The first game of the Cactus League spring training is under our belts. It is very different this year compared to last. Aside from changes to the menu, there are some new faces to work with and some new procedures. The biggest complaint is that there are no mats to stand on for the cashiers. They have been removed because management felt that they were a danger for tripping. We had no problems with that last year, and already the cashiers are complaining because of back problems from standing on the cement all day. I tried to convince management that they would be better off using them, but to no avail. There are nineteen games to go.
We had our conversation with the Owner/General Manager of the Western Inn - Glacier Park. It was a very pleasant conversation, and very informative. There are some serious concerns that we have that are probably fatal to our acceptance of the opportunity. Our main objection is that we would not have the same days off during the week. Each of us would be "on-call" on the days we are not scheduled to work while the other of us would be working. We are wondering when we would have an opportunity to enjoy the area - specifically, the National Park. When are we supposed to do our hiking and biking? The other major concern is that that she appears to want to "micro-manage" the operation, right down to no gum chewing while on the job. Also, we would not be allowed to have friends or family stay at the Inn - she indicated that the Inn is for guests, not friends. Right now, it appears we will be returning to Jackson, WY, which is perfectly fine for us. We love it there.
I received a message from the Service Manager at the dealership where we purchased our car. He wants to get information on the tire size of the vehicle so he can replace the one odd tire brand we have - one of the two after-the-sale requirements. The other is a hitch that they will put on the vehicle so that we can attach our bike rack. I guess that means that the deal is finalized and the lender has accepted the residency paperwork.
We start work 45 minutes earlier today - a reason unknown to us as the game still starts at the same time as yesterday's game - 1:05 PM. It is shaping up to be a long month of March...
Friday, February 28, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
TV Problem Fixed
It seems like every time we get a range of time to expect a repair person to arrive, he arrives at the very end of the time range. Yesterday, we were to expect the DirecTV tech to arrive between 7 AM and 11 AM. He showed up at 11:05. The whole morning was wasted waiting for him to arrive.
The fix for the problem - no reception of the new, replacement weather station called Weather Nation - was done in less than 5 minutes. It is a poor substitute for the Weather Channel, but is better than no weather station at all - barely. Anyway, the problem was fixed and could have been fixed by myself if the telephone support had taken me through the step that corrected the problem. It seems that the dish was slightly moved out of alignment on one of our windy days to the extent that the particular location on the satellite that broadcasts the show was not getting good enough reception. There are 3 satellites that the dish uses for the signals. A simple tweak of the dish locked onto the satellites to get maximum signal again and - the show reappeared.
We are scheduled to speak with the owner of the Western Inn - Glacier Park, in Columbia Falls, MT, tonight following our spring training game today. We have a list of some questions we need answers to, so it should be an interesting conversation.
Josie worked the late shift at the shop yesterday and that was the last time she will work at that location until the first of April. She works at the production center now on every Monday and Tuesday - our days off from spring training - to fill her weeks in March. She captured this neat photo of the sunset and balloons on her ride home last night:
There is almost always something going on along the Carefree Highway near Lake Pleasant.
Our month of spring training games kicks off today as I have to be there at 10:15 AM and Josie at 11 AM. We will take only one vehicle to see if that works for us. Josie will take her crocheting to do during the extra time I have to work as the stand lead. That involves taking inventory before and after each game, and balancing the registers to the business done each day. Play ball!!
The fix for the problem - no reception of the new, replacement weather station called Weather Nation - was done in less than 5 minutes. It is a poor substitute for the Weather Channel, but is better than no weather station at all - barely. Anyway, the problem was fixed and could have been fixed by myself if the telephone support had taken me through the step that corrected the problem. It seems that the dish was slightly moved out of alignment on one of our windy days to the extent that the particular location on the satellite that broadcasts the show was not getting good enough reception. There are 3 satellites that the dish uses for the signals. A simple tweak of the dish locked onto the satellites to get maximum signal again and - the show reappeared.
