Friday, June 5, 2009 - Happy Birthday, Sharry!
My older sister just turned 39 again, so Happy Birthday Sis. It turns out that Greg’s birthday was yesterday, so I paid for his lunch to wish him a happy 61.
The sky was clear this morning, but as the day progresses, it has clouded up and looks like it might rain. Every once and a while, the sun breaks through, but all in all, it is dark and cool (67), with a breeze.
Well, I finally did it! I got the modem and satellite dish to range and lock onto the satellite. What a pain in the you know what. At least now I know why it did what it did, and what to do if it happens again. That’s if I remember what to do later on. I can now get online and research the hot water heaters and other things that I have been unable to research.
While working in the sunroom this morning, I have had a chipmunk come inside to greet me, twice. With the pass through screen, they can come and go as long as the sliding door is open, and one has learned how to push his way through and explore the room. The second time he came in (I am only assuming it is the same one), Zack was laying on his bed by the wood stove and jumped up to get him. I gave him the command to “leave it,” and he did, allowing the chipmunk to escape back outside. They are really characters and watching them play is entertaining to say the least. The other day I gave Zack an almost empty peanut butter jar and he licked out all his tongue could reach and then left the plastic jar laying in the yard. There was still quite a bit of peanut butter in the bottom, so I put it on the woodpile for the chipmunks.
Yesterday, one tried to push the jar to his home and nudged it off the woodpile and onto the deck. He soon lost interest in it and it laid there. This morning, I have watched them climb into the jar and take a large helping of peanut butter and then scurry off to get their mouths unstuck. This act has been repeated many times and the jar is now completely clean on the inside.
I have also been enjoying the wild birds at the feeders, except for the Cowbirds, and have noticed that I am missing the Juncos. I thought I saw them after filling the feeders, but there isn’t a one in sight. They usually come in May and might have found another place to go when they discovered the feeders were empty. I am also missing the Robins, which are usually abundant by now. I wonder if it is a sign of some type?
It is now after 1:00, and I need to put the battery back in the truck, back it to the battery box, disconnect and load all eight batteries, drive to town and buy eight new batteries and repeat the process in reverse. I am not looking forward to spending $2240.00, but am looking forward to going 4 or 5 days without having to run the generator to keep them charged up. When they were new, they would last that long on one good charge, so I am hoping the new ones will do the same.
I will finish this tonight and send it, plus do my water heater research. If I take the time to do the research now, it will be too late to go buy the batteries, and while that may mean yet another trip to town, I would feel better about the purchase.
So, I never made it to town, as I started doing research on batteries. If I am going to spend over two thousand dollars, I want to make sure I am buying the best batteries at the best price. I am so glad that I did the research as I discovered that I can buy a better battery for less and the freight is even included. I will be buying AGM batteries, which are sealed, no maintenance long life batteries. In the five years since I set this system up, the improvement in deep cycle batteries has improved a lot. AGM stands for Absorbed Glass Mat and the batteries have AGM between the plates instead of water. They don’t require any maintenance, other than keeping them charged. There is no off gases or fumes, no leakage, no water to add, and they will not freeze until more than 40 below zero. They seem to fit my needs completely.
As a result of this discovery, I stayed up until 12:30 in the morning doing research on which brand was the best to order. I found that Interstate Battery, the company in town where I purchased my original batteries, carries the AGM, but don’t have the best price. There are two companies that have better prices and will ship for free, so now I need to see how long it will take to get the batteries. Because they don’t have water in them, they can be shipped UPS, but weight is an issue. The ones I am looking at weigh 165 pounds each. I haven’t ordered them yet as I want to be sure that they are exactly what I want before committing to spending that amount of money.
I still have to research water heaters before purchasing one, and may end up doing it online like the batteries, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I am tired and Zack has been pestering me to go to bed for the last two hours, so I’ll stop and get ready for bed.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009 -
It is sunny and clear this morning, without the need of a fire to warm up the cabin. My weather station is indicating a drop in barometric press, but NWS isn’t predicting any storms for this morning. The afternoon has a slight chance of a thunderstorm, but a slight chance usually means no rain.
I’ve been told that although we had more snow than usual this past winter, and thus more run off to the creeks and lakes, we have had very little rain. Usually the end of May and first part of June produces several thunderstorms that produce rainfall to help green things up.
I had my morning coffee and then got ready to head into town for lunch with Greg and my dentist appointment. I had awoke at 8 AM, and got up as I had so much on my mind I couldn’t go back to sleep. We headed down the mountain at 9:35, to meet the follow me truck for the 10:15 trip to Lincoln Road. We got there with 15 minutes to spare and I let Zack out to sniff around while I listened to the news on the radio.
As the follow me truck brought a few vehicles up the road, a truck turned to come my way and I had to move the Jeep to let him by. It turned out to be Jim Wilcox, the person that built my cabin and sold me the property. We visited for a few minutes and then he went up to Old Bald Butte City, where he is building another small cabin to sell. While we were visiting, a van pulled up behind me and just as Jim was leaving, a guy got out of the van and walked to my car. It was Mike from Colorado. I wrote about him two summers ago. He is slowing building a cabin over on Lost Horse Creek and comes up every summer to work on it. We visited briefly and then the follow me truck flagged us to come follow her.
I drove to Greg’s office, arriving a little before 11 AM. Greg was finishing some paper work and when he had, we left for lunch. We went to Montana Hardware Café, in Montana City, which is just down the highway from Helena. We had a good lunch and nice visit and headed back to his office. Zack was waiting in the car, so I let him out to sniff around while Greg and I visited some more.
My dentist appointment wasn’t until 2 PM, and I had about an hour and a half to go price water heaters. I haven’t completely given up on the tankless water heaters, but it is looking like I may end up just replacing my LP heater for another like it. Between Home Depot, Lowes, Power Townsend, and Ace Hardware, my choices for an LP water heater are slim. Most of the ones they carry are electric or natural gas, so unless I want to buy what is available, I’ll have to order one, which may take even longer than I wish. I have gone without water and hot water before, so other than being inconvenient, it isn’t a big deal. I can do my laundry in cold water and although I prefer to use hot water to do the dishes, it isn’t really necessary.
Prices for an LP water heater vary between $319.00 to $438.00, all being 30 gallons with 6-year warranties. All but Ace Hardware had them in stock for immediate purchase, but I am still hoping to get online and do some research before I make up my mind.
I stopped to pick up my mail and then drove to the old downtown, where my dentist’s office is. I found a 2-hour parking space, hoping that would be long enough, and parked. I made sure Zack had water and left the windows down as it had warmed up to 74 degrees. As long as the windows are open and he has shade to lay in, he is content. With the windows down, any passersby could remove him if they believed he was in distress. Also, they would realize that with the windows down, I knew the dangers of leaving him in a car on a hot day.
