We got up this morning and finished determining how much we wanted to spend for the car. Ellen also found out how much we owed. I wrote up a little sheet to take with us. Then we took all of our stuff out of the car. By the time we got that done it was time to go to the dealership. We got there at 10:15.
They had a salesman assigned to help us. He sat us down and we filled out the first of a lot of paperwork. The car wasn't prepped, but we took a drive in it anyway. It was just like the one we already have except no rear sensors.
We went back in and did a little more paperwork. Then we waited quite awhile while they appraised the car. Finally the sales manager came back. He offered us $500 more for the car than we calculated. Sounded good to me, so we bought it. Then we waited some more time for the finance guy. Our time with him was spent refusing useless add ons and signing a huge number of papers.
When that was done, the car still wasn't ready. So we hung around some more. Finally we got to leave. The new car seems quieter than the Oregon one. It's probably the tires.
It was after 1 and we were hungry. So we went to Steakburger on the way to the insurance office. After lunch we got the insurance set up and went home. It was 3 and I really didn't feel like doing anything, so I didn't.
About 6 it had cooled down, so I went and got the mail with Lucy. She was so happy to walk a little. When I got back I felt guilty, so I unloaded the truck. I had quite a bit of weight in it.
We had Traegerized pizza for dinner. Now I'm watching a zombie marathon.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Day 22
I got up at 7:45 this morning. For some reason I woke up and felt like getting up.
I spoke too soon about there being nothing wrong w/the house. When we woke up the washer was making a buzzing noise. Ellen tried to start a load, but it threw an error code. She found someone who could come in the afternoon.
After breakfast I put the charger back on the car battery. Then I moved all of the stuff from under the bed out of the trailer. I went up into the attic while it was still cool and located what I think is the data input cable (it's marked "HSD"). I'm not for sure because everything is covered with insulation. I cut it, put in a new connector, and fished it down to a new rf connector plate in the wall. I picked the area with the space behind the wall, so it wasn't too difficult.
After that while Ellen cleaned the trailer I got started on the yard work. I edged around the trailer, the parking area, and along the sidewalk. I also replaced some of the boundary rocks and cleaned up all of the leaves in the entry way. By then it was 12:30 and time for lunch.
We went to the Post Office and then to Fireman's. We had to order take out so that we could get back for the washer repairman. When we got back I decided to take the afternoon off and read.
The washer repairman came. After working for about an hour he said he couldn't fix the washer without order very expensive parts that he wasn't sure would fix it. At least he didn't charge us anything. While he was doing that Ellen was looking for cars. Lola came over with our mail and we gave her a $20 tip to go with what we paid her before. She spent quite a while petting Lucy. Lucy was in heaven.
Ellen found out on the web that the most likely cause of the washer failure was the leak it had earlier. The water corrodes the control board. It's new washer time. I'm not happy.
While Ellen worked on cars I went out to the back yard to pick up yard art. While I was there I noticed that several small trees that had been killed in the drought were snapped off at ground level. Also the fence was falling down because the cable holding it up had broken (more former owner bullshit). So I threw the trees and some other dead branches over the fence (so much for resting).
When I got back inside Ellen had a quote for the car. The price isn't bad, but with $1250 in additional incentives it's great. The downside is we have almost no equity in the Hyundai. I called them up and made an appointment to see them tomorrow. The incentives expire tomorrow.
To cap off the evening we went to Lowe's to buy a new washer. Unfortunately it will be two weeks before they have one in stock. Oh well.
I spoke too soon about there being nothing wrong w/the house. When we woke up the washer was making a buzzing noise. Ellen tried to start a load, but it threw an error code. She found someone who could come in the afternoon.
After breakfast I put the charger back on the car battery. Then I moved all of the stuff from under the bed out of the trailer. I went up into the attic while it was still cool and located what I think is the data input cable (it's marked "HSD"). I'm not for sure because everything is covered with insulation. I cut it, put in a new connector, and fished it down to a new rf connector plate in the wall. I picked the area with the space behind the wall, so it wasn't too difficult.
After that while Ellen cleaned the trailer I got started on the yard work. I edged around the trailer, the parking area, and along the sidewalk. I also replaced some of the boundary rocks and cleaned up all of the leaves in the entry way. By then it was 12:30 and time for lunch.
We went to the Post Office and then to Fireman's. We had to order take out so that we could get back for the washer repairman. When we got back I decided to take the afternoon off and read.
The washer repairman came. After working for about an hour he said he couldn't fix the washer without order very expensive parts that he wasn't sure would fix it. At least he didn't charge us anything. While he was doing that Ellen was looking for cars. Lola came over with our mail and we gave her a $20 tip to go with what we paid her before. She spent quite a while petting Lucy. Lucy was in heaven.
Ellen found out on the web that the most likely cause of the washer failure was the leak it had earlier. The water corrodes the control board. It's new washer time. I'm not happy.
While Ellen worked on cars I went out to the back yard to pick up yard art. While I was there I noticed that several small trees that had been killed in the drought were snapped off at ground level. Also the fence was falling down because the cable holding it up had broken (more former owner bullshit). So I threw the trees and some other dead branches over the fence (so much for resting).
When I got back inside Ellen had a quote for the car. The price isn't bad, but with $1250 in additional incentives it's great. The downside is we have almost no equity in the Hyundai. I called them up and made an appointment to see them tomorrow. The incentives expire tomorrow.
To cap off the evening we went to Lowe's to buy a new washer. Unfortunately it will be two weeks before they have one in stock. Oh well.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Day 21
It was an interesting day. We got to the trailer inspection place a little before 8. They took us as soon as they were open. The "inspection" consisted of looking at our trailer. We were out in 10 minutes.
I decided to get the tags on the way home. We stopped at Dripping Springs. They said the tags were already issued. We had to pay $7 for duplicates. This was confusing. We took the opportunity to vote while we were there.
When we got home the place was as overgrown as a expected, maybe more. I was disappointed at the amount of weeds in the driveway and parking areas. The broken tree branch is impressive. It's probably 10 inches in diameter. It took an hour (I'm not kidding) to get the trailer parked. Then we spent the next hour and a half unloading the inside of the trailer. We still have under the bed and the basement to do.