We are scheduled to speak with the owner of the Western Inn - Glacier Park, in Columbia Falls, MT, tonight following our spring training game today. We have a list of some questions we need answers to, so it should be an interesting conversation.
Josie worked the late shift at the shop yesterday and that was the last time she will work at that location until the first of April. She works at the production center now on every Monday and Tuesday - our days off from spring training - to fill her weeks in March. She captured this neat photo of the sunset and balloons on her ride home last night:
There is almost always something going on along the Carefree Highway near Lake Pleasant.
Our month of spring training games kicks off today as I have to be there at 10:15 AM and Josie at 11 AM. We will take only one vehicle to see if that works for us. Josie will take her crocheting to do during the extra time I have to work as the stand lead. That involves taking inventory before and after each game, and balancing the registers to the business done each day. Play ball!!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
DirecTV and Other Appointments
For some reason, all of the necessary appointments we need to schedule are going to occur during our busiest month. We are expecting the DirecTV tech to arrive sometime this morning to diagnose why we are not able to get one of our stations - Weather Nation. Since DirecTV discontinued the Weather Channel arrangement over a contract dispute, their Weather Nation replacement has been a problem. First of all, it doesn't hold a candle to the Weather Channel. Secondly, we haven't been able to watch it regularly as we keep getting a "lost signal" message when we try to access the channel. They are not able to diagnose or fix the problem via telephone, so we get to visit with the on-site tech today.
Our warranty service on the fixes for the fifth wheel slideout and hydraulics has been approved, so we are waiting to schedule that appointment when the parts arrive. That should be today or tomorrow.
The potential for a new opportunity in Montana is beginning to heat up as the Owner/General Manager of the hotel/campground has asked to schedule a telephone conversation with us about the positions on Thursday, after 10 AM MST. Since we will be working our first spring training game on Thursday, we really don't know what time we will be home, but we will try to work around it somehow. The location is the Western Inn - Glacier Park, in Columbia Falls, MT, and as mentioned yesterday, sounds like a good fit for us. It would be the same hours we have in Jackson, but would be 3 days on, 2 days off, for the entire summer season, and for about $3 per hour more pay for each of us. That averages out to 38 hours per week and about $230 more per week. We would be the second shift managers which would be from 3 PM to 11 PM - the same hours we work in Jackson. It is a new area and a new experience, but one that could be a fun and rewarding experience. We'll keep you posted on that.
It was quiet yesterday from the dealership where we purchased our Jeep, so we are probably OK with the residency proof we provided. I hope that is the case, as we ordered a new GPS from Amazon yesterday to use in the new vehicle. We have one for the truck, but while we are traveling, it sure helps us to stay on the same track when we each have one of these nice units. We had a second one that we used in the old Jeep, but it was older technology and didn't include free lifetime maps and traffic info, so we gave that one to our friend and co-worker Donna in Jackson last summer.
This is my final day of "free time" before starting the spring training games, so I hope to get a lot accomplished. Josie works today, and every day until the end of March, so I hope all goes well for the next several weeks...
Our warranty service on the fixes for the fifth wheel slideout and hydraulics has been approved, so we are waiting to schedule that appointment when the parts arrive. That should be today or tomorrow.
The potential for a new opportunity in Montana is beginning to heat up as the Owner/General Manager of the hotel/campground has asked to schedule a telephone conversation with us about the positions on Thursday, after 10 AM MST. Since we will be working our first spring training game on Thursday, we really don't know what time we will be home, but we will try to work around it somehow. The location is the Western Inn - Glacier Park, in Columbia Falls, MT, and as mentioned yesterday, sounds like a good fit for us. It would be the same hours we have in Jackson, but would be 3 days on, 2 days off, for the entire summer season, and for about $3 per hour more pay for each of us. That averages out to 38 hours per week and about $230 more per week. We would be the second shift managers which would be from 3 PM to 11 PM - the same hours we work in Jackson. It is a new area and a new experience, but one that could be a fun and rewarding experience. We'll keep you posted on that.
