day so I postponed the roof project until today. I stopped at Home Depot and picked up some roof foam material to spray into the holes that our "friendly" woodpeckers have made in the roof. I hope to get that done today.
I also received another call this morning from the RV shop asking if I wanted both air gauges (one for each side of the vehicle) reinstalled or just go with one gauge. I opted to keep the dual gauges so I can tell if there is any imbalance. He said they were getting close to having the work done which is good news...
Monday, April 22, 2019
Show of Flowers
Our cactus plant finally broke out in all its glory this morning:
There are still some blossoms that haven't opened yet and I counted 17 flowers that have been eaten. Originally, we thought that it was coyotes that were eating them, but I saw two rabbits this morning munching away. I guess we will need to put a temporary fence around them during blooming season.
We have several other pretty plants that are in bloom including this one (trumpet plant) that we planted a couple months ago in one of our new pots:
Right now, the yard is a beautiful sight.
We had a terrific Easter dinner and visit at George and Cheryl's house yesterday. Once again, I failed to take any pictures and I am really disappointed in myself for suddenly forgetting to follow through with that task. There was no reason to forget as I had my phone. At any rate, the ham and all the trimmings were excellent, and we enjoyed the visit with everyone, including Brian and Amy and family. Hopefully, next year we will have our family from Illinois here to share the holiday.
I plan to get started today on doing patchwork on our roof and to get an update on our RV repairs which should be nearing completion...
There are still some blossoms that haven't opened yet and I counted 17 flowers that have been eaten. Originally, we thought that it was coyotes that were eating them, but I saw two rabbits this morning munching away. I guess we will need to put a temporary fence around them during blooming season.
We have several other pretty plants that are in bloom including this one (trumpet plant) that we planted a couple months ago in one of our new pots:
Right now, the yard is a beautiful sight.
We had a terrific Easter dinner and visit at George and Cheryl's house yesterday. Once again, I failed to take any pictures and I am really disappointed in myself for suddenly forgetting to follow through with that task. There was no reason to forget as I had my phone. At any rate, the ham and all the trimmings were excellent, and we enjoyed the visit with everyone, including Brian and Amy and family. Hopefully, next year we will have our family from Illinois here to share the holiday.
I plan to get started today on doing patchwork on our roof and to get an update on our RV repairs which should be nearing completion...
Sunday, April 21, 2019
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter everybody.
I was hoping for a great cactus display this morning but we aren't quite there yet. This is the latest shot of our cactus that will very shortly become totally enveloped with blooms:
There are a couple that are beginning to open and I would guess that one more day will do it. In the meantime, our neighbor's saguaro is already in bloom:
He actually has three of these monsters and all three are in bloom.
Our plan today is to have Easter dinner at George and Cheryl's house. We couldn't ask for a nicer day as the temperature will be around 87 with clear skies and a light breeze. Can't beat that!...
I was hoping for a great cactus display this morning but we aren't quite there yet. This is the latest shot of our cactus that will very shortly become totally enveloped with blooms:
There are a couple that are beginning to open and I would guess that one more day will do it. In the meantime, our neighbor's saguaro is already in bloom:
He actually has three of these monsters and all three are in bloom.
Our plan today is to have Easter dinner at George and Cheryl's house. We couldn't ask for a nicer day as the temperature will be around 87 with clear skies and a light breeze. Can't beat that!...
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Waiting on Cactus Show
The attention - ours and our neighbors - has shifted to our huge cactus plant in the backyard. It is very close to busting out into a floral show that is rarely seen anywhere. I showed the plant a couple days ago and I took another shot yesterday so you can see how it is progressing:
Once again, I counted 75 blooms that will appear within the next day or so.
We will be spending Easter dinner with the other Reed's - George, Cheryl, Brian, Amy and family - at George and Cheryl's house. It will most likely be our last opportunity to visit before heading out to Wyoming for the summer.
I am putting together a list of to-do items that we will be using during the next several weeks. Actually, there are only 4 weeks to go before our departure...
Once again, I counted 75 blooms that will appear within the next day or so.
We will be spending Easter dinner with the other Reed's - George, Cheryl, Brian, Amy and family - at George and Cheryl's house. It will most likely be our last opportunity to visit before heading out to Wyoming for the summer.
I am putting together a list of to-do items that we will be using during the next several weeks. Actually, there are only 4 weeks to go before our departure...