I walked to the dentist’s office and checked in, waiting to be called. The entire office takes lunch from 1:00 to 2:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so John had to prepare the room for my root canal. It turned out to be more difficult than he thought, as the roots on that tooth are curved and difficult to clean and fit with the posts. The tooth already had a crown on it and John drilled through it, rather than remove it, which would save me the cost of a new crown.
It turned out that there was decay under the crown, which is what made the tooth become infected and abscessed, so he ended up having to remove the crown to get all of the decay and finish the root canals. This particular tooth can have four roots, but often has only three and he said some have only two. Two is all the x-ray shows, so he wasn’t sure until he opened up the top to discover I had three.
An hour and a half later, he finished and made me an appointment to have a crown fitted next week. He is also going to put a filling on the broken wisdom tooth to help it last longer. I paid for today’s procedure, $783.00, and will have to pay that much again for the follow up crown and filling. Maybe I should ask Obama to help me out and send him the bill for all of it.
When I came out of the office, it was overcast and much cooler than before, so I was glad that Zack had been comfortable. We drove to Lincoln Road RV Park and I went in to the lounge and got online to send the updates and check my bank account. I also called Bill Adams, the person the set up my internet satellite in the motor home, as he told me that I wouldn’t have any problem switching the modem back to the cabin from the RV. He managed to explain what was happening and told me that if the RV was within a few miles of the cabin and I put the modem back in to allow it to range for the location, I should be fine. He also told me how to change the zip code so the dish could get the new longitude and latitude.
We headed back to the cabin and was happy to see that there was no road control, as they had finished the paving all of the way to Marysville. Now they just need to finish the guardrails and paint the lines and the road will be finished. What a relief not having to deal with the follow me truck and times to come and go.
We stopped at the motor home and got more things to take back to the cabin, and once I unloaded them and got the modem, we headed back to the motor home. I had a little problem starting the generator for power, but managed after four tries. I got the dish up and while it was searching for the satellite, I unloaded the refrigerator and put the box in the Jeep. Once the dish found the satellite, I tried all of the things that Bill told me, but still couldn’t get it to range and allow a connection. After almost an hour, I gave up and disconnected the modem and the wireless airport, stowed the dish, shut down the generator and drove back to the cabin.
Zack was being particularly difficult, whining and fussing, so I made him ride inside rather than run part of the way home. It is a good thing I did because just before we got to the creek crossing, a very large black bear ran right in front of the car. He was moving fast and Zack almost tried to go through the closed window to chase after him. I am reasonable sure that once Zack caught his scent, he would have recognized danger and stopped trying to chase it, but was glad I didn’t have to deal with it. The bear quickly disappeared up the mountainside and we continued to the cabin.
It was late and I fed Zack and built a fire while heating up some left over pizza. The numbness of my mouth and jaw had worn off, and surprisingly I had no pain. I ate and watched some television, finally going to bed at 11:30.
It is sunny and clear this morning, without the need of a fire to warm up the cabin. My weather station is indicating a drop in barometric press, but NWS isn’t predicting any storms for this morning. The afternoon has a slight chance of a thunderstorm, but a slight chance usually means no rain.
I’ve been told that although we had more snow than usual this past winter, and thus more run off to the creeks and lakes, we have had very little rain. Usually the end of May and first part of June produces several thunderstorms that produce rainfall to help green things up.
I had my morning coffee and then got ready to head into town for lunch with Greg and my dentist appointment. I had awoke at 8 AM, and got up as I had so much on my mind I couldn’t go back to sleep. We headed down the mountain at 9:35, to meet the follow me truck for the 10:15 trip to Lincoln Road. We got there with 15 minutes to spare and I let Zack out to sniff around while I listened to the news on the radio.
As the follow me truck brought a few vehicles up the road, a truck turned to come my way and I had to move the Jeep to let him by. It turned out to be Jim Wilcox, the person that built my cabin and sold me the property. We visited for a few minutes and then he went up to Old Bald Butte City, where he is building another small cabin to sell. While we were visiting, a van pulled up behind me and just as Jim was leaving, a guy got out of the van and walked to my car. It was Mike from Colorado. I wrote about him two summers ago. He is slowing building a cabin over on Lost Horse Creek and comes up every summer to work on it. We visited briefly and then the follow me truck flagged us to come follow her.
I drove to Greg’s office, arriving a little before 11 AM. Greg was finishing some paper work and when he had, we left for lunch. We went to Montana Hardware Café, in Montana City, which is just down the highway from Helena. We had a good lunch and nice visit and headed back to his office. Zack was waiting in the car, so I let him out to sniff around while Greg and I visited some more.
My dentist appointment wasn’t until 2 PM, and I had about an hour and a half to go price water heaters. I haven’t completely given up on the tankless water heaters, but it is looking like I may end up just replacing my LP heater for another like it. Between Home Depot, Lowes, Power Townsend, and Ace Hardware, my choices for an LP water heater are slim. Most of the ones they carry are electric or natural gas, so unless I want to buy what is available, I’ll have to order one, which may take even longer than I wish. I have gone without water and hot water before, so other than being inconvenient, it isn’t a big deal. I can do my laundry in cold water and although I prefer to use hot water to do the dishes, it isn’t really necessary.
Prices for an LP water heater vary between $319.00 to $438.00, all being 30 gallons with 6-year warranties. All but Ace Hardware had them in stock for immediate purchase, but I am still hoping to get online and do some research before I make up my mind.
I stopped to pick up my mail and then drove to the old downtown, where my dentist’s office is. I found a 2-hour parking space, hoping that would be long enough, and parked. I made sure Zack had water and left the windows down as it had warmed up to 74 degrees. As long as the windows are open and he has shade to lay in, he is content. With the windows down, any passersby could remove him if they believed he was in distress. Also, they would realize that with the windows down, I knew the dangers of leaving him in a car on a hot day.
I walked to the dentist’s office and checked in, waiting to be called. The entire office takes lunch from 1:00 to 2:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so John had to prepare the room for my root canal. It turned out to be more difficult than he thought, as the roots on that tooth are curved and difficult to clean and fit with the posts. The tooth already had a crown on it and John drilled through it, rather than remove it, which would save me the cost of a new crown.
It turned out that there was decay under the crown, which is what made the tooth become infected and abscessed, so he ended up having to remove the crown to get all of the decay and finish the root canals. This particular tooth can have four roots, but often has only three and he said some have only two. Two is all the x-ray shows, so he wasn’t sure until he opened up the top to discover I had three.