At that point I didn't want to do any more, especially since I hadn't eaten yet today. So we went to the Post Office and Cheddars. The lunch was great and it gave us a chance to look at some of the mail. The tag mystery was solved. Ellen had already paid for the renewal and had forgotten about it. So we already had a tag. Next time she needs to pay for it sooner. I'm not sure why we even needed a safety tag.
On the way back we stopped at Best Buy to get a cable modem. It was $130, but that's better than paying $11/mo in rent. I'm probably going to have to do some wire fishing to wire it in. The old cables are now being used for DirectTV.
At least the house didn't give much trouble. The pump works, as does all the electronics. The only problems were a burnt out light bulb and the chain falling off the toilet lever. The dumbshit that owned this place struck again. The bar on the handle had broken. Instead of buying a new one, he hot glued the chain to the bar. Idiot.
We spent the rest of the afternoon watching some TV and putting stuff away. We've still got stuff to put away and a lot of mail to go through. All in all it was a pretty good first day.
I decided to get the tags on the way home. We stopped at Dripping Springs. They said the tags were already issued. We had to pay $7 for duplicates. This was confusing. We took the opportunity to vote while we were there.
When we got home the place was as overgrown as a expected, maybe more. I was disappointed at the amount of weeds in the driveway and parking areas. The broken tree branch is impressive. It's probably 10 inches in diameter. It took an hour (I'm not kidding) to get the trailer parked. Then we spent the next hour and a half unloading the inside of the trailer. We still have under the bed and the basement to do.
At that point I didn't want to do any more, especially since I hadn't eaten yet today. So we went to the Post Office and Cheddars. The lunch was great and it gave us a chance to look at some of the mail. The tag mystery was solved. Ellen had already paid for the renewal and had forgotten about it. So we already had a tag. Next time she needs to pay for it sooner. I'm not sure why we even needed a safety tag.
On the way back we stopped at Best Buy to get a cable modem. It was $130, but that's better than paying $11/mo in rent. I'm probably going to have to do some wire fishing to wire it in. The old cables are now being used for DirectTV.
At least the house didn't give much trouble. The pump works, as does all the electronics. The only problems were a burnt out light bulb and the chain falling off the toilet lever. The dumbshit that owned this place struck again. The bar on the handle had broken. Instead of buying a new one, he hot glued the chain to the bar. Idiot.
We spent the rest of the afternoon watching some TV and putting stuff away. We've still got stuff to put away and a lot of mail to go through. All in all it was a pretty good first day.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Day 20
Today was a day of rest - sort of.
While Ellen did the wash, I finished cutting off the towel rack and attaching it to the cabinet door. Then I decided to attach the clock that keeps falling down. It wasn't working, so I replaced the battery. It started up, but stopped after a couple of minutes. The mechanism case was clear and I could see a black thread that was gumming up the gears. So I carefully pried apart the case and removed the thread. Unfortunately a couple of the gears were captured by features in the case top. It was difficult to get them lined up, but I finally managed to do it. The clock has been working correctly for the whole day.
After the wash was done we went to town. We walked all over it. We spent a few hundred dollars buying Christmas presents and stuff for ourselves. We also ate lunch. On the way back we fueled up the truck.
When we got home I took the dog to the field across the street. That didn't go well. After one retrieve her feet were filled with goatheads. I removed them and we went home. To make it up to here I got out one of the folding chairs, got a Mike's, and surfed outside with the dog. I think I must have been getting bitten by something because my arms and legs are really itchy.
Ellen set us up for high speed internet. I've gotten one text and 6 emails about it in the last few hours.
We ate dinner (hotdogs) in the trailer. Tomorrow I want to be at the inspection place at 8 when they open.
While Ellen did the wash, I finished cutting off the towel rack and attaching it to the cabinet door. Then I decided to attach the clock that keeps falling down. It wasn't working, so I replaced the battery. It started up, but stopped after a couple of minutes. The mechanism case was clear and I could see a black thread that was gumming up the gears. So I carefully pried apart the case and removed the thread. Unfortunately a couple of the gears were captured by features in the case top. It was difficult to get them lined up, but I finally managed to do it. The clock has been working correctly for the whole day.
After the wash was done we went to town. We walked all over it. We spent a few hundred dollars buying Christmas presents and stuff for ourselves. We also ate lunch. On the way back we fueled up the truck.
When we got home I took the dog to the field across the street. That didn't go well. After one retrieve her feet were filled with goatheads. I removed them and we went home. To make it up to here I got out one of the folding chairs, got a Mike's, and surfed outside with the dog. I think I must have been getting bitten by something because my arms and legs are really itchy.
Ellen set us up for high speed internet. I've gotten one text and 6 emails about it in the last few hours.
We ate dinner (hotdogs) in the trailer. Tomorrow I want to be at the inspection place at 8 when they open.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Day 19
Another travel day. We got up at 7. It was dark, but it was light by the time we left at 8. It was about 380 miles and we did it in 6.5 hours. We could have done it faster, but we had to make two fuel stops instead of one. That was because the places we could stop at weren't spaced the way we needed them to be. Other than that it was an uneventful trip. We did have a good time listening to the audio book we have, the Lamb by Christopher Moore.
We got to Fredericksburg about 2:30. After setting up we went to HEB. It was really nice to shop at a nice grocery store with Texas prices. After that we stopped at a place to see if we can get a safety sticker for our trailer. They said yes. I plan on stopping there on Wednesday morning when we leave.
We had some time when we got back, so I decided to closely examine the damage Ellen did to the kitchen cabinet. She bent a hinge, bent the door handle bolts, bent the door handle, and cracked the door. The door won't shut securely anymore. So I removed the door and bent the hinge back into shape. The door handle bolts were too bent to unscrew, so I used the Dremel to cut them.
Then we went to the hardware store for parts. I got new door handle screws, tubing to make hinge pins for the table hinges, and screws to mount the towel rack to the cabinet door. When I got back I fixed the door and replaced the hinge pins. I started to cut the towel rack, but the Dremel ran out of battery. I'll have to fix that tomorrow.
The evening was Monday night football.
We got to Fredericksburg about 2:30. After setting up we went to HEB. It was really nice to shop at a nice grocery store with Texas prices. After that we stopped at a place to see if we can get a safety sticker for our trailer. They said yes. I plan on stopping there on Wednesday morning when we leave.