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Pretty Time of the Year
It is probably the prettiest time of the year in the desert. The flowering bushes are beginning to show their colorful flowers and the cactus are beginning to fill out with all their different blossoms. I have taken a couple photos already of the beginning of our cactus flowering, but this one shows another one that is about one or two days away from being spectacular:
I counted 75 blossoms ready to break open. I'm sure that it will be one unforgettable photo when they all open. Our neighborhood is full of other cactus that are putting on a great show and the saguaros are getting ready to bloom.
The wildflowers will all be in their glory about the time we arrive in Wyoming and we always look forward to the early hikes when we can get good photos of the colorful flowers. With all of the snow they had this year, it should be a banner year for wildflowers. That also means that the snow runoff will be greater which should produce a banner year for whitewater rafting on the Snake River. We are getting excited about returning again this year...
I counted 75 blossoms ready to break open. I'm sure that it will be one unforgettable photo when they all open. Our neighborhood is full of other cactus that are putting on a great show and the saguaros are getting ready to bloom.
The wildflowers will all be in their glory about the time we arrive in Wyoming and we always look forward to the early hikes when we can get good photos of the colorful flowers. With all of the snow they had this year, it should be a banner year for wildflowers. That also means that the snow runoff will be greater which should produce a banner year for whitewater rafting on the Snake River. We are getting excited about returning again this year...
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Full Steam Ahead
We are now ready for the final push to get through the next 4 weeks, including Mother's Day, to be ready for our trip to Wyoming. Josie is mended from her virus and is back to work today and I am writing the timeline for all the remaining tasks. The next four weeks will fly by, I'm sure.
The weather will be heating up - all 90's in the forecast for the next 7 days - so we need to prepare for the real heat. I think we have everything lined up to have the house ready for the summer and to have the car protected during those hot months we will be away.
I guess we will also have to make plans for emptying the refrigerator. We have one month to eat everything...
The weather will be heating up - all 90's in the forecast for the next 7 days - so we need to prepare for the real heat. I think we have everything lined up to have the house ready for the summer and to have the car protected during those hot months we will be away.
I guess we will also have to make plans for emptying the refrigerator. We have one month to eat everything...
Monday, April 15, 2019
Final Masters Note
I indicated that I was not a Tiger fan yesterday following his Masters win- and I am not. However, there is no arguing that he should receive all the accolades for his tremendous comeback - on the course. The problem I have with him is how he acts off the course. A person's character and actions should play a large role in how they are perceived. Enough on that.
All of the pieces of equipment from our DirecTV installation - except for the dish mounted on the roof - has been sent back to AT&T. I dropped everything off on Saturday at the local UPS store who handles all of those returns. It is my understanding that the rooftop dish is mine to keep. Wonderful - what can I do with a useless DirecTV dish?
Our cactus are continuing to show some Spring beauty as the photo below indicates:
There are more on the way and I will show those as the blossoms open...
All of the pieces of equipment from our DirecTV installation - except for the dish mounted on the roof - has been sent back to AT&T. I dropped everything off on Saturday at the local UPS store who handles all of those returns. It is my understanding that the rooftop dish is mine to keep. Wonderful - what can I do with a useless DirecTV dish?
Our cactus are continuing to show some Spring beauty as the photo below indicates:
There are more on the way and I will show those as the blossoms open...
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Almost Wonderful Masters
I am not a Tiger fan. The finish to the (almost) great Masters was predictable. There were at least 6 players that had a chance to win with 4 or 5 holes remaining....until Tiger tied for the lead and the other contenders crumbled like they always do when Tiger gets in the lead. I don't know what it is that intimidates the field into submission when Tiger is in contention. Anyway, I lost respect for him years ago when he destroyed his family because he thought that he "was entitled" to sleep around with every girl in sight.
Our cactus are all ready to bust out in beautiful blooms. They are about a few days away from really putting on a show, but we got this shot of our hedgehog cactus this morning:
We should have some more nice shots fairly soon.
It looks like a busy week ahead as we zero in on several tasks that need to be completed before we leave for Wyoming...
Our cactus are all ready to bust out in beautiful blooms. They are about a few days away from really putting on a show, but we got this shot of our hedgehog cactus this morning:
We should have some more nice shots fairly soon.
It looks like a busy week ahead as we zero in on several tasks that need to be completed before we leave for Wyoming...