An hour and a half later, he finished and made me an appointment to have a crown fitted next week. He is also going to put a filling on the broken wisdom tooth to help it last longer. I paid for today’s procedure, $783.00, and will have to pay that much again for the follow up crown and filling. Maybe I should ask Obama to help me out and send him the bill for all of it.
When I came out of the office, it was overcast and much cooler than before, so I was glad that Zack had been comfortable. We drove to Lincoln Road RV Park and I went in to the lounge and got online to send the updates and check my bank account. I also called Bill Adams, the person the set up my internet satellite in the motor home, as he told me that I wouldn’t have any problem switching the modem back to the cabin from the RV. He managed to explain what was happening and told me that if the RV was within a few miles of the cabin and I put the modem back in to allow it to range for the location, I should be fine. He also told me how to change the zip code so the dish could get the new longitude and latitude.
We headed back to the cabin and was happy to see that there was no road control, as they had finished the paving all of the way to Marysville. Now they just need to finish the guardrails and paint the lines and the road will be finished. What a relief not having to deal with the follow me truck and times to come and go.
We stopped at the motor home and got more things to take back to the cabin, and once I unloaded them and got the modem, we headed back to the motor home. I had a little problem starting the generator for power, but managed after four tries. I got the dish up and while it was searching for the satellite, I unloaded the refrigerator and put the box in the Jeep. Once the dish found the satellite, I tried all of the things that Bill told me, but still couldn’t get it to range and allow a connection. After almost an hour, I gave up and disconnected the modem and the wireless airport, stowed the dish, shut down the generator and drove back to the cabin.
Zack was being particularly difficult, whining and fussing, so I made him ride inside rather than run part of the way home. It is a good thing I did because just before we got to the creek crossing, a very large black bear ran right in front of the car. He was moving fast and Zack almost tried to go through the closed window to chase after him. I am reasonable sure that once Zack caught his scent, he would have recognized danger and stopped trying to chase it, but was glad I didn’t have to deal with it. The bear quickly disappeared up the mountainside and we continued to the cabin.
It was late and I fed Zack and built a fire while heating up some left over pizza. The numbness of my mouth and jaw had worn off, and surprisingly I had no pain. I ate and watched some television, finally going to bed at 11:30.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009 -
The morning is sunny and bright with only a few thin clouds high in the sky. A last night low was 26.2, so it did go below freezing. I didn’t bother with building a fire this morning as the sunroom was in the low sixties and I knew that as soon as the sun moved it would heat the cabin up.
I have spent the morning working up these updates and reading more about possible fixes for the water heater. I tried one suggestion from my book on how to fix everything, but the pilot light wouldn’t stay lit. I am going to completely disassemble the burner and control unit and see if I can fix it, as I have nothing to loose, if I am already planning to buy a replacement.
I will also remove the tarps from the garage and start the truck, as I need it to get the old batteries to town and bring the new ones back. I also need to buy some blue board insulation to redo the battery box, and pressure treated 2 x 4s to make a cattle grating for the road.
On my trip to town tomorrow, I will take my computer and if I am not feeling too bad after my root canal, I’ll stop at the RV Park and use their wireless connection to collect my emails and send these updates. No promises, but I’ll try.
Okay, it is now 7 PM, and I have been working, working, working. I worked on the water heater for about an hour and a half, without any luck. I removed and cleaned all of the lines and even tried the old thermal couple, but the pilot light wouldn’t stay lit. I guess I’ll be shopping for a new water heater when I go to town.
I removed the tarps from the lean-to shed and put my quad in to protect it from the sun. I also removed the tarps from the garage and tried to start the truck, but the battery was completely dead. That is a new battery from last summer, so there may have been an electrical draw that used all its charge. I thought that maybe all the batteries would need to be charged before starting, but the Argo started immediately on the first turn of the key. Now I think that is amazing as I often had trouble starting it when the engine was cold. Next was the bulldozer and it too started immediately. Being able to start both the Argo and the dozer so easily, confirms that the truck must have had a drain on it.
I removed the truck battery and took it to the cabin, putting it on the trickle charger. I’ll see what condition it is before I go to bed and turn off the generator, but because my dental appointment is at 1 PM tomorrow, I doubt if I’ll have time to put the battery back, start the truck, back up and disconnect all six batteries, put all eight in the back of the truck and then be down to meet the follow me truck at 10:15.
I told Greg I’d meet him for lunch BEFORE they do my root canal, so I need to get into town before noon so we’ll have enough time to eat and then get to my appointment. All of this means that I’ll have to start the truck and load the batteries on Friday, making the trip to town to get the batteries and a water heater so I can install them this week end, hoping I don’t need to go to town again for a while.
I just played with and fed Zack, so he’s upstairs taking a nap on my bed after a busy day. He chased deer twice this afternoon, even though I admonished him not to. He was napping in the Jeep when three deer wandered into the yard and went to what’s left of the salt lick. I didn’t see him respond, so figured he hadn’t seen them. I went back to work and the next time I looked, the deer were gone. I thought they crossed the creek and went up the hill, but Zack soon returned from up the road, panting hard.
I am going to heat some water for a shower and then fix myself some dinner before relaxing and watching some television before bedtime.
The morning is sunny and bright with only a few thin clouds high in the sky. A last night low was 26.2, so it did go below freezing. I didn’t bother with building a fire this morning as the sunroom was in the low sixties and I knew that as soon as the sun moved it would heat the cabin up.
I have spent the morning working up these updates and reading more about possible fixes for the water heater. I tried one suggestion from my book on how to fix everything, but the pilot light wouldn’t stay lit. I am going to completely disassemble the burner and control unit and see if I can fix it, as I have nothing to loose, if I am already planning to buy a replacement.
I will also remove the tarps from the garage and start the truck, as I need it to get the old batteries to town and bring the new ones back. I also need to buy some blue board insulation to redo the battery box, and pressure treated 2 x 4s to make a cattle grating for the road.
On my trip to town tomorrow, I will take my computer and if I am not feeling too bad after my root canal, I’ll stop at the RV Park and use their wireless connection to collect my emails and send these updates. No promises, but I’ll try.
Okay, it is now 7 PM, and I have been working, working, working. I worked on the water heater for about an hour and a half, without any luck. I removed and cleaned all of the lines and even tried the old thermal couple, but the pilot light wouldn’t stay lit. I guess I’ll be shopping for a new water heater when I go to town.