We had some time when we got back, so I decided to closely examine the damage Ellen did to the kitchen cabinet. She bent a hinge, bent the door handle bolts, bent the door handle, and cracked the door. The door won't shut securely anymore. So I removed the door and bent the hinge back into shape. The door handle bolts were too bent to unscrew, so I used the Dremel to cut them.
Then we went to the hardware store for parts. I got new door handle screws, tubing to make hinge pins for the table hinges, and screws to mount the towel rack to the cabinet door. When I got back I fixed the door and replaced the hinge pins. I started to cut the towel rack, but the Dremel ran out of battery. I'll have to fix that tomorrow.
The evening was Monday night football.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Day 18
We spent 7+ hours driving to Van Dorn today. The drive was uneventful except for an encounter with a couple of idiots when driving through El Paso. One guy was tap dancing on his brakes and not driving a constant speed. So I changed lanes to get around him. He speeded up and pulled in front of me. Then he slowed down. So I changed lanes back, and saw some idiot in the third lane going about 40. Luckily I could trade back.
The other idiots were at the gas station in El Paso (maybe there's a pattern). One tried to back up to a pump in front of me as I was pulling out. The other was a fucking truck that wouldn't wait for me to pull out even though I was already blocking the entry.
Mileage was good, 12.1, 13, and 12.4.
The RV park is crawling with goatheads. They are all over. Lucy has to walk on the gravel, and there's some there too.
The other idiots were at the gas station in El Paso (maybe there's a pattern). One tried to back up to a pump in front of me as I was pulling out. The other was a fucking truck that wouldn't wait for me to pull out even though I was already blocking the entry.
Mileage was good, 12.1, 13, and 12.4.
The RV park is crawling with goatheads. They are all over. Lucy has to walk on the gravel, and there's some there too.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Day 17
We got up this morning so that we could shoot while it was cool. We got to the club, got a card, and drove over to the course. We unpacked and shot the first station on the "hard" course. Just as we were going to go to the next station another shooter drove up on a golf cart. He asked to join us and we said fine.
The shooter's name was Jerry, and he was from Denton. We had a great time shooting with him and talking with him. The course was a good course. It was entertaining and challenging without being stupid. It was hot though, over 90 by the time we were through. It was good that Jerry had a cart so that he could drive us back from the last station.
When we got back to the clubhouse we ate lunch with Jerry. We had a good talk with him about places we've been and things we've seen. It turns out that he knows Gretchen well.
After we left the club we took the dog home and then went to a Mazda dealership. We wanted to check out all of the colors in the sunshine. The new blue is cool, but it's just too dark. The red is nice, but it has orange peel. I think we'll end up with another car like the one in Oregon.
We fueled up and then went back to the park. I lined up the truck for tomorrow. The whole evening was spent surfing.
The shooter's name was Jerry, and he was from Denton. We had a great time shooting with him and talking with him. The course was a good course. It was entertaining and challenging without being stupid. It was hot though, over 90 by the time we were through. It was good that Jerry had a cart so that he could drive us back from the last station.
When we got back to the clubhouse we ate lunch with Jerry. We had a good talk with him about places we've been and things we've seen. It turns out that he knows Gretchen well.
After we left the club we took the dog home and then went to a Mazda dealership. We wanted to check out all of the colors in the sunshine. The new blue is cool, but it's just too dark. The red is nice, but it has orange peel. I think we'll end up with another car like the one in Oregon.
We fueled up and then went back to the park. I lined up the truck for tomorrow. The whole evening was spent surfing.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Day 16
Today was a travel day. The drive from Las Vegas to Kingman is just a standard desert drive. I was surprised to note that it actually is a pretty big grade.
I really hate the drive from Kingman to Phoenix. It's got three or four "go up 1500 feet to go down 1500 feet" stretches. To make it even more fun there's 30 miles of two lane and a podunk town with low speed limits to go through. The only good thing was that they have finished the cutoff to the west of Phoenix. That includes the interchange.
We got through Phoenix at about 2. Traffic was fairly heavy, but there weren't any slow downs. We got lucky.
The trip down to Tucson was just another desert drive. Traffic was surprisingly heavy, but not a hassle.
One nice thing today was the mileage. Las Vegas to Kingman was 11. Kingman to Phoenix was 12.6. Phoenix to Tucson was 13.1.
When we got to Tucson we sat up and then just surfed. We ate dinner at In n Out.
I really hate the drive from Kingman to Phoenix. It's got three or four "go up 1500 feet to go down 1500 feet" stretches. To make it even more fun there's 30 miles of two lane and a podunk town with low speed limits to go through. The only good thing was that they have finished the cutoff to the west of Phoenix. That includes the interchange.
We got through Phoenix at about 2. Traffic was fairly heavy, but there weren't any slow downs. We got lucky.
The trip down to Tucson was just another desert drive. Traffic was surprisingly heavy, but not a hassle.
One nice thing today was the mileage. Las Vegas to Kingman was 11. Kingman to Phoenix was 12.6. Phoenix to Tucson was 13.1.
When we got to Tucson we sat up and then just surfed. We ate dinner at In n Out.
Day 15
Today was a day of rest. I wanted to have a day of not doing much before we started the series of long drives.
With that in mind we spent the morning surfing. I did a little trip planning, but I mainly just looked at news sites. The world is truly fucked up.
About one o'clock we went over to Sam's Town to have their buffet. It was really very good. We could have gotten cards an paid $8, but we paid $11 because we didn't want to wait in line. After that we did a little bit of gambling. We did win a little bit, but mainly we just walked around. The we left in search of an Iron Man machine.
We went to the Cannery to find one. They didn't have one, but they had a wolf slot machine that was fun. We'll probably play that again.
On the way back we stopped at Albertson's for some groceries and Rebel for fuel. When we got back I positioned the truck so that it would be easy to hook up tomorrow. I was going to check the tires so i didn't have to do it in the morning. Unfortunately they were too hot. Even though they were in the shade, the heatr from the pavement had heated them up.
With that in mind we spent the morning surfing. I did a little trip planning, but I mainly just looked at news sites. The world is truly fucked up.