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Wonderful Masters Tournament
I really enjoyed watching the Masters on TV yesterday. Josie even liked watching it which is a surprise. Maybe our stepped up rounds of miniature golf here at the rec center have created more interest in the sport. At any rate, there is a new record following the second round. There are five players tied for the lead breaking the old record of three. There is only a 7 stroke difference between the leaders and the final qualifier for the last two rounds. A great tournament this year.
I didn't mention that the other day we stopped the mailman to talk about our summer mail forwarding. He gave us the form we need to complete and gave us some tips on time frames to allow for the whole process of stopping/restarting the mail. Of course, Sun City has lots and lots of folks who do that each year. This will be our first time from this location so we are hoping it goes smoothly.
Today is more Masters viewing and we hope it is as good as yesterday. The weather may become a factor with some rain in the forecast at Augusta...
I didn't mention that the other day we stopped the mailman to talk about our summer mail forwarding. He gave us the form we need to complete and gave us some tips on time frames to allow for the whole process of stopping/restarting the mail. Of course, Sun City has lots and lots of folks who do that each year. This will be our first time from this location so we are hoping it goes smoothly.
Today is more Masters viewing and we hope it is as good as yesterday. The weather may become a factor with some rain in the forecast at Augusta...
Friday, April 12, 2019
Landscaper Found
I had to run an errand this morning so that is why the entry is late today.
I met with a new landscaper yesterday afternoon and we reviewed all the work that has to be completed before we leave for the summer. He seems to be very knowledgeable about the plants and about sprinklers which is what we need him for the most. The amount he quoted for doing our work seemed a little high, but to get quality work done on what we need will most likely be a good value. Quite a few new water lines need to be installed to get our plants through the summer. There is no way we could go the summer without having this work done. I am waiting for a call to solidify the date he will perform the work.
I also heard from our RV repair tech yesterday and he says everything is on target to complete the work by around the 23rd of April. That gives us sufficient time to do the other things we have to do to get it ready for our trip.
Having fun watching the Masters Tournament on TV this weekend...
I met with a new landscaper yesterday afternoon and we reviewed all the work that has to be completed before we leave for the summer. He seems to be very knowledgeable about the plants and about sprinklers which is what we need him for the most. The amount he quoted for doing our work seemed a little high, but to get quality work done on what we need will most likely be a good value. Quite a few new water lines need to be installed to get our plants through the summer. There is no way we could go the summer without having this work done. I am waiting for a call to solidify the date he will perform the work.
I also heard from our RV repair tech yesterday and he says everything is on target to complete the work by around the 23rd of April. That gives us sufficient time to do the other things we have to do to get it ready for our trip.
Having fun watching the Masters Tournament on TV this weekend...
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Dish Installed
The relationship with our new TV provider - Dish - got off to a great start yesterday. They kept me informed all morning as to when to expect the technician - he was on time within the short window they provided. The installation went smoothly and we are set with the new service on all three tv's and have a plan in place to add Dish to our RV before we leave for the summer. There is only one bill and the costs to add Dish to our RV will be minimal. We only need to purchase a "Tailgater" antenna and we can use two receivers from Dish that we will rent for $7 per month, just for the time we need to use them which will be for four months. Not bad.
A bonus to the installation, and a feature that we never had with DirecTV, is that one of our three receivers for the house is a wireless one which enables us to move the TV anywhere, including to our patio, if we wish to watch TV outside. The total time for the installation was about three hours which was projected by them at the beginning. All is working properly and we like the different format already. We also get all of the programming - and more - that we had with DirecTV. I hope the honeymoon lasts forever.
I also located a new landscaper for our requirements outside. He will be meeting us at 4:30 today to review the work that we need performed. The recommendation is positive, so we expect to have a good experience with him. Our fingers are crossed...
A bonus to the installation, and a feature that we never had with DirecTV, is that one of our three receivers for the house is a wireless one which enables us to move the TV anywhere, including to our patio, if we wish to watch TV outside. The total time for the installation was about three hours which was projected by them at the beginning. All is working properly and we like the different format already. We also get all of the programming - and more - that we had with DirecTV. I hope the honeymoon lasts forever.
I also located a new landscaper for our requirements outside. He will be meeting us at 4:30 today to review the work that we need performed. The recommendation is positive, so we expect to have a good experience with him. Our fingers are crossed...