I removed the tarps from the lean-to shed and put my quad in to protect it from the sun. I also removed the tarps from the garage and tried to start the truck, but the battery was completely dead. That is a new battery from last summer, so there may have been an electrical draw that used all its charge. I thought that maybe all the batteries would need to be charged before starting, but the Argo started immediately on the first turn of the key. Now I think that is amazing as I often had trouble starting it when the engine was cold. Next was the bulldozer and it too started immediately. Being able to start both the Argo and the dozer so easily, confirms that the truck must have had a drain on it.
I removed the truck battery and took it to the cabin, putting it on the trickle charger. I’ll see what condition it is before I go to bed and turn off the generator, but because my dental appointment is at 1 PM tomorrow, I doubt if I’ll have time to put the battery back, start the truck, back up and disconnect all six batteries, put all eight in the back of the truck and then be down to meet the follow me truck at 10:15.
I told Greg I’d meet him for lunch BEFORE they do my root canal, so I need to get into town before noon so we’ll have enough time to eat and then get to my appointment. All of this means that I’ll have to start the truck and load the batteries on Friday, making the trip to town to get the batteries and a water heater so I can install them this week end, hoping I don’t need to go to town again for a while.
I just played with and fed Zack, so he’s upstairs taking a nap on my bed after a busy day. He chased deer twice this afternoon, even though I admonished him not to. He was napping in the Jeep when three deer wandered into the yard and went to what’s left of the salt lick. I didn’t see him respond, so figured he hadn’t seen them. I went back to work and the next time I looked, the deer were gone. I thought they crossed the creek and went up the hill, but Zack soon returned from up the road, panting hard.
I am going to heat some water for a shower and then fix myself some dinner before relaxing and watching some television before bedtime.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009 -
I spent the morning reading all of the information about the tankless water heater and decided that the cost and problems with installing it presented more problems than I wanted to deal with. It seems that the Bosch tankless water heaters need batteries to ignite the gas and the increased amount of heat given off by the flames used to instantly heat the water, requires 50 cubic square feet of open space, a 5” special vent (my existing is only 4”), and can’t be installed in the same space I have the inverter.
So much for that idea, but I will do more research, if I ever get online, before giving up on the idea. I know that Camping World is selling one that is portable and can be mounted outside, for $238.00, but it is only good to 5 degrees, as the water in the lines will freeze at lower temperatures. If I leave in the winter and drain or remove it, it would be okay, so that may be an option. I will price replacement LP water heaters in town and see if I can get by cheaper.
I have my doctor’s appointment at 3 PM, so need to watch my time and leave here no later than 12:40 to make the 1:15 departure of the follow me truck. I’ll be glad when they finish the road so we don’t have to put up with all of this. At least I have it better than those in town as they have to put up with all of the dust and noise of the work, plus the torn up driveways.
Zack and I left and managed to meet the time schedules, arriving at my doctor’s office at 2:56. I checked in and the nurse took me to an exam room to do the update of information, weight, temperature, and of course, blood pressure. Again, it was too high (158/89). The doctor came in shortly after that and said that we needed to address my blood pressure issue before her blood pressure went up. We talked about options and what medications I had tried in the past, coming to the agreement that I would try a water pill to help thin my blood and reduce my pressure.
We moved on to the main reason I made the appointment, which was for the tiresome problem of involuntary air swallowing, due to my acid reflux problem. I was having an episode at the moment, so she could sympathize with me and we discussed surgery to correct the problem, but she wants me to try another antacid before going in that direction. She did say that she would order a colonoscopy and have them do an oral examine at the same time. In other words, do both ends at the same time. Her exact words, not mine.
We had a discussion about my allergy medication being a cause for high blood pressure, and heaven knows I’ve been using it a lot lately, so she scheduled me for an appointment for an allergist to see if a newer medication might be available. We had tried several different types a couple of years ago, but they didn’t help and she put me back on my original medication, which I have been on for over 40 years.
Once all was finished and she gave me a new script for my medications, she had me make any appoint for a blood draw and biopsy of a small spot on my arm that doesn’t heal. I will have those done on Wednesday of next week and will have to fast before the blood draw.
I drove over to the battery shop where I had originally purchased my batteries and talked to the second in charge. They have more than 8 of the L-16 batteries and need my old ones in exchange. I told him I’d have to get my truck running so I could haul them down and get the new ones. I asked about the price and told him that I had gotten a discount on the previous ones because I bought eight of them. He called the owner, explained the situation, and was told he would give me a discount, selling me the batteries for $280.00 each, instead of the $285.00 they sell for. I sarcastically told the guy that was real generous of him, and he agreed, but then business is tough all over and the boss needs to make a living, like everyone else.
Having done a lot of research the last time I purchased the batteries, I knew that this was still the best price and I will simply have to swallow hard and pay the $2,240.00. Living off the grid has its advantages, but this isn’t one of them. At least there isn’t any sales tax, so I guess I should be thankful for that.
I spoke to India, regarding my lack of internet, and when a heavily accented female answered, I asked to speak to someone without an accent. She tried to tell me she didn’t have an accent, and would s-p-e-a-k- v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y, and when I told her no, I wanted someone with English as their FIRST language, she started to argue with me. I asked for her supervisor and when Gary came on, he told me - in broken English - their was no one there that spoke English as a first language and that if I wanted help, I would have to speak to him. I questioned his statement and made him repeat every third word, as I couldn’t f--king understand him. I will be contacting Hughes and lodging a formal complaint.
I managed to “What?” “What did you say,” through his explanation of what I should try to resolve my issue, AFTER I repeatedly told him that I wasn’t in front of the computer, but 40 miles away! He then told me that because my warranty was up in 2005, I would have to pay $125.00 to have a technician make a house call to check the problem. I asked him if he meant that Hughes expected me to pay my monthly fee of $59.95 for NOT receiving any service. He told me no, that I had to pay to get a technician to fix the reason why I wasn’t getting any service. Did I mention my high blood pressure? This wasn’t helping.
I made him tell me all of the procedures that he would have me go through IF I WAS IN FRONT OF MY COMPUTER. I wrote them down and told him I would try those things and then call back in a day or two. He wanted to know why I couldn’t call back today, and try as I might, to explain my situation to someone living in the heaviest populated city in the world, I just couldn’t get him to understand, and I finally just hung up.
Back home, I tried all of the things he told me about and several that he didn’t. I finally got a message saying, “Modem can’t range due to distance to satellite has changed.” I guess my cabin moved while I was gone, or their satellite did. In either instance, I should think that Hughes should pay someone to come out and verify the problem was their equipment, not me or my computer. I will be looking into one of the other satellite providers services and tell Hughes to go stuff themselves.
Three drinks and some dinner later, I simply put all of it out of my mind and focused on other things, which right now is multiple. I watched television while enjoying a fire as the night is much colder than previous nights and in fact it is supposed to go to freezing at my altitude tonight.
I spent the morning reading all of the information about the tankless water heater and decided that the cost and problems with installing it presented more problems than I wanted to deal with. It seems that the Bosch tankless water heaters need batteries to ignite the gas and the increased amount of heat given off by the flames used to instantly heat the water, requires 50 cubic square feet of open space, a 5” special vent (my existing is only 4”), and can’t be installed in the same space I have the inverter.
So much for that idea, but I will do more research, if I ever get online, before giving up on the idea. I know that Camping World is selling one that is portable and can be mounted outside, for $238.00, but it is only good to 5 degrees, as the water in the lines will freeze at lower temperatures. If I leave in the winter and drain or remove it, it would be okay, so that may be an option. I will price replacement LP water heaters in town and see if I can get by cheaper.
I have my doctor’s appointment at 3 PM, so need to watch my time and leave here no later than 12:40 to make the 1:15 departure of the follow me truck. I’ll be glad when they finish the road so we don’t have to put up with all of this. At least I have it better than those in town as they have to put up with all of the dust and noise of the work, plus the torn up driveways.
Zack and I left and managed to meet the time schedules, arriving at my doctor’s office at 2:56. I checked in and the nurse took me to an exam room to do the update of information, weight, temperature, and of course, blood pressure. Again, it was too high (158/89). The doctor came in shortly after that and said that we needed to address my blood pressure issue before her blood pressure went up. We talked about options and what medications I had tried in the past, coming to the agreement that I would try a water pill to help thin my blood and reduce my pressure.
We moved on to the main reason I made the appointment, which was for the tiresome problem of involuntary air swallowing, due to my acid reflux problem. I was having an episode at the moment, so she could sympathize with me and we discussed surgery to correct the problem, but she wants me to try another antacid before going in that direction. She did say that she would order a colonoscopy and have them do an oral examine at the same time. In other words, do both ends at the same time. Her exact words, not mine.
We had a discussion about my allergy medication being a cause for high blood pressure, and heaven knows I’ve been using it a lot lately, so she scheduled me for an appointment for an allergist to see if a newer medication might be available. We had tried several different types a couple of years ago, but they didn’t help and she put me back on my original medication, which I have been on for over 40 years.
Once all was finished and she gave me a new script for my medications, she had me make any appoint for a blood draw and biopsy of a small spot on my arm that doesn’t heal. I will have those done on Wednesday of next week and will have to fast before the blood draw.
I drove over to the battery shop where I had originally purchased my batteries and talked to the second in charge. They have more than 8 of the L-16 batteries and need my old ones in exchange. I told him I’d have to get my truck running so I could haul them down and get the new ones. I asked about the price and told him that I had gotten a discount on the previous ones because I bought eight of them. He called the owner, explained the situation, and was told he would give me a discount, selling me the batteries for $280.00 each, instead of the $285.00 they sell for. I sarcastically told the guy that was real generous of him, and he agreed, but then business is tough all over and the boss needs to make a living, like everyone else.
Having done a lot of research the last time I purchased the batteries, I knew that this was still the best price and I will simply have to swallow hard and pay the $2,240.00. Living off the grid has its advantages, but this isn’t one of them. At least there isn’t any sales tax, so I guess I should be thankful for that.
I spoke to India, regarding my lack of internet, and when a heavily accented female answered, I asked to speak to someone without an accent. She tried to tell me she didn’t have an accent, and would s-p-e-a-k- v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y, and when I told her no, I wanted someone with English as their FIRST language, she started to argue with me. I asked for her supervisor and when Gary came on, he told me - in broken English - their was no one there that spoke English as a first language and that if I wanted help, I would have to speak to him. I questioned his statement and made him repeat every third word, as I couldn’t f--king understand him. I will be contacting Hughes and lodging a formal complaint.
I managed to “What?” “What did you say,” through his explanation of what I should try to resolve my issue, AFTER I repeatedly told him that I wasn’t in front of the computer, but 40 miles away! He then told me that because my warranty was up in 2005, I would have to pay $125.00 to have a technician make a house call to check the problem. I asked him if he meant that Hughes expected me to pay my monthly fee of $59.95 for NOT receiving any service. He told me no, that I had to pay to get a technician to fix the reason why I wasn’t getting any service. Did I mention my high blood pressure? This wasn’t helping.
I made him tell me all of the procedures that he would have me go through IF I WAS IN FRONT OF MY COMPUTER. I wrote them down and told him I would try those things and then call back in a day or two. He wanted to know why I couldn’t call back today, and try as I might, to explain my situation to someone living in the heaviest populated city in the world, I just couldn’t get him to understand, and I finally just hung up.
Back home, I tried all of the things he told me about and several that he didn’t. I finally got a message saying, “Modem can’t range due to distance to satellite has changed.” I guess my cabin moved while I was gone, or their satellite did. In either instance, I should think that Hughes should pay someone to come out and verify the problem was their equipment, not me or my computer. I will be looking into one of the other satellite providers services and tell Hughes to go stuff themselves.
Three drinks and some dinner later, I simply put all of it out of my mind and focused on other things, which right now is multiple. I watched television while enjoying a fire as the night is much colder than previous nights and in fact it is supposed to go to freezing at my altitude tonight.
Monday, June 1, 2009 -
Although I enjoyed yesterdays respite, I feel like I need to get more done before relaxing. I still haven’t figured out why the batteries aren’t charging, and I need to open up the garage and get the vehicles started. It is cool and overcast today and NWS is predicting the possibility of thundershowers.
I have my dentist appointment at 2 PM today, so need to get ready and head to town, so I can connect with the follow me truck in time to make my appointment. If I miss the truck, it means waiting a whole hour and possibly missing my appointment. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, but I only see the dentist once a year for a cleaning and check up, so it has been awhile and I need him to check a tooth that has been pressure sensitive for several months.
Zack and I left the cabin at 12:45 and drove down the mountain to connect with the follow me truck. We arrived with 10 minutes to spare and I read while waiting as Zack napped in the copilot seat. We made the trip to Lincoln Road, and again, I was surprised to see how much of the road is paved. They are now more than half way done and even putting up the guard rails on the Lincoln Road side.
I made it to my appointment right on time and parked in a lot behind where my dentist’s office is. I usually park on the street, but decided that the parking lot was more convenient, so parked there. The dental hygienist took me right in and introduced herself. She is new at this office and I found her manner and techniques superior to just about all of my previous hygienist. After she had finished the exam and x-rays, John, my dentist, did his exam and studied the x-rays. He told me that the pressure sensitive tooth, a lower left molar (#19), was abscessed and I would have to have a root canal immediately. I have had abscessed teeth before and this didn’t seem as painful or bothersome as any before, but even I could see the abscess in the x-ray.
John started me on antibiotics and scheduled me for the root canal on Thursday, what fun, not to mention the $827.00 that it will cost me. It is still far less than the amount I would have spent on monthly premiums if I had purchased the dental coverage at retirement, so I can’t complain. He further discussed my high blood pressure (186/107) and was relieved to find out that I was seeing my doctor tomorrow.
When I got back to the car, there was an envelope on the windshield, and my first thought was that someone had hit me and left a note, but it was a parking ticket! Because I have never parked in a lot on my infrequent trips to town, I was unaware that there was a charge. There are no meters and on my way out, I saw the little sign and box saying, “Pay Here.” I remember that on my way into the lot, a large delivery van had been parked there, blocking my view of the sign.
I read the ticket and it was a $5.00 penalty, but could be disputed in person at the Parking Enforcement Office. I had to pay my vehicle registration on the RV, so went to the DMV to do that. After paying, I asked the clerk where I needed to go to see about the parking ticket. I thought maybe their office was in the same building, but it wasn’t. I drove to Parking Enforcement and found the office needed. I spoke to the clerk and explained the circumstances and she told me that I only needed to pay a dollar, but be sure to pay the parking fee in the future.
I went to Safeway to have the prescription filled, as John wants me to double dose today and then take them for a week to eliminate the infection. I bought some groceries and filled the gas cans ($1.99 with my 40 cent discount) while I was there, and then stopped at Home Depot, Lowes, and Ace Hardware to check on prices and availability of the tankless water heaters.
I found that Home Depot didn’t have any on display, but did have a brochure on Rheems and Paloma brand, and Lowes had several Bosch units on display. I have to have one that operates on LP (Liquid Propane), and they had one in stock for $649.00, which is a little more than twice what a gas water heater costs. Ace Hardware has the same unit for $599.00 and can get it in two workdays.
Not being able to get online and research tankless water heaters was troublesome, but Steve at Ace Hardware, printed out the entire owner’s manual for me to study. Having looked into tankless water heaters a couple of years ago, I knew that $600.00 was cheaper than what they had been, so was resigned to pay that price for one, but would study the manual information before making that decision.
We didn’t get back to the Marysville Road until after 7 PM, so didn’t have to deal with the follow me truck or wait. Again, I was happy to see their progress, as they are ¾ of the way to Marysville with the paving. The smooth, quick trip to our turn off was a pleasure, but the newly paved road means people will drive at a greater speed and in the winter it could mean more accidents than ever. At least with the guardrail I hope no one will go over the side and down the mountain as I had.
We stopped at the motor home to get yet more things to move to the cabin, and didn’t get home and unloaded until 8:30. I played with and then fed Zack, with Zoey being back on mainly dry food now that she is home. I fixed myself some dinner and then showered, watched a program on television and went to bed.
Although I enjoyed yesterdays respite, I feel like I need to get more done before relaxing. I still haven’t figured out why the batteries aren’t charging, and I need to open up the garage and get the vehicles started. It is cool and overcast today and NWS is predicting the possibility of thundershowers.
I have my dentist appointment at 2 PM today, so need to get ready and head to town, so I can connect with the follow me truck in time to make my appointment. If I miss the truck, it means waiting a whole hour and possibly missing my appointment. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, but I only see the dentist once a year for a cleaning and check up, so it has been awhile and I need him to check a tooth that has been pressure sensitive for several months.
Zack and I left the cabin at 12:45 and drove down the mountain to connect with the follow me truck. We arrived with 10 minutes to spare and I read while waiting as Zack napped in the copilot seat. We made the trip to Lincoln Road, and again, I was surprised to see how much of the road is paved. They are now more than half way done and even putting up the guard rails on the Lincoln Road side.
I made it to my appointment right on time and parked in a lot behind where my dentist’s office is. I usually park on the street, but decided that the parking lot was more convenient, so parked there. The dental hygienist took me right in and introduced herself. She is new at this office and I found her manner and techniques superior to just about all of my previous hygienist. After she had finished the exam and x-rays, John, my dentist, did his exam and studied the x-rays. He told me that the pressure sensitive tooth, a lower left molar (#19), was abscessed and I would have to have a root canal immediately. I have had abscessed teeth before and this didn’t seem as painful or bothersome as any before, but even I could see the abscess in the x-ray.
John started me on antibiotics and scheduled me for the root canal on Thursday, what fun, not to mention the $827.00 that it will cost me. It is still far less than the amount I would have spent on monthly premiums if I had purchased the dental coverage at retirement, so I can’t complain. He further discussed my high blood pressure (186/107) and was relieved to find out that I was seeing my doctor tomorrow.
When I got back to the car, there was an envelope on the windshield, and my first thought was that someone had hit me and left a note, but it was a parking ticket! Because I have never parked in a lot on my infrequent trips to town, I was unaware that there was a charge. There are no meters and on my way out, I saw the little sign and box saying, “Pay Here.” I remember that on my way into the lot, a large delivery van had been parked there, blocking my view of the sign.
I read the ticket and it was a $5.00 penalty, but could be disputed in person at the Parking Enforcement Office. I had to pay my vehicle registration on the RV, so went to the DMV to do that. After paying, I asked the clerk where I needed to go to see about the parking ticket. I thought maybe their office was in the same building, but it wasn’t. I drove to Parking Enforcement and found the office needed. I spoke to the clerk and explained the circumstances and she told me that I only needed to pay a dollar, but be sure to pay the parking fee in the future.
I went to Safeway to have the prescription filled, as John wants me to double dose today and then take them for a week to eliminate the infection. I bought some groceries and filled the gas cans ($1.99 with my 40 cent discount) while I was there, and then stopped at Home Depot, Lowes, and Ace Hardware to check on prices and availability of the tankless water heaters.
I found that Home Depot didn’t have any on display, but did have a brochure on Rheems and Paloma brand, and Lowes had several Bosch units on display. I have to have one that operates on LP (Liquid Propane), and they had one in stock for $649.00, which is a little more than twice what a gas water heater costs. Ace Hardware has the same unit for $599.00 and can get it in two workdays.
Not being able to get online and research tankless water heaters was troublesome, but Steve at Ace Hardware, printed out the entire owner’s manual for me to study. Having looked into tankless water heaters a couple of years ago, I knew that $600.00 was cheaper than what they had been, so was resigned to pay that price for one, but would study the manual information before making that decision.