It was quiet yesterday from the dealership where we purchased our Jeep, so we are probably OK with the residency proof we provided. I hope that is the case, as we ordered a new GPS from Amazon yesterday to use in the new vehicle. We have one for the truck, but while we are traveling, it sure helps us to stay on the same track when we each have one of these nice units. We had a second one that we used in the old Jeep, but it was older technology and didn't include free lifetime maps and traffic info, so we gave that one to our friend and co-worker Donna in Jackson last summer.
This is my final day of "free time" before starting the spring training games, so I hope to get a lot accomplished. Josie works today, and every day until the end of March, so I hope all goes well for the next several weeks...
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Lots of Activity
The main activity for yesterday was to wrap up the final details for our Jeep purchase. I went to our office when it opened at 8 AM and got some info that would help provide proof of our residency here. I also realized that one of the 1099's I received for income last year - the Wyoming Employment Services, for the unemployment benefits I received - was sent to this address and definitely proves we are residing here. I drove to the dealership in Surprise and presented the financial representative with all the details he requested. I then called the insurance company to add the vehicle to our insurance and discovered another potential glitch. The lender (who had the best rate) requires registration in AZ, and the insurance doesn't write policies for AZ residences. The best I could find in insurance for AZ would increase the insurance amount by $30 per month over the FL cost. Sheesh! So, I added the vehicle to the existing policy with a FL garaged address and will have to face the issue if and when the lender has a problem. Even though everything has been approved, we really won't own the vehicle until the loan is funded to the dealer.
I heard from the mobile tech about our next step in our slideout repair problem and finishing up on the hydraulics fix on our fifth wheel. That will be scheduled when he receives the part, but he now has the approval of the warranty company to proceed.
We are beginning a dialogue with a hotel/campground in Columbia Falls, MT, for a possible opportunity to work there this summer season. The money is more than we get in Jackson - by quite a bit - and would be in an area that has appeal to us - 5 miles from the west entrance to Glacier National Park in Montana. It is in the early stages and we would not leave our Jackson ties unless it is something we just can't refuse. So far, it sounds like a great opportunity in a new, desirable area for us. Stay tuned for more info on developments there.
We have just today and tomorrow before the start of the spring training games. We are hoping that it is a successful season and that we will enjoy it as much this year as we did last year...
I heard from the mobile tech about our next step in our slideout repair problem and finishing up on the hydraulics fix on our fifth wheel. That will be scheduled when he receives the part, but he now has the approval of the warranty company to proceed.
We are beginning a dialogue with a hotel/campground in Columbia Falls, MT, for a possible opportunity to work there this summer season. The money is more than we get in Jackson - by quite a bit - and would be in an area that has appeal to us - 5 miles from the west entrance to Glacier National Park in Montana. It is in the early stages and we would not leave our Jackson ties unless it is something we just can't refuse. So far, it sounds like a great opportunity in a new, desirable area for us. Stay tuned for more info on developments there.
We have just today and tomorrow before the start of the spring training games. We are hoping that it is a successful season and that we will enjoy it as much this year as we did last year...
Monday, February 24, 2014
Taking the Plunge
We have been talking about getting another vehicle for awhile now. The gas thirsty truck has been a drain on our budget since we arrived here in October and Josie has been working almost every day. Both of us concluded that we should look for an inexpensive addition that would relieve the truck use and save money on gas. Yesterday, we decided to stop at Moore Chrysler/Jeep in Peoria while we were on our way to Costco. We think we have this Jeep as our new second vehicle:
It is a 2012 Jeep Liberty Sport. Our plan is to drive this vehicle for at least a year or two until we save enough extra money to buy the one we really want - a new Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited Eco-Diesel.