About one o'clock we went over to Sam's Town to have their buffet. It was really very good. We could have gotten cards an paid $8, but we paid $11 because we didn't want to wait in line. After that we did a little bit of gambling. We did win a little bit, but mainly we just walked around. The we left in search of an Iron Man machine.
We went to the Cannery to find one. They didn't have one, but they had a wolf slot machine that was fun. We'll probably play that again.
On the way back we stopped at Albertson's for some groceries and Rebel for fuel. When we got back I positioned the truck so that it would be easy to hook up tomorrow. I was going to check the tires so i didn't have to do it in the morning. Unfortunately they were too hot. Even though they were in the shade, the heatr from the pavement had heated them up.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Day 14
We were going to leave tomorrow, but we decided to stay one more day so we could go downtown today.
We started the day by going to Lake Mead so the dog could swim. She had a great time and did a whole lot of retrieves. Afterwards we went to the bank and grocery store in Boulder. Las Vegas seems to have a dearth of both - at least in the areas we have been in.
When we got back we ate lunch at the trailer. I looked up Mazda dealers, but they are all too far away to drive to. One is north of Nellis, and the other two are on the other side of the freeway and then either north or south.
We surfed for awhile and I put Ellen's bow in her new case. It doesn't fit perfectly, but it works well enough. Then we went to the strip.
We parked behind the Linq. It's a great place to park. It's easy to get to and it is central on the strip. We went to the Flamingo and won some money on Iron Man. Then we went to a casino next door and lost some of it. We didn't really want to gamble, so we went to Caesar's Palace to look at the shops and watch the statue show. They were working on the show in the spring when we were there. It's much improved.
The other statues have been redone also. They were looking ratty ad now they look great. I got a chance to buy one of their $12 mojitos. It was worth it.
We saw one funny sight. It was a group of Chinese tourists. They were all wearing light up mouse ears. It really made them stand out for the guides. We've seen a lot of Chinese tourists. Good. Let them spend their money here.
We walked back to the Linq and rode the Ferris wheel. We got to ride in the dark even though we purchased daytime tickets. It was great. Ellen's camera took better pictures than mine. The auto function on mine tended to over expose the picture.
After that we ate at a hyper expensive pizza place. The food was good, especially the cannoli.
We were really tired after that, so we went home. The dog was glad to see us.
We started the day by going to Lake Mead so the dog could swim. She had a great time and did a whole lot of retrieves. Afterwards we went to the bank and grocery store in Boulder. Las Vegas seems to have a dearth of both - at least in the areas we have been in.
When we got back we ate lunch at the trailer. I looked up Mazda dealers, but they are all too far away to drive to. One is north of Nellis, and the other two are on the other side of the freeway and then either north or south.
We surfed for awhile and I put Ellen's bow in her new case. It doesn't fit perfectly, but it works well enough. Then we went to the strip.
We parked behind the Linq. It's a great place to park. It's easy to get to and it is central on the strip. We went to the Flamingo and won some money on Iron Man. Then we went to a casino next door and lost some of it. We didn't really want to gamble, so we went to Caesar's Palace to look at the shops and watch the statue show. They were working on the show in the spring when we were there. It's much improved.
The other statues have been redone also. They were looking ratty ad now they look great. I got a chance to buy one of their $12 mojitos. It was worth it.
We saw one funny sight. It was a group of Chinese tourists. They were all wearing light up mouse ears. It really made them stand out for the guides. We've seen a lot of Chinese tourists. Good. Let them spend their money here.
We walked back to the Linq and rode the Ferris wheel. We got to ride in the dark even though we purchased daytime tickets. It was great. Ellen's camera took better pictures than mine. The auto function on mine tended to over expose the picture.
After that we ate at a hyper expensive pizza place. The food was good, especially the cannoli.
We were really tired after that, so we went home. The dog was glad to see us.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Day 13
A good time was had by all today - except Lucy. She didn't get to go to the lake today because we spent the morning doing the wash instead. Tuesday must have been wash day. There were people there all morning and again at 9 at night.
After the wash was done we drove over to the other side of the strip so I could shoot machine guns. We went to the same place we went to in May. It was a lot of fun. I shot the Thompson, a M2, and a 1919. The M2 had a lot more recoil than I expected. It was harder to shoot then the Thompson.
After that we stopped at the zombie store. It's only a few blocks from the range. I picked up a t-shirt. From there it was a short distance to the archery store. So we stopped there and Ellen bought a bow case.
After that we went to the strip. We parked at MGM and went North. We went to the Tropicana, New York New York, Monte Carlo, Aria, and Belagio. We had very good luck playing slots. We won at almost every machine. All total we were up $40.
Our goal was Margaritaville and the ferris wheel. We got there with the help of the tram from Aria to Belagio. We ate dinner there and then went to the ferris wheel gift shop to get another key chain. Then it was time for the long trek back. It was a long walk, even with the help of the tram. The fitbit registered over 20,000 steps for the day. We made one stop at the Coca Cola store to buy a bear Christmas ornament.
We got home about 9:00. That meant Lucy was locked up for 9 hours. Ellen took her to pee. She did so immediately. We're not sure if it was an emergency, or if she just wanted to get back for dinner.
After the wash was done we drove over to the other side of the strip so I could shoot machine guns. We went to the same place we went to in May. It was a lot of fun. I shot the Thompson, a M2, and a 1919. The M2 had a lot more recoil than I expected. It was harder to shoot then the Thompson.
After that we stopped at the zombie store. It's only a few blocks from the range. I picked up a t-shirt. From there it was a short distance to the archery store. So we stopped there and Ellen bought a bow case.
After that we went to the strip. We parked at MGM and went North. We went to the Tropicana, New York New York, Monte Carlo, Aria, and Belagio. We had very good luck playing slots. We won at almost every machine. All total we were up $40.
Our goal was Margaritaville and the ferris wheel. We got there with the help of the tram from Aria to Belagio. We ate dinner there and then went to the ferris wheel gift shop to get another key chain. Then it was time for the long trek back. It was a long walk, even with the help of the tram. The fitbit registered over 20,000 steps for the day. We made one stop at the Coca Cola store to buy a bear Christmas ornament.
We got home about 9:00. That meant Lucy was locked up for 9 hours. Ellen took her to pee. She did so immediately. We're not sure if it was an emergency, or if she just wanted to get back for dinner.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Day 12
We started today like yesterday with a trip to Lake Mead. Lucy was very happy. I didn't count the retrieves, but she did a respectable number. When we were finished we went over to Fiocchi. Carlo and Jackie are at nationals, but we had a good conversation with Dee.
After that we ate lunch at a new yuppie sandwich place in Boulder. It was OK, but a little pricey. There was a fair amount of food, so Lucy got some munchies.
By the time we got home Lucy was recharged. It didn't do her any good though. We went to three casinos in the evening - the Cannery, Sam's Town and Arizona Charlie's. Sam's Town is huge. It's got a whole lot of shops and restaurants. We ate at Arizona Charlie's because we had a two for one buffet coupon. The buffet wasn't really very good. We won't eat there again. The buffet at Boulder Station is much better and a dollar cheaper.
I did a little research on the web. I decided on a place to go shooting tomorrow.
We were even on the slots tonight. We ended up about even for the trip. That's because Ellen won $32 at blackjack at Arizona Charlie's. It had $3 tables.
After that we ate lunch at a new yuppie sandwich place in Boulder. It was OK, but a little pricey. There was a fair amount of food, so Lucy got some munchies.
By the time we got home Lucy was recharged. It didn't do her any good though. We went to three casinos in the evening - the Cannery, Sam's Town and Arizona Charlie's. Sam's Town is huge. It's got a whole lot of shops and restaurants. We ate at Arizona Charlie's because we had a two for one buffet coupon. The buffet wasn't really very good. We won't eat there again. The buffet at Boulder Station is much better and a dollar cheaper.
I did a little research on the web. I decided on a place to go shooting tomorrow.
We were even on the slots tonight. We ended up about even for the trip. That's because Ellen won $32 at blackjack at Arizona Charlie's. It had $3 tables.
Day 11
We had a good enough day yesterday that we signed up for another day.
We took the dog to Lake Mead in the morning. She had a great time of course. She did at least 20 long retrieves. Then we walked her down the beach a bit and back to dry her off. When we took her back to the trailer she was perfectly happy to stay on the couch.
After we dropped off the dog we went to a boot store to look for cowboy boots for Ellen . She found a pair that looked good and fit (a miracle). So we bought them. Then we went looking for costumes. We went to two places. They had plenty of dance hall costumes, but they all ended just below the crotch. So we didn't buy anything.
I wanted to go to the SLS. It's a brand new casino that is already doing layoffs. It's a nice place, but the casino is small. We won about $30 there.
We walked from there down to the Riviera. We passed the huge complex. Apparently they are tearing it down because the contractor built it poorly. It never opened.
We lost all the money from SLS at the Riviera. They had plenty of cow games, but none of them even gave special modes much less paid off. We then went across the street to Circus Circus. I like the old style "lights all over the place". We didn't gamble, but I spent $10 bopping witches into caldrons. I only won three dinky prices.
After that we went home. It was about 8 when we got there. Lucy was very glad to see us. We fixed a late dinner and then watched TV.
We took the dog to Lake Mead in the morning. She had a great time of course. She did at least 20 long retrieves. Then we walked her down the beach a bit and back to dry her off. When we took her back to the trailer she was perfectly happy to stay on the couch.
After we dropped off the dog we went to a boot store to look for cowboy boots for Ellen . She found a pair that looked good and fit (a miracle). So we bought them. Then we went looking for costumes. We went to two places. They had plenty of dance hall costumes, but they all ended just below the crotch. So we didn't buy anything.
I wanted to go to the SLS. It's a brand new casino that is already doing layoffs. It's a nice place, but the casino is small. We won about $30 there.
We walked from there down to the Riviera. We passed the huge complex. Apparently they are tearing it down because the contractor built it poorly. It never opened.
We lost all the money from SLS at the Riviera. They had plenty of cow games, but none of them even gave special modes much less paid off. We then went across the street to Circus Circus. I like the old style "lights all over the place". We didn't gamble, but I spent $10 bopping witches into caldrons. I only won three dinky prices.
After that we went home. It was about 8 when we got there. Lucy was very glad to see us. We fixed a late dinner and then watched TV.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Day 10
We got fantastic mileage today. From Ely to Alamo we got 13mpg. From there to Las Vegas we got over 15 mpg. Of course it helped that after going up 800 feet we went down 4500 feet.
The trip was uneventful. We spent part of it looking at the scenery and part of it listening to an audio book. At one point we went through this incredible hole in a stretch of mountains. It was about a mile long and only 100 yds or so across. It was entirely natural.
When we got to Las Vegas we set up and then went to Wally World. It was like going to Mogadishu. They even had someone checking receipts at the door. Now I understand how Harry Reid gets elected. After that we went to the Boulder Station casino to gamble. We found lots of cow machines and one Alien machine. They took our money way too quickly. So we went to their $10 buffet instead.
After dinner we decided we'd have more fun at Fry's. So we went over there and looked around. We bought a receiver for the big trailer because I'm afraid that receivers with RGB outputs aren't going to be around for long. We saw a good price on a vacuum, but the fine print said it was for the display device only. Crap.
We left Fry's at 8. We're tired. There will be a little surfing and then to bed.
The trip was uneventful. We spent part of it looking at the scenery and part of it listening to an audio book. At one point we went through this incredible hole in a stretch of mountains. It was about a mile long and only 100 yds or so across. It was entirely natural.
When we got to Las Vegas we set up and then went to Wally World. It was like going to Mogadishu. They even had someone checking receipts at the door. Now I understand how Harry Reid gets elected. After that we went to the Boulder Station casino to gamble. We found lots of cow machines and one Alien machine. They took our money way too quickly. So we went to their $10 buffet instead.
After dinner we decided we'd have more fun at Fry's. So we went over there and looked around. We bought a receiver for the big trailer because I'm afraid that receivers with RGB outputs aren't going to be around for long. We saw a good price on a vacuum, but the fine print said it was for the display device only. Crap.
We left Fry's at 8. We're tired. There will be a little surfing and then to bed.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Day 9
We left Twin Falls at 8:30. We won't be staying at that park again.
We drove down south, climbing all the way. By the time we got to Wells we were at 6300 feet. Mileage wasn't bad considering, 10.8. Luckily there wasn't any wind.
After gassing up we headed to Ely. We were doing OK until we met some road construction. We waited 10 or 15 minutes for the pilot car. Then we followed it for miles. All in all it cost us over half an hour travel time. The only other happening of not was an asshole truck driver that was going 1 mph faster than we were. He passed us and didn't speed up. He traveled beside us for about a mile. Finally I had to slow to let him go buy because there was oncoming traffic.
We got to Ely and unhooked. We went into town and saw the drugstore with the soda fountain. It was pretty busy. Prices were reasonable. $4 for a large strawberry malt. After that we hit the casinos. They were really small and all of them were associated with hotels. One place had cows, and another had Aliens. We were lucky. We came away about $10 ahead.
On the way home we gassed up and stopped at the VFW. They had a Sherman tank and a 50's radar antiaircraft gun on display. They were cool.
It looks like we're having chowder and sausage for dinner.
We drove down south, climbing all the way. By the time we got to Wells we were at 6300 feet. Mileage wasn't bad considering, 10.8. Luckily there wasn't any wind.
After gassing up we headed to Ely. We were doing OK until we met some road construction. We waited 10 or 15 minutes for the pilot car. Then we followed it for miles. All in all it cost us over half an hour travel time. The only other happening of not was an asshole truck driver that was going 1 mph faster than we were. He passed us and didn't speed up. He traveled beside us for about a mile. Finally I had to slow to let him go buy because there was oncoming traffic.
We got to Ely and unhooked. We went into town and saw the drugstore with the soda fountain. It was pretty busy. Prices were reasonable. $4 for a large strawberry malt. After that we hit the casinos. They were really small and all of them were associated with hotels. One place had cows, and another had Aliens. We were lucky. We came away about $10 ahead.
On the way home we gassed up and stopped at the VFW. They had a Sherman tank and a 50's radar antiaircraft gun on display. They were cool.
It looks like we're having chowder and sausage for dinner.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Day 8
Today was a travel day. The same old boring drive from Richland to Baker City and then east on I84. The drive itself was uneventful. Mileage was pretty good. It varied between 11.5 and a little over 13. The only problem was some pretty nasty construction areas in Boise. For the most part the trucks weren't bad. It's kind of neat that they can go 70 in Idaho. That means they are always passing me rather than being an impediment.
The only interesting thing that we saw what we thought was the fence guy driving to Richland as we were going out. Ellen called Dan and he said that it was the fence guy and he was working on the fence.
When we got to Twin Falls we went to Walmart so that I could get more drugs. That way I'll have extras and won't have to pay for them if we're about to travel. The insurance paid for them. We also took the opportunity to get some groceries.
On the way home we stopped at one of those burger places I like. They had a great bacon burger and fries on special. They also had fry sauce. It was all really good.
The showers at the park are so lousy that we're going to shower in the trailer.
The only interesting thing that we saw what we thought was the fence guy driving to Richland as we were going out. Ellen called Dan and he said that it was the fence guy and he was working on the fence.
When we got to Twin Falls we went to Walmart so that I could get more drugs. That way I'll have extras and won't have to pay for them if we're about to travel. The insurance paid for them. We also took the opportunity to get some groceries.
On the way home we stopped at one of those burger places I like. They had a great bacon burger and fries on special. They also had fry sauce. It was all really good.
The showers at the park are so lousy that we're going to shower in the trailer.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Day 7
It was cold and raining when we got up this morning. I spent some time doing trip planning. Tomorrow we'll stop in Twin Falls. Then I put up the toilet paper holder that we bought yesterday. It came with a template. The template was wrong. Fortunately I was able to drill the holes in the right place and cover up the wrong ones.
I also installed the set screw that we bought yesterday in the faucet handle. It worked like a champ. It's the same size as the one I bought in Richland, only finer threads.
After that we went over to Dan's to see the fence building. Of course the guy never showed. Dan's upset and Patsy is pissed. After we gave the truck a bath we went over to Thorny's and bought a pan so Ellen could make some popcorn snack. Patsy was in Baker City, so Ellen did it for her.
Lawrence came over and we spent quite a bit of time picking out stuff for the pole. We paid him for everything except the wood. He's going to drive to Portland to pick out some. We told him we'd pay for the trip.
We spent some time out on the porch talking and then the sun came out for awhile. I took that opportunity to go to the park and empty the tanks. The hose washer attachment is warped. I guess it got too hot or something. I'll have to get another one.
Then it was back over to Dan's place. Dan was listening to Fox about Ebola getting worse. I really wish he'd just turn it off. Jeff came over and Patsy got home. We had left over chili for dinner with little smokies wrapped in dough. It was good.
We watched Seal Team 6. Dan is really getting into Netflix. When the movie was over we said our goodbyes. I'm not getting up really early tomorrow. We only have 300 miles to go.
I also installed the set screw that we bought yesterday in the faucet handle. It worked like a champ. It's the same size as the one I bought in Richland, only finer threads.
After that we went over to Dan's to see the fence building. Of course the guy never showed. Dan's upset and Patsy is pissed. After we gave the truck a bath we went over to Thorny's and bought a pan so Ellen could make some popcorn snack. Patsy was in Baker City, so Ellen did it for her.
Lawrence came over and we spent quite a bit of time picking out stuff for the pole. We paid him for everything except the wood. He's going to drive to Portland to pick out some. We told him we'd pay for the trip.
We spent some time out on the porch talking and then the sun came out for awhile. I took that opportunity to go to the park and empty the tanks. The hose washer attachment is warped. I guess it got too hot or something. I'll have to get another one.
Then it was back over to Dan's place. Dan was listening to Fox about Ebola getting worse. I really wish he'd just turn it off. Jeff came over and Patsy got home. We had left over chili for dinner with little smokies wrapped in dough. It was good.
We watched Seal Team 6. Dan is really getting into Netflix. When the movie was over we said our goodbyes. I'm not getting up really early tomorrow. We only have 300 miles to go.
Day 6
The weather today looked bad. It was cold, windy and overcast when we got up. It looked like it was going to get worse later in the day.
Dan called us and said that he was going to Baker City to see his sister. So we spent the morning surfing. I spent it looking for parts for the new fishing pole. Ellen spent it looking for places for us to go next.
About noon we decided to go to Halfway for lunch. We stopped at the antique store. They are closing it, so I bought a few yard art items and a lighthouse print for Patty.
On the way back from Halfway Dan called. The weather had gotten much nicer and he wanted to go fishing. So we went out with him for a couple of hours. We caught 30 fish. Of course Dan caught most of them, but I caught the biggest. It was actually big enough that you could have kept it to eat.
When we got back we gave the dog a bath. I discovered that mice had been living in the glove compartment. I have no idea how they got in there. I used Dan's vacuum cleaner to clean out the mouse shit.
We sat around this evening talking and watching a movie. Jeff came over. Apparently he's been having good success bird hunting. He says most of the chukar are down low. Of course Dan and I had been hunting up high.
Dan called us and said that he was going to Baker City to see his sister. So we spent the morning surfing. I spent it looking for parts for the new fishing pole. Ellen spent it looking for places for us to go next.
About noon we decided to go to Halfway for lunch. We stopped at the antique store. They are closing it, so I bought a few yard art items and a lighthouse print for Patty.
On the way back from Halfway Dan called. The weather had gotten much nicer and he wanted to go fishing. So we went out with him for a couple of hours. We caught 30 fish. Of course Dan caught most of them, but I caught the biggest. It was actually big enough that you could have kept it to eat.
When we got back we gave the dog a bath. I discovered that mice had been living in the glove compartment. I have no idea how they got in there. I used Dan's vacuum cleaner to clean out the mouse shit.
We sat around this evening talking and watching a movie. Jeff came over. Apparently he's been having good success bird hunting. He says most of the chukar are down low. Of course Dan and I had been hunting up high.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Day 5
I got up this morning and went hunting on the Sportman's access near Richland. I parked the truck on the barn side. When I started out I sent Lucy down the hill. I walked in the middle of the hill. We went about 30 yards and a big covey of quail flew out of a bush at the top of the hill. I would have nailed some except that I forgot to take off the safety.
When I shot, Lucy went crazy. She couldn't decide if she should go up the hill to me or chase the birds. She chased the birds. About then a straggler flew out of the bush and I killed it. It fell in some long grass. I got Lucy to come back to look for it, but she really was just interested in going after the other birds. So she didn't find it.
We went a few hundred yards farther and Lucy went on point. I was still pissed at her, so I wasn't as close as I should have been. A rooster flew up before I got close. I shot at it, but I was really too far away.
We spent another hour hunting, but didn't find another thing. I did see two bald eagles and a whole lot of hawks.
When we got back to the trailer Ellen fixed lunch and Lucy had breakfast. Then we went to Dan's. He needed a shelf in his shop, so I helped him put it up. After that we just sort of enjoyed the warm afternoon.
We watched football and a movie in the evening. I figured out what was wrong with the surround sound. The cable installers had turned it off at both the TV and the DirectTV box. I got it working again.
When I shot, Lucy went crazy. She couldn't decide if she should go up the hill to me or chase the birds. She chased the birds. About then a straggler flew out of the bush and I killed it. It fell in some long grass. I got Lucy to come back to look for it, but she really was just interested in going after the other birds. So she didn't find it.
We went a few hundred yards farther and Lucy went on point. I was still pissed at her, so I wasn't as close as I should have been. A rooster flew up before I got close. I shot at it, but I was really too far away.
We spent another hour hunting, but didn't find another thing. I did see two bald eagles and a whole lot of hawks.
When we got back to the trailer Ellen fixed lunch and Lucy had breakfast. Then we went to Dan's. He needed a shelf in his shop, so I helped him put it up. After that we just sort of enjoyed the warm afternoon.
We watched football and a movie in the evening. I figured out what was wrong with the surround sound. The cable installers had turned it off at both the TV and the DirectTV box. I got it working again.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Day 4
Hooch went fishing in the morning with Dan. So we slept in a little and then surfed.
Hooch got back a little after ten. Rowdy is wiped out and Lucy is pretty tired. The consensus was that if we took the dogs out they wouldn't do very much hunting. So we bagged that and just sat in the sunshine talking with Hooch. After awhile we helped him get ready to leave.
When he was all hooked up we went over to the Hitching Post for lunch. After lunch he took off and we went over to Dan's. He was watching football, so I helped. The Cowboys beat the Seahawks. Crap.
I helped Dan use the tractor to pull up a fence post. Then we dismantled some old fence that was in the way of the new one. There's one more fence post left, but Dan wanted to wait until tomorrow to pull it up.
We went over to Lawrence's for dinner. It was barbequed ribs, chicken, and sausage. It was really good. After dinner we went through the catalogs looking at stuff for the new fishing pole. We didn't get it all selected and will have to go back.
Hooch got back a little after ten. Rowdy is wiped out and Lucy is pretty tired. The consensus was that if we took the dogs out they wouldn't do very much hunting. So we bagged that and just sat in the sunshine talking with Hooch. After awhile we helped him get ready to leave.
When he was all hooked up we went over to the Hitching Post for lunch. After lunch he took off and we went over to Dan's. He was watching football, so I helped. The Cowboys beat the Seahawks. Crap.
I helped Dan use the tractor to pull up a fence post. Then we dismantled some old fence that was in the way of the new one. There's one more fence post left, but Dan wanted to wait until tomorrow to pull it up.
We went over to Lawrence's for dinner. It was barbequed ribs, chicken, and sausage. It was really good. After dinner we went through the catalogs looking at stuff for the new fishing pole. We didn't get it all selected and will have to go back.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Day 3
Hooch and I went hunting today.
We met Jeff at 8 at Thorny's. He told us how to get to part of coyote flats that we were going to hunt. It involved driving the truck up that long steep road that starts at the end of the pavement on Snake River Road. Driving up it was a bitch. I was really concerned that the tires would get cut on all of the sharp rocks. That doesn't seem to have happened.
When we got near the top we hunted the flats and a draw on the east side. We didn't see a thing on the whole way. When we got back to the truck we rested the dogs and decided to try a little farther up the road. We drove up and parked at the bottom of a draw. We walked up the draw and saw nothing.
As we were walking up the side hill to go back Lucy went on point. Rowdy backed her. A covey of chuckar flew up. I got two with three shots. Hooch missed. The dogs retrieved the birds and then went after the rest. Lucy went on point again and some more birds got up. It was a long shot for me, but I got one. Hooch missed again.