We didn’t get back to the Marysville Road until after 7 PM, so didn’t have to deal with the follow me truck or wait. Again, I was happy to see their progress, as they are ¾ of the way to Marysville with the paving. The smooth, quick trip to our turn off was a pleasure, but the newly paved road means people will drive at a greater speed and in the winter it could mean more accidents than ever. At least with the guardrail I hope no one will go over the side and down the mountain as I had.
We stopped at the motor home to get yet more things to move to the cabin, and didn’t get home and unloaded until 8:30. I played with and then fed Zack, with Zoey being back on mainly dry food now that she is home. I fixed myself some dinner and then showered, watched a program on television and went to bed.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 - At the Cabin
Sleeping in my own bed last night was like sleeping on a cloud. The memory foam and my own pillow made it seem like I was floating as I slept. I awoke earlier than my usual time, but the lack of noise and comfort of my bed let me continue sleeping for a while longer.
I got up and fixed my coffee, started the generator for power and tried to get the computer online. I had no luck and will have to do a lot more research and checking to find the problem. While still at the RV Park, I had emailed Joe and Michele, letting them know I was back and inviting them to come up today if they wished. Joe’s mother is visiting from Pennsylvania and he wanted to bring her up to see my place, so I expected them at any time.
I am enjoying watching my birds returning as they discover the full feeders, and the chipmunks in the wood pile as they hunt for and find the peanuts I hide. The morning is so warm that I have all of the doors and windows open to let the fresh mountain air in. Although I am sad to see how many of the trees around me have succumbed to the bark beetle, being home and simply enjoying the beauty and peace and quiet of my kingdom is a great reward.
Just past noon, Michele, Joe, and his mother arrived and Zack and I greeted them. Joe’s mother isn’t quite like the picture he painted and I had in my mind. She is petite and attractive, and easy to be comfortable with. We all sat in the sunroom and visited, catching up on things that have happened. Joe had purchased a 1989 Honda Prelude with four-wheel steer, which is a year newer than the one I had. He loves the car and how it handles, but it is too difficult to get in and out of with his added weight, so he gave it to his mother to drive home. She had a bad experience flying out here, as she has a problem with her mastoid process, making her feel dizzy and sick, so she doesn’t want to fly home. Joe’s younger brother is flying out next week to drive her home in the Honda.
We sat out on the deck, soaking up the sun and just enjoying a warm lazy afternoon. I felt bad that I had nothing more than Dr. Pepper soda to offer them, as all of my chips and dips are still in the motor home. After playing with Zack and visiting, they headed for home at about 4:30, and I went back to trying to get online.
I had replaced the thermal coupler in the water heater and tried to light it with the same result as before, the pilot light would not stay lit when I released the button. More investigations indicated that it could be a dirty tube that supplies the propane to the pilot, so I removed and cleaned it. It didn’t help and according to all my books, it means the actual control is bad and needs to be replaced.
I had decided long ago that if and when the water heater had to be replaced, I would install a tankless water heater that doesn’t require a pilot to burn 24/7, so I’ll investigate that rather than fool with this 7+ year old water heater. I spent the next several hours deconstructing the battery box, removing and cleaning the batteries and all of the cables. To my dismay, I found that two of the batteries had froze and blown out their casings. The other six looked okay so I thought that I could reconnect those six, charge them and get by until a later date. I cleaned all six batteries, putting each of the 130 lb. batteries back in the battery box and reconnected them.
It was almost completely dark now, but I managed to finish and start the generator to begin charging them. I guess Fred was right when he emailed me that I might have more surprises in store, as I got things back to status quo. When dealing with multiple batteries, you cannot simply replace the bad batteries, but you must replace all of the batteries at the same time. This means an additional unexpected expense, on top of the water pump housing and water heater. If I remember correctly, those L-16 batteries cost me about $180.00 each, so with the cost of materials rising over the past five years, I know it is going to be costly to replace them.
I watched the inverter control panel as the generator was running and no matter what I did, it didn’t show the now six batteries were charging; in fact it indicated that they were discharging. My system is set up for 24 volts and the batteries should have a top charge of 29 volts and then need recharging when the volts drop below 22 volts. The meter was indicating that the voltage was 18.4 when I started the generator, then dropped to 18.2, and stayed there.
I gave up for the time being and heated water on the stove for a shower and then had some dinner and watched television until bedtime.
Sleeping in my own bed last night was like sleeping on a cloud. The memory foam and my own pillow made it seem like I was floating as I slept. I awoke earlier than my usual time, but the lack of noise and comfort of my bed let me continue sleeping for a while longer.
I got up and fixed my coffee, started the generator for power and tried to get the computer online. I had no luck and will have to do a lot more research and checking to find the problem. While still at the RV Park, I had emailed Joe and Michele, letting them know I was back and inviting them to come up today if they wished. Joe’s mother is visiting from Pennsylvania and he wanted to bring her up to see my place, so I expected them at any time.
I am enjoying watching my birds returning as they discover the full feeders, and the chipmunks in the wood pile as they hunt for and find the peanuts I hide. The morning is so warm that I have all of the doors and windows open to let the fresh mountain air in. Although I am sad to see how many of the trees around me have succumbed to the bark beetle, being home and simply enjoying the beauty and peace and quiet of my kingdom is a great reward.
Just past noon, Michele, Joe, and his mother arrived and Zack and I greeted them. Joe’s mother isn’t quite like the picture he painted and I had in my mind. She is petite and attractive, and easy to be comfortable with. We all sat in the sunroom and visited, catching up on things that have happened. Joe had purchased a 1989 Honda Prelude with four-wheel steer, which is a year newer than the one I had. He loves the car and how it handles, but it is too difficult to get in and out of with his added weight, so he gave it to his mother to drive home. She had a bad experience flying out here, as she has a problem with her mastoid process, making her feel dizzy and sick, so she doesn’t want to fly home. Joe’s younger brother is flying out next week to drive her home in the Honda.
We sat out on the deck, soaking up the sun and just enjoying a warm lazy afternoon. I felt bad that I had nothing more than Dr. Pepper soda to offer them, as all of my chips and dips are still in the motor home. After playing with Zack and visiting, they headed for home at about 4:30, and I went back to trying to get online.
I had replaced the thermal coupler in the water heater and tried to light it with the same result as before, the pilot light would not stay lit when I released the button. More investigations indicated that it could be a dirty tube that supplies the propane to the pilot, so I removed and cleaned it. It didn’t help and according to all my books, it means the actual control is bad and needs to be replaced.
I had decided long ago that if and when the water heater had to be replaced, I would install a tankless water heater that doesn’t require a pilot to burn 24/7, so I’ll investigate that rather than fool with this 7+ year old water heater. I spent the next several hours deconstructing the battery box, removing and cleaning the batteries and all of the cables. To my dismay, I found that two of the batteries had froze and blown out their casings. The other six looked okay so I thought that I could reconnect those six, charge them and get by until a later date. I cleaned all six batteries, putting each of the 130 lb. batteries back in the battery box and reconnected them.