I say I think we bought this vehicle because the deal isn't final yet. There is a situation that we hadn't considered that we need to overcome. Lenders want to have a physical address for any loan they give which means we need to show where the vehicle will be garaged. Full time RVers have this problem and our PO Box for Florida is not acceptable. We are in the process of converting this space we are presently occupying at Lake Pleasant to an annual lease which will satisfy the requirement. I will go to the office this morning to get some paperwork that shows our address as a "permanent" physical address. For now, at least, it looks like we will be titling this vehicle in Arizona. I don't know how the insurance company will react to having one vehicle in AZ, and the others in FL. We'll find out today.
With the spring training games starting this week and Josie working the other days at the flower shop, it will be a welcomed addition. It also leaves the truck at home in case I need to go somewhere which is a relief. I hope it works out.
While leaving the resort yesterday morning, we saw our old friends - the burros:
They were walking along, very close to the resort. It has been a while since we've seen them, so it was a nice start to the day...
It is a 2012 Jeep Liberty Sport. Our plan is to drive this vehicle for at least a year or two until we save enough extra money to buy the one we really want - a new Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited Eco-Diesel.
I say I think we bought this vehicle because the deal isn't final yet. There is a situation that we hadn't considered that we need to overcome. Lenders want to have a physical address for any loan they give which means we need to show where the vehicle will be garaged. Full time RVers have this problem and our PO Box for Florida is not acceptable. We are in the process of converting this space we are presently occupying at Lake Pleasant to an annual lease which will satisfy the requirement. I will go to the office this morning to get some paperwork that shows our address as a "permanent" physical address. For now, at least, it looks like we will be titling this vehicle in Arizona. I don't know how the insurance company will react to having one vehicle in AZ, and the others in FL. We'll find out today.
With the spring training games starting this week and Josie working the other days at the flower shop, it will be a welcomed addition. It also leaves the truck at home in case I need to go somewhere which is a relief. I hope it works out.
While leaving the resort yesterday morning, we saw our old friends - the burros:
They were walking along, very close to the resort. It has been a while since we've seen them, so it was a nice start to the day...
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Day Two of Training
The weekend training sessions are live games being held in the Aramark Big 10/Pac-12 Baseball Challenge. The tournament goes through Monday, but we were involved only with two of the games on Friday and Saturday. They were both long days for us to start off this spring training season and we were worn out by the end of yesterday's game that we worked. There are more games each day than the ones we worked, but they had other workers come in for the second and third games each day. With six teams playing in the tournament, it was a big success for Aramark as we did a huge amount of business during the time we worked our games. So far, we like the folks we will be working with this year. It seems like all the young, lazy workers from last year are gone. We'll see how it goes beginning Thursday of this week when the real test begins with the first game between the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers.
Following our game yesterday, we took advantage of the National Margarita Day at Macayo's Mexican restaurant in Surprise:
It was kind of a disappointment as the 10 oz margaritas that were sold for $2 were in more like 6 or 8 oz glasses. We should have challenged them to a measurement, but we had our mugs with us anyway, and we still enjoyed the meal. I used my mug for a second drink for a 16 oz margarita (for $3.99) while Josie had a second one in what looked like a 6 oz glass - they said they ran out of the original glasses.
The way things look now, today will be the only day that Josie has off until April 4. The days we don't work the games, she will be working at the production center for Phoenix Flower Shops. I will have Monday and Tuesday off each week through March. The good news is that none of the days should be longer than 5 or 6 hours, which provides a little time for breaks between working days.
We received a call from a Detective in Washington who informed us that Tracy was found and is in good health. We don't know any more than that but are relieved that she is safe...
Following our game yesterday, we took advantage of the National Margarita Day at Macayo's Mexican restaurant in Surprise:
It was kind of a disappointment as the 10 oz margaritas that were sold for $2 were in more like 6 or 8 oz glasses. We should have challenged them to a measurement, but we had our mugs with us anyway, and we still enjoyed the meal. I used my mug for a second drink for a 16 oz margarita (for $3.99) while Josie had a second one in what looked like a 6 oz glass - they said they ran out of the original glasses.
