Day 1680

We got up at 7:30, I don't want to get in the habit of getting up late.  After pet stuff and breakfast I went to work on the bathroom sink drain.

I took the drain I'd bought out of it's package.  That's when I saw that it wouldn't be any better than the current one.  So I got on Amazon to look for another.  I looked through 7 pages of stuff and found two candidates.  I decided to take the current one out to make measurements.  When I put it back together I rearranged the seals.  That made the fit a lot better.  Of course taking it out and reinstalling it was a pain in the ass, but it beats buying another drain.

When the drain was back together we both went to the storage shed.  The charger said the battery was charged, so I took it off.  Then we went through the "for Texas" boxes.  There's about 10 of them. 

There was very little in the boxes that we really thought needed to go to Texas immediately.  Just a few clothes and some videos.  The rest is just redundant stuff from the old trailer.  We did put aside a few items for Goodwill.

I tried to start the car and the battery was stone dead.  The charger was bullshit.  I hooked up a smart charger and it said the battery was at fault.  I had a stupid charger and hooked it up.

We drove to Halfway for lunch.  We ordered a pizza.  The owner said it would take 40 minutes to cook.  We said fine.  We went looking for a car battery.  No luck.  We did end up buying a few groceries and a couple of small items.  I even got an old pulley for yard art.

The pizza was ready on time.  It was huge (we knew it would be).  We each had 1 1/2 pieces.  Then we went back to the park.  We put everything away and I went to check on the battery.  The dumb charger said it was half full.  The charger was almost too hot to touch, so I switched it for the smart charger.  The smart charger would work then.

We took the rest of the pizza to Dan and Patsy's.  It was perfect timing.  Dan had just got back from fishing so he had pizza for lunch.  We talked until 5.  Then Dan and I took the dogs on a walk.  We only went a little less than a mile, but Lucy barely made it back.  She had a good time though.

When we got back I waited half an hour and then took Lucy to the trailer.  I fed her and the cats.  The charger was still working fine.  I went back to Dan and Patsy's and we all had leftover Chinese and pizza for dinner.  After dinner we talked some more.  Lucy was very stiff and I think sore.

We went home about 9.  The charger is still working and the battery seems to be taking a charge.  If not Patsy will pick me up a new one tomorrow.

The rest of the evening was surfing.

Day 1679

We got up about 8:45.  After breakfast we packed up to leave.  We had a little trouble hitching up.  It took awhile to get the trailer height just right.

The first 50 miles of the trip sucked.  It was raining heavily and traffic was really bad.  Nothing like doing 65 with two car lengths of separation and cars beside me, too.

After that things got a lot better.  The only other problem was the road itself.  Continually going up hils to go back down them.  We only got 9.3 overall.

We stopped at Albertson's in Baker.  We bought Chinese dinners for us and Dan and Patsy (it's really a Safeway).  Then we drove to Richland and set up.  When we were finished I hooked a battery charger to the Bronco.

We went over to Dan and Patsy's and talked the afternoon and evening away.  We left about 8 (9 our time) to feed the animals.  The rest of the evening was surfing.

Day 1678

We got up a little before 8.  We didn't have to get up any sooner because we didn't have to go very far.  There was no reason to get there before checkin time.  After breakfast we packed up the trailer and left the park.

We made good time.  There were a few small issues.  We drove at least 50 miles through a rainstorm that was pretty heavy at time.  We also had a miles long segment where it was a two lane road.  That slowed us down some.  The worst was the tire monitor showing on of the trailer tires at 45 psi.  Fortunately it was on a section with an uphill lane and a wide gravel shoulder.  I pulled over and checked all four tires with a gauge.  They were all fine.  When I got back in the truck the monitor was reading correctly.  That was a big relief.

We were getting OK, but not great, mileage.  It hovered between 9.1 and 9.5.  That gave us enough fuel to make it the 270 miles to Boise.  Things got a little tenuous when we hit a strong headwind about 50 miles out.  We made it though, with 6 gallons left.  It was kind of fun making it a whole day without refueling.

We unhooked when we set up.  I used the process from the YouTube video I saw yesterday.  I had to modify it a little, but the truck slid right out of the hitch.  That's the first time we've done that.  I'm happy.

We gassed up at a Fred Meyer's.  With their card it was $2.20.  This is the lowest we've seen it in Idaho.  We also did some "we're leaving civilization" grocery shopping.  We stopped at Mickey D's for a snack.  Then we went back to the park.

We took Lucy for a walk through the park.  We looked at a lot of trailers and stopped to talk to one of the full timers.  It was fun.  When we got back we read and watched TV until dinner.  Ellen fixed BLT's.