It was almost completely dark now, but I managed to finish and start the generator to begin charging them. I guess Fred was right when he emailed me that I might have more surprises in store, as I got things back to status quo. When dealing with multiple batteries, you cannot simply replace the bad batteries, but you must replace all of the batteries at the same time. This means an additional unexpected expense, on top of the water pump housing and water heater. If I remember correctly, those L-16 batteries cost me about $180.00 each, so with the cost of materials rising over the past five years, I know it is going to be costly to replace them.
I watched the inverter control panel as the generator was running and no matter what I did, it didn’t show the now six batteries were charging; in fact it indicated that they were discharging. My system is set up for 24 volts and the batteries should have a top charge of 29 volts and then need recharging when the volts drop below 22 volts. The meter was indicating that the voltage was 18.4 when I started the generator, then dropped to 18.2, and stayed there.
I gave up for the time being and heated water on the stove for a shower and then had some dinner and watched television until bedtime.
Saturday, May 30, 2009 - Lincoln RV Park to Peggy’s
I have decided that I will move the motor home to Peggy’s for the summer and that way it will be closer to transfer all of my things back to the cabin. I drove up to her place on my way in yesterday and the snow had melted in the spot I park my RV.
After my morning coffee, I prepared the motor home for travel and disconnected the water, sewer, and power. I walked to the office, settled my account with Kim, and said my goodbyes, for now. I was on the road and headed to Marysville by 10:50 AM. The road was clear and void of traffic, which isn’t anything new, so we made good time to the Marysville Road turn off. With the road crew not working on the weekends, I didn’t have to wait for the follow me truck and simply continued on to Marysville. I was surprised at how much of the road is completed and it made the trip a lot smoother for the motor home.
We had to slow down at the turn off to Peggy’s as the road hasn’t, and won’t, be worked on. The grade increases, so the trip to Peggy’s was slow, even though I had the gas peddle pushed to the floor. We finally made it, I disconnected the Jeep, and pulled the RV into the same spot I had it parked the previous summer. I tried to level it the best I could, but the rear is still down hill, making the level bubble almost a half a bubble off center. The reason I mention this is that the propane refrigerator doesn’t work well when it isn’t level, but after I remove all of the items I will defrost and leave it off, so I am not too concerned.
I loaded the Jeep up with stuff I’ll need right away at the cabin and we drove home. I played with Zack and now that we are home, he won’t let me miss any of his play periods. I can tell that both he and Zoey are really happy to be home, but Zack had no hesitation to jump into the motor home and lay down, prepared to travel. I think he enjoyed the trip and likes traveling. Meanwhile, Zoey is seeking more assurance and affection from me than ever before. I have been giving a lot of thought to getting another kitten from the Humane Society so she will have a companion and playmate.
I put things away and was surprised to see how empty my refrigerator looks, even after putting many items from the RV refrigerator in it. It is almost three times the size of the RV refrigerator, but that refrigerator was jammed packed with things. I haven’t brought all of it to the cabin yet, but still, it looks empty. It was getting late and I didn’t feel like working on the water heater, so heated some water on the stove and showered using the solar shower bag in the shower.
I fed Zack and Zoey, and then fixed myself some dinner. I have to run the generator for power, as the batteries aren’t holding a charge. After reading all my manuals, I have deduced that they are so low that a complete manual (with a separate charger) charge is necessary. I settled in for my first night back, with the evening being so warm that I left all the doors and windows open. Zack and Zoey have been in and out several times, enjoying the freedom and spring evening.
After trying to get online, I am having a problem getting the modem to connect with the satellite, and it may have something to do with the adjustments made for it to work with the D2 in the motor home, but I don’t want to take the time to deal with it right now. After some television and giving Zoey some lap time, I went to bed.
I have decided that I will move the motor home to Peggy’s for the summer and that way it will be closer to transfer all of my things back to the cabin. I drove up to her place on my way in yesterday and the snow had melted in the spot I park my RV.
After my morning coffee, I prepared the motor home for travel and disconnected the water, sewer, and power. I walked to the office, settled my account with Kim, and said my goodbyes, for now. I was on the road and headed to Marysville by 10:50 AM. The road was clear and void of traffic, which isn’t anything new, so we made good time to the Marysville Road turn off. With the road crew not working on the weekends, I didn’t have to wait for the follow me truck and simply continued on to Marysville. I was surprised at how much of the road is completed and it made the trip a lot smoother for the motor home.
We had to slow down at the turn off to Peggy’s as the road hasn’t, and won’t, be worked on. The grade increases, so the trip to Peggy’s was slow, even though I had the gas peddle pushed to the floor. We finally made it, I disconnected the Jeep, and pulled the RV into the same spot I had it parked the previous summer. I tried to level it the best I could, but the rear is still down hill, making the level bubble almost a half a bubble off center. The reason I mention this is that the propane refrigerator doesn’t work well when it isn’t level, but after I remove all of the items I will defrost and leave it off, so I am not too concerned.
I loaded the Jeep up with stuff I’ll need right away at the cabin and we drove home. I played with Zack and now that we are home, he won’t let me miss any of his play periods. I can tell that both he and Zoey are really happy to be home, but Zack had no hesitation to jump into the motor home and lay down, prepared to travel. I think he enjoyed the trip and likes traveling. Meanwhile, Zoey is seeking more assurance and affection from me than ever before. I have been giving a lot of thought to getting another kitten from the Humane Society so she will have a companion and playmate.
I put things away and was surprised to see how empty my refrigerator looks, even after putting many items from the RV refrigerator in it. It is almost three times the size of the RV refrigerator, but that refrigerator was jammed packed with things. I haven’t brought all of it to the cabin yet, but still, it looks empty. It was getting late and I didn’t feel like working on the water heater, so heated some water on the stove and showered using the solar shower bag in the shower.
I fed Zack and Zoey, and then fixed myself some dinner. I have to run the generator for power, as the batteries aren’t holding a charge. After reading all my manuals, I have deduced that they are so low that a complete manual (with a separate charger) charge is necessary. I settled in for my first night back, with the evening being so warm that I left all the doors and windows open. Zack and Zoey have been in and out several times, enjoying the freedom and spring evening.
After trying to get online, I am having a problem getting the modem to connect with the satellite, and it may have something to do with the adjustments made for it to work with the D2 in the motor home, but I don’t want to take the time to deal with it right now. After some television and giving Zoey some lap time, I went to bed.
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