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
New TV Service
We pulled another trigger yesterday - on our TV service.
Our association with DirecTV will end today with the installation of a new Dish system this morning. DirecTV has gone steadily downhill since they were acquired by AT&T and the DirecTV service tech that we had out a couple months ago agreed. He indicated that the long term plan that AT&T has for DirecTV is to convert to streaming services and eliminate the satellite service entirely. As a result, the DirecTV service has been a problem and getting worse. That ends today. The Dish satellite network has overtaken DirecTV as the number 1 satellite provider and they get a chance to prove it now. We will also get Dish equipment that we can take in our RV and still only receive one monthly bill whether at home or away in the RV. That will be a separate transaction as the antenna for the RV has to different from the DirecTV antenna we currently use I the RV. The installation is scheduled today between 11 AM and 12:15 PM and expected to take a couple of hours.
I also got the name of a new landscaper for us from our neighbor. I will call him today and try to schedule a good time to come out and review our needs as soon as possible. The added benefit for this replacement is that the new guy speaks clear English - I will probably understand everything he says for once.
We are going through some very hot weather and winds to boot. Hopefully it will all improve starting tomorrow...
Our association with DirecTV will end today with the installation of a new Dish system this morning. DirecTV has gone steadily downhill since they were acquired by AT&T and the DirecTV service tech that we had out a couple months ago agreed. He indicated that the long term plan that AT&T has for DirecTV is to convert to streaming services and eliminate the satellite service entirely. As a result, the DirecTV service has been a problem and getting worse. That ends today. The Dish satellite network has overtaken DirecTV as the number 1 satellite provider and they get a chance to prove it now. We will also get Dish equipment that we can take in our RV and still only receive one monthly bill whether at home or away in the RV. That will be a separate transaction as the antenna for the RV has to different from the DirecTV antenna we currently use I the RV. The installation is scheduled today between 11 AM and 12:15 PM and expected to take a couple of hours.
I also got the name of a new landscaper for us from our neighbor. I will call him today and try to schedule a good time to come out and review our needs as soon as possible. The added benefit for this replacement is that the new guy speaks clear English - I will probably understand everything he says for once.
We are going through some very hot weather and winds to boot. Hopefully it will all improve starting tomorrow...
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
New Insurance
It took nearly the first half of the day yesterday to wrap up our insurance changes. The final result is: Progressive for vehicle insurance, Progressive (underwritten by Nationwide) for homeowner's insurance and Good Sam (underwritten by National General) for our RV insurance. It was a real challenge trying to match coverages against what we gave up at Liberty Mutual, but we finally got pretty good matches with our new coverage and will save several hundred dollars for the year.
The most disappointing aspect of the switch is the total lack of concern and attempts on the part of Liberty Mutual to keep us as a customer. We have been customers for many years and expected much more loyalty from them. It is what it is.
I didn't get my other tasks accomplished yesterday - Landscaper change and Satellite provider change. I concluded that it would better for us to get a (local) landscaper that is recommended by friends/neighbors vs selecting one from an ad in the local paper. I will begin that search right away. The satellite provider issue was a dead end yesterday as the address I had for the DISH Network retailer was actually the Fry's store location in Surprise where they only accept DISH network bill payments. I guess I will do that research online as much as I can.
Josie came home from work early yesterday as she was having symptoms of a cold or allergies that were making her feel very congested. She appears to be much better today.
With all that was going on yesterday, I missed the National Championship basketball game last night between Virginia (winner in OT) and Texas Tech. It was a thriller from what I saw this morning and kick myself for missing the game.
Next up is the Masters Golf Tournament and I will NOT miss any of that...
The most disappointing aspect of the switch is the total lack of concern and attempts on the part of Liberty Mutual to keep us as a customer. We have been customers for many years and expected much more loyalty from them. It is what it is.
I didn't get my other tasks accomplished yesterday - Landscaper change and Satellite provider change. I concluded that it would better for us to get a (local) landscaper that is recommended by friends/neighbors vs selecting one from an ad in the local paper. I will begin that search right away. The satellite provider issue was a dead end yesterday as the address I had for the DISH Network retailer was actually the Fry's store location in Surprise where they only accept DISH network bill payments. I guess I will do that research online as much as I can.
Josie came home from work early yesterday as she was having symptoms of a cold or allergies that were making her feel very congested. She appears to be much better today.
With all that was going on yesterday, I missed the National Championship basketball game last night between Virginia (winner in OT) and Texas Tech. It was a thriller from what I saw this morning and kick myself for missing the game.
Next up is the Masters Golf Tournament and I will NOT miss any of that...
Monday, April 8, 2019
Pulling The Trigger
I expect to pull the trigger today on several fronts.
Starting with a new landscaper - I will locate a more reliable landscaper today to install our needed water lines. I have mentioned before that our current landscaper is so unreliable and we have wasted our last day waiting for him. I have a couple people in mind and will talk with them today.
We will pull the trigger on new insurance today. I have narrowed the choices to Progressive and GEICO. I am leaning toward Progressive as they offer RV insurance where GEICO does not. It appears that we will pay slightly higher rates for homeowner insurance (provided by Nationwide, a Progressive partner), but will save lots more on the vehicles. Goodbye Liberty Mutual.
I will make a stop at the local DISH Network provider today to get the facts and figures on switching from DirecTV to DISH. The plan is to use DISH for our summer in Jackson and, if all goes well and we like it, we will totally drop DirecTV when we return in October.
We will be celebrating our one year anniversary in the house next month. As part of that anniversary, we received our annual renewal notice for the property assessment for the Rec Centers. It will be the best $496 we could possibly pay for another year of unlimited free use of all of the Sun City Rec Center amenities. I don't know of a better value anywhere.
Yesterday, we made a trip to the Pottery Place in Surprise to pick up a small table for our patio. We have been using our small, wicker table from our patio set but we are afraid the sun will ruin the wicker. Also, we wanted a table that would be heavier than most other tables we have seen that are plastic and would blow away in any heavy breeze. This is a shot of our new table:
I'm sure it will serve us well...
Starting with a new landscaper - I will locate a more reliable landscaper today to install our needed water lines. I have mentioned before that our current landscaper is so unreliable and we have wasted our last day waiting for him. I have a couple people in mind and will talk with them today.
We will pull the trigger on new insurance today. I have narrowed the choices to Progressive and GEICO. I am leaning toward Progressive as they offer RV insurance where GEICO does not. It appears that we will pay slightly higher rates for homeowner insurance (provided by Nationwide, a Progressive partner), but will save lots more on the vehicles. Goodbye Liberty Mutual.
I will make a stop at the local DISH Network provider today to get the facts and figures on switching from DirecTV to DISH. The plan is to use DISH for our summer in Jackson and, if all goes well and we like it, we will totally drop DirecTV when we return in October.
We will be celebrating our one year anniversary in the house next month. As part of that anniversary, we received our annual renewal notice for the property assessment for the Rec Centers. It will be the best $496 we could possibly pay for another year of unlimited free use of all of the Sun City Rec Center amenities. I don't know of a better value anywhere.
Yesterday, we made a trip to the Pottery Place in Surprise to pick up a small table for our patio. We have been using our small, wicker table from our patio set but we are afraid the sun will ruin the wicker. Also, we wanted a table that would be heavier than most other tables we have seen that are plastic and would blow away in any heavy breeze. This is a shot of our new table:
I'm sure it will serve us well...
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Kind of a Lull
Sorry that there hasn't been an entry the last couple days. There hasn't been a whole lot of activity to report. We have been doing some minor tasks around the house but, for the most part, have been enjoying the beautiful weather and sunshine.
We did play a double round of miniature golf on Friday - both won by yours truly - and Josie is getting better each time. Soon, she will become a real tough competitor.
I have been trying to get our landscaper to come out and install a few new water lines to our new potted plants, the lime tree that I planted and to the grape vine. He says he is coming out, gives us a time and never shows up or calls. We are now going to drop him and locate a new, more responsible landscaper.
Josie has been working on new afghan in her spare time and she is moving right along with that project:
It looks like summer is arriving over the next several days as temperatures are forecasted to break 90 for the first time this year, In fact, we will get days of 96 band 97 tomorrow and Tuesday. Almost time to crank up the A/C...
We did play a double round of miniature golf on Friday - both won by yours truly - and Josie is getting better each time. Soon, she will become a real tough competitor.
I have been trying to get our landscaper to come out and install a few new water lines to our new potted plants, the lime tree that I planted and to the grape vine. He says he is coming out, gives us a time and never shows up or calls. We are now going to drop him and locate a new, more responsible landscaper.
Josie has been working on new afghan in her spare time and she is moving right along with that project:
It looks like summer is arriving over the next several days as temperatures are forecasted to break 90 for the first time this year, In fact, we will get days of 96 band 97 tomorrow and Tuesday. Almost time to crank up the A/C...
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Projects Started
There are several projects that need to be completed before we leave for Jackson in May. Two of them were addressed yesterday. The first was to create a deterrent for birds around our grape vine. The best solution I found after researching options was to hang reflecting tape on the vine:
There are lots of strips that aren't visible in this shot and the vine is pretty much covered with this tape. It is an inexpensive solution and one that is proven to work. We'll see.
The second project was to remove some debris that has sitting on the side of our house since we moved in last year. I have been waiting to remove it until I make sure none of the items will be used. I removed those items and placed them in the garage and sent this photo to our trash pickup folks to schedule a special pickup for them. I found that the cheapest solution for removal was to use our existing service and just schedule a special pickup. The other option I was going to consider was taking all of it to a landfill. That was not an economical solution and required a lot of extra work on my part:
The list of projects is growing, and we will just take them one a time...
There are lots of strips that aren't visible in this shot and the vine is pretty much covered with this tape. It is an inexpensive solution and one that is proven to work. We'll see.
The second project was to remove some debris that has sitting on the side of our house since we moved in last year. I have been waiting to remove it until I make sure none of the items will be used. I removed those items and placed them in the garage and sent this photo to our trash pickup folks to schedule a special pickup for them. I found that the cheapest solution for removal was to use our existing service and just schedule a special pickup. The other option I was going to consider was taking all of it to a landfill. That was not an economical solution and required a lot of extra work on my part:
The list of projects is growing, and we will just take them one a time...
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
RV Repair Estimate
We finally received our estimate for RV repairs yesterday. It turns out that the suspected hydraulics issue is actually a different problem. The suspension is cracked on the one side and the entire suspension needs to be replaced. That will result in an additional $2500 which brings our total (estimated) to around $3500 for everything on the list. That was not an anticipated expense and makes it even more important for us to work the summer in Jackson to get the extra cash. Any thought of skipping this year goes away with the RV repair costs. Maybe it will be the last year.
I'm still trying to sort out insurance options, so there is nothing new to report on that task.
Our cactus plants are beginning to bloom which is a sure sign of summer being close by. We took these shots of the one large bloom in our yard this morning:
There are many more cactus plants about ready to bloom and we will take some shots of each one as they occur...
I'm still trying to sort out insurance options, so there is nothing new to report on that task.
Our cactus plants are beginning to bloom which is a sure sign of summer being close by. We took these shots of the one large bloom in our yard this morning:
There are many more cactus plants about ready to bloom and we will take some shots of each one as they occur...
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Too Quiet Now
Now that everybody has left after a wonderful week of visiting with family, it is too quiet. We (me, at least) are still recovering from our intense hike last week and I am slowly regaining full use of my legs. I won't be going to the rec center anytime soon to do treadmill.
I received the annual auto insurance renewal documents and went through the roof. Without any changes in coverage or vehicles, our monthly premium jumped 45$! I started searching for new insurance yesterday and now realize how difficult a task that is going to be. None of the insurance companies have a way to do apples to apples comparisons and I have to interpret each company's system to try to match coverages. So far, it appears that there may be several companies that can save us lots of money. I really hate giving up Liberty Mutual, but they priced us out of their family. I think it will be awhile before I settle on a change.
I talked to the RV repair shop yesterday and expect to have a final estimate today along with a completion date. There has been no pressure to move faster on this event as we still have the month of April to get things together...
I received the annual auto insurance renewal documents and went through the roof. Without any changes in coverage or vehicles, our monthly premium jumped 45$! I started searching for new insurance yesterday and now realize how difficult a task that is going to be. None of the insurance companies have a way to do apples to apples comparisons and I have to interpret each company's system to try to match coverages. So far, it appears that there may be several companies that can save us lots of money. I really hate giving up Liberty Mutual, but they priced us out of their family. I think it will be awhile before I settle on a change.
I talked to the RV repair shop yesterday and expect to have a final estimate today along with a completion date. There has been no pressure to move faster on this event as we still have the month of April to get things together...
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