The temp today never got to 70.  It was nice to go outside without boiling.  It also allowed me to put the cat stained glass back in the door window.  I also got to fix the screen door latch.  The latches are really frustrating Cooper.  He actually bit the door handle in frustration.

After dinner was more TV and a little surfing.  We only have 168 miles to go tomorrow.

Day 1677

I got up at 6:45 today because that's when I woke up.  After breakfast it was pack up the trailer to leave.  We were on the road by 7:45.

The trip today was 370 miles.  It was mainly uneventful.  We made good time, making it to Tremonton a little after 2.  The only problem was a 10 minute wait in a traffic jam south of SLC.  It was the aftermath of a crash.  All in all traffic through the SLC metro area was good and not too stressful.

We got amazing mileage.  The truck said 11.4 and a calculation made it 11.  In any case that's pretty good.  I would have been happy with that in the old truck.  The new one just turned 5,000 miles.  I think it's beginning to get broken in.  We did stop once for fuels, but I think I might have been able to make it on one tank since we burnt a total of 24 gallons.  It would have been cutting it close though.

The campground we're staying in is brand new.  It's pretty nice.  It even has grass surrounding all of the sites.  I unhooked, but we didn't do much after that.  Tremonton doesn't have much to offer.  We mainly surfed and read because the park doesn't have cable. 

I did try to figure out why we can't unhook without me holding the lever while Ellen drives away.  I couldn't see anything wrong with the hitch and we're unhooking like the manual says to.  I did find a video that gives some pointers on how high to have the trailer.  I'll try their approach tomorrow.

Ellen fixed the bacon wrapped chicken we got at Albertson's.  It was really good.  After dinner we took a little walk around the park.  We talked to a guy about his aftermarket trailer steps.  He really liked them.  I think they would make things easier for Lucy.  I'll probably order some when we get to Salem.  I spent a lot of the evening looking at sellers and installation videos.

Tomorrow's trip is 267 miles.  We probably won't get up early since there's no reason to get there before checkin time.

Day 1676

We got up at 7, did the pet stuff and had breakfast.  Then we killed time until leaving for the UTV place at 8.  We got there early so we got to watch them prepare the machines.

The machines were four seater Can-Am's.  They were as big as small cars.  They had a lot of ground clearance and these massive shocks.  The shocks gave the the vehicles great suspension travel.  They soaked up bumps really well.

The tour took four hours.  We followed the guide in his machine.  I'm glad we had a guide.  I would have quickly become lost in the huge area we covered.  Also it was great to have him in front of me during the challenging sections so I could see what line to take.

We climbed up to the top of the plateaus surrounding St. George.  We went through a variety of terrain.  We spent time on up and down trails, racing across sand dunes, rock crawling, and a couple of twisty banked sections.  It was all fun.  Twice during the rock crawling we went up nearly vertical rock walls about 10 feet high.  On one we went down the same thing.

The vehicles were incredible.  They had a lot of power and the suspension soaked up vicious bumps.  The ground clearance let us drive over very rough rocky sections with ease at speed.

We stopped several times during the trip for pictures.  We also stopped by a local lake that we didn't know was there.  The stops were welcome as bombing around in the machines got a little tiring after awhile.  I had to keep a tight hold onto the steering wheel at all times.  I ended up with a blister on one the fingers on my left hand.  I didn't notice until we got home.

We talked a lot with the guide and his wife during the breaks.  The Chinese flu has hit them hard financially.  When we were done I gave them a $200 tip (the trip was $500).  She said today was her daughter's birthday.  I told her to get her daughter a big cake.

We were back at the UTV place at 1.  We went to a Wells Cargo so I could replenish my $200.  The bank was actually open so we didn't have to go to the drive through.  Then we went to Freddies for lunch.  I miss the place since the one in Austin went tits.  After that we stopped at a gas station to fill up the truck and then went home.

We were both hot and dusty from the ride.  We sat in the trailer until we cooled off.  Then we took shower in the park showers.  The shower really felt good.  After that it was reading and TV until dinner (leftovers).

After dinner was more reading, TV, games, and a little surfing.  Tomorrow will be the longest day of the trip - 360 miles.

Day 1675

We got up at 7:15.  After pet stuff and breakfast loaded up the truck and we went to Purgatory.  It was about 10 degrees less today and that made a lot of difference.

I think I might have shot a little worse today.  I'm having problems with my mount.  I'm also slow and sometimes can't pick up the clay.  It's frustrating.  I think the cure is a lot more shooting.

We got done about 10:30 again.  We went home and put everything away.  After that was done we went shopping again.

The first stop was St. George's only camera store.  I wanted a smaