Tires On. Move On.

At last I have reached the end of the month long saga of installing new tires on the RV.  Slapped them on with a lot of help from my friends.  Sorry no pictures of the operation.  But certainly one of the result.

 Oooooooo!

Now we be ready for the road again!  Weather of late has been cold and rainish.  But of course we will wait for our community Thanksgiving dinner!  And the leftovers luncheon on Saturday!!

Monday we depart for southern California for a final (ha ha ha!) repair on our slide.  Then Tucson bound!

Bruce

Tired of Tires

People without RVs think that people living in RVs lead simple lives. True enough in some respects.  We don't mow the lawn, pay property taxes, or...ummmm...mow the lawn.

We do work on home maintenance just like normal people.  And then some.  Two electrical systems, appliances with multiple fuels, effluent duties. There are some differences.

Which brings me to differences between a car vehicle and a recreational vehicle.  When normal people buy tires, they drive over to the tire store.  "Gimme a set of tires," they say.  Maybe they choose a brand, like the ones made by the fat funny looking cartoon, who rates restaurants on the side.  ["I'll try the steel belted radials with a side of roadkill."]   Or tires sold by George Foreman.  After all, what did the heavy weight champion of the world know about electric grills?

Not so us.  We need new tires on our trailer.  Which lead me to consider buying heavier wheels and bigger tires so we can carry more toilet paper around the country.  Which lead me to discover that you can't find such wheels easily now, what with cutbacks in production due to creeping socialism in the aluminum industry.

To make a long story short [too late!], I ordered four tires and wheels from Ohio.  Shipped by FedEx freight.  And so I await delivery of a 450 pound box of rubber and metal.  How much does this cost?  Don't ask.

Watch here for pictures of the Blog Writer wrestling 100 pound tires into position.  Followed by pictures of the aforementioned Writer entering his chiropractor's office, driven there by Mrs. Writer, who is saying to him, "I told you so!"

Bruce

Summer Plans Already

We lead a life of serendipity.  Meaning whatever we want as long as it doesn't cost too much and our health doesn't interfere and Clancy agrees.  But sometimes we plan ahead. 

Like planning for summer, when working people dream of taking a break and enjoying themselves too.  They resist the Capitalist Manifesto, which requires people to work more for less so a few can work less and have more.  Which is why the few recently took even more, so people would lose their jobs and stay home instead of going on vacation.  If they still had homes.

Of course, when they lose their homes, they feel unencumbered and travel more, looking for work.  Thereby living their dreams after all.  So it all works out...for a few.

Where was I?  Doesn't take much.

Last year (2009) we worked as volunteers for the Oregon Parks Department.  This year, we did not secure positions at Fort Stevens for 2011.  Instead we will spend June at Collier Memorial State Park in the Cascade Mountains near Crater Lake.  Then July and August on the coast at Nehalem Bay State Park , 10 miles south of Cannon Beach.  In each park, we will work in the Information Center, dispensing brochures and wisdom about the local attractions and the closest wifi service.  No selling firewood or cleaning campgrounds.  Sounds great!

Yet life has a way of working on its own.  Check back in eight months to see if it works out.

Bruce

Three Year Blog Anniversary

As is our habit, we reprise the last year of travel and adventure.  After all, what else do we have to do?

Clancy completed his second year of life and as part of our little family.   Fortunately for all concerned, his terrier behavior has improved some to the point of tolerable.  Others with terriers tell us that age three is the magic number for a companionable dog.  And so we pray.

We broadened our travel horizons, with journeys to Tucson, as well as Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks.  And then the RV Trip of a Lifetime to Alaska via Canada, several National Parks thereabouts, a visit to the Arctic Circle, and other experiences too numerous to type.  Read the blog.

We faced challenging RV equipment failures, but never let it get us down. Adds new meaning to "You can't take it with you."  Apparently you can, but it will cost ya.

We feel fine and look good.  [No, you don't get a picture to make your own judgment.]  What more can you want?  World Peace?  A woman for President, other than Sarah Palin?  We'll get back to you next year.

Bruce

A-OK Inside and Out

We have completed most of our internal updates and prognosis is good.  Jenna met with her oncoman.  They decided to discontinue further treatments, since she remains in complete remission.  Which will give her more time to recover from two years of chemotherapy.  All is well well well.

No findings for the male side of the duo.  Stay the course.

Now we have entered the hosting phase of our remaining time here at Park Sierra.  Friends Russ and Dee from Lake Tyee are visiting right now.  eFriends Tom and Donna will arrive in a few days for a few days.  Other Lake Tyee friends Steve and Sandy will visit in a few weeks.  Fortunately all these folks bring their own homes, as we left our spare bedroom in Washington.

This week, we entered the 21st Century with the purchase of two Nook eReaders by Barnes and Noble.  Suddenly the world of literature has opened to us in convenient no-cost no calorie form.  Less time reading blogs, more time reading Kafka and Mark Twain.  It's a good trade-off.

Bruce

An Apple a Day

So begin our contributions to the financial health of the Fresno medical community.  A poke here, a prod there.  Scan scan, gurgle gurgle, cough cough.  Oww!

Jenna will see her cancerologist next week for a six month review of her condition.  They will decide on whether she should submit to one more round of potions, or just call it good for now.

Bruce

Too Darn Busy

We live in a cooperative.  We (the Coop) expect everyone to contribute to maintaining and improving the park.  Works pretty well actually, which you would see if you visited.  [You never visit!]  Clean faciltites, structures in good condition, an active social life.

Last year I volunteered to help with the park phone and computer system.  Worked out pretty well last Spring, just going around fixing up wiring and installing a few internet routers.

For this Fall visit, I volunteered to write a maintenance manual for the phone and computer system.  Didn't know how soon I would need it.

Within a week, the most active member of our little communications group died.  Another knowledgeable fella went on a three week holiday.  Two others left for the week. Which left just two of us where seven once tread.

One week into it, we lost power in a lightning storm.  God damn!  Which started three days of heavy rain.  Which plays havoc with aging phone/computer wiring.

Know the one about the one arm paper hanger?  I feel his pain.  Piller to post, hither and yon, you get the idea.  Suffice to say, I'm busy.

In other news, we've made progress in arranging a repair on our misbehaving slideout at a southern CA facility on our way out of town.  No trip to Kansas in our plans, we hope....

Breathe!!

Bruce