We were going to go after the singles, but a couple of people on 4 wheelers drove between us and the birds. They were the only people we saw the whole day. At about the same time it started to rain. It would be impossible to get the truck down the road if it was muddy. So we hurried back to the truck. It took most of an hour to drive down. In some places the truck slide on the loose rocks.
We stopped at the sportsman's access on the way back. We walked all the way past the pump and back down river. Lucy flushed a rooster, but I didn't have a shot. A little later one took off in front of us, too far to shoot at. The dogs were really tired, so they weren't doing a lot of work. Rowdy's feet were really sore.
On the long walk back we got rained on a little, but by the time we got to the truck the sun was shining. Lucy did fine the whole day. She sure kept up with Rowdy.
For dinner we went to Dave and Linda's. We had hotdogs and venison chili. We sat on their deck around the fire pit. It was really nice.
We met Jeff at 8 at Thorny's. He told us how to get to part of coyote flats that we were going to hunt. It involved driving the truck up that long steep road that starts at the end of the pavement on Snake River Road. Driving up it was a bitch. I was really concerned that the tires would get cut on all of the sharp rocks. That doesn't seem to have happened.
When we got near the top we hunted the flats and a draw on the east side. We didn't see a thing on the whole way. When we got back to the truck we rested the dogs and decided to try a little farther up the road. We drove up and parked at the bottom of a draw. We walked up the draw and saw nothing.
As we were walking up the side hill to go back Lucy went on point. Rowdy backed her. A covey of chuckar flew up. I got two with three shots. Hooch missed. The dogs retrieved the birds and then went after the rest. Lucy went on point again and some more birds got up. It was a long shot for me, but I got one. Hooch missed again.
We were going to go after the singles, but a couple of people on 4 wheelers drove between us and the birds. They were the only people we saw the whole day. At about the same time it started to rain. It would be impossible to get the truck down the road if it was muddy. So we hurried back to the truck. It took most of an hour to drive down. In some places the truck slide on the loose rocks.
We stopped at the sportsman's access on the way back. We walked all the way past the pump and back down river. Lucy flushed a rooster, but I didn't have a shot. A little later one took off in front of us, too far to shoot at. The dogs were really tired, so they weren't doing a lot of work. Rowdy's feet were really sore.
On the long walk back we got rained on a little, but by the time we got to the truck the sun was shining. Lucy did fine the whole day. She sure kept up with Rowdy.
For dinner we went to Dave and Linda's. We had hotdogs and venison chili. We sat on their deck around the fire pit. It was really nice.
Day 2
We got up this morning and had a leisurely breakfast. Then we headed into town. We stopped at Thorny's to get a hunting license. Then we went to the hardware store so I could get a set screw for the kitchen faucet handle. Somehow it had disappeared. The last stop was the girl's store, where we bought a chai tea, a maple bar, and a little bunny thing for Patty.
Then it was over to Dan's to see his new annex. He's had the house replaced with a graveled lot. The lot has a metal carport for his two boats, two tuff shed buildings, and a one car cement block garage. Patsy has moved all of her stuff into one of the buildings and the garage. They are packed. Dan uses the other one as a shop for his boats.
Dan just took delivery of a small tractor this morning. He was having fun moving gravel with it. Apparently the fence guys will be here Monday to fence the area.
In the afternoon we went to Halfway to watch the high school football game. The home team won. We also watched a little girl's volleyball, bu twe wanted to get back for dinner.
Hooch showed up before we got back to Dan's. We talked with him for awhile and then went to Dan's. Patsy had enchiladas for dinner. A little later Jeff showed up. We spent the evening talking and making plans for tomorrow.
Then it was over to Dan's to see his new annex. He's had the house replaced with a graveled lot. The lot has a metal carport for his two boats, two tuff shed buildings, and a one car cement block garage. Patsy has moved all of her stuff into one of the buildings and the garage. They are packed. Dan uses the other one as a shop for his boats.
Dan just took delivery of a small tractor this morning. He was having fun moving gravel with it. Apparently the fence guys will be here Monday to fence the area.
In the afternoon we went to Halfway to watch the high school football game. The home team won. We also watched a little girl's volleyball, bu twe wanted to get back for dinner.
Hooch showed up before we got back to Dan's. We talked with him for awhile and then went to Dan's. Patsy had enchiladas for dinner. A little later Jeff showed up. We spent the evening talking and making plans for tomorrow.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Day 1
We left Salem today. Things are looking pretty good there. The bitch is gone, but it was really costly. We go everything moved back in and Dave has his contract. Unfortunately the board screwed around most of the summer before signing it. So Vandy is still in Nevada. Oh, and we got a new car, a Mazda 6. It's great. We put 5K miles on it in 4.5 months. I'm going to trade in the Hyundai on one when we get to Austin.
The trip today was about at good as it gets. No traffic problems except a short delay on I5 in Wilsonville. There wasn't even much hassle with trucks. We got 12.4 from Salem to Hermiston and 11 from there to Baker. That's great especially since the truck and trailer are fairly heavily loaded.
We averaged 60 mph from Salem to Baker. That includes the slow down, Gervais, and one fuel stop.
When we got to the park we had the easiest set up ever. The trailer required no leveling at all. The truck came unhitched with no problems. I only needed one hose to connect to the sewer. The only sticking spot was the connector on the satellite cable broke when I was hooking it up. Even that wasn't too bad since I had two spare cables.
I'm damn tired. Time to surf. Maybe I'll watch a movie tonight if Ellen gets the sat to work.
The trip today was about at good as it gets. No traffic problems except a short delay on I5 in Wilsonville. There wasn't even much hassle with trucks. We got 12.4 from Salem to Hermiston and 11 from there to Baker. That's great especially since the truck and trailer are fairly heavily loaded.
We averaged 60 mph from Salem to Baker. That includes the slow down, Gervais, and one fuel stop.
When we got to the park we had the easiest set up ever. The trailer required no leveling at all. The truck came unhitched with no problems. I only needed one hose to connect to the sewer. The only sticking spot was the connector on the satellite cable broke when I was hooking it up. Even that wasn't too bad since I had two spare cables.
I'm damn tired. Time to surf. Maybe I'll watch a movie tonight if Ellen gets the sat to work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)