The way things look now, today will be the only day that Josie has off until April 4. The days we don't work the games, she will be working at the production center for Phoenix Flower Shops. I will have Monday and Tuesday off each week through March. The good news is that none of the days should be longer than 5 or 6 hours, which provides a little time for breaks between working days.
We received a call from a Detective in Washington who informed us that Tracy was found and is in good health. We don't know any more than that but are relieved that she is safe...
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Training Day
Our day started with a stop at the Hertz office near the Ford dealership that repaired our truck. It turns out that the extra charge for the rental was warranted as I signed up for extra insurance coverage (mistake) that the dealer wasn't responsible to pay. I accepted that. The other reason for stopping there was to ask if they had found a green, fleece vest in the car when they cleaned it following our return of the vehicle. It was Josie's vest from our Happy Jack workamping gig that she loves and wears more than any other jacket. She looked everywhere at work and at home and couldn't locate it, and she remembered putting it in the back seat when I picked her up from work on Valentine's Day. We had called them before, and the person we spoke to didn't see any vest. We asked again when we were there and they took another look - and found it in their lost and found. Josie is happy again.
The training game at the stadium was one of the games of the NCAA baseball tournament - between Nebraska and Oregon State - and we were slammed. Our manager, Danny, didn't expect such a large crowd and as we were the only concession stand open for the games, all of the business came our way. It took us a while to get up to speed with enough hot dogs, brats, and other foods to be able to keep up with the demand. There were long lines almost the entire game, until the 8th inning. I took a couple shots after the crowd died down to show our concession stand that we will be working again this March:
The game was won by Nebraska, 9-2, and they move on in the tournament.
This is a photo of the game, in progress, at the very nice stadium:
We get to do it again this morning but will have the advantage of having the prep work done to get started this time. It should be a better, slower pace experience for all of us.
We were ready for some good food by the time we left the stadium at 5 PM. There was a restaurant - TGI Friday's - that burned down a couple years ago and was replaced by a new restaurant - the Longhorn Steakhouse, and was just down the road from the stadium. We gave it a try last night:
There was a crowd at the restaurant and we had to wait about 30 minutes to get seated. I had a steak - what else at a steakhouse - and Josie had a bowl of potato soup and a Winter Brie Salad. We both enjoyed the meal and will most likely try it again in the future.
Our plan is to take advantage of National Margarita Day today, and have dinner at Macayo's following the game. The 10 oz. margaritas are only $2 today...
The training game at the stadium was one of the games of the NCAA baseball tournament - between Nebraska and Oregon State - and we were slammed. Our manager, Danny, didn't expect such a large crowd and as we were the only concession stand open for the games, all of the business came our way. It took us a while to get up to speed with enough hot dogs, brats, and other foods to be able to keep up with the demand. There were long lines almost the entire game, until the 8th inning. I took a couple shots after the crowd died down to show our concession stand that we will be working again this March:
The game was won by Nebraska, 9-2, and they move on in the tournament.
This is a photo of the game, in progress, at the very nice stadium:
We get to do it again this morning but will have the advantage of having the prep work done to get started this time. It should be a better, slower pace experience for all of us.
We were ready for some good food by the time we left the stadium at 5 PM. There was a restaurant - TGI Friday's - that burned down a couple years ago and was replaced by a new restaurant - the Longhorn Steakhouse, and was just down the road from the stadium. We gave it a try last night:
There was a crowd at the restaurant and we had to wait about 30 minutes to get seated. I had a steak - what else at a steakhouse - and Josie had a bowl of potato soup and a Winter Brie Salad. We both enjoyed the meal and will most likely try it again in the future.
Our plan is to take advantage of National Margarita Day today, and have dinner at Macayo's following the game. The 10 oz. margaritas are only $2 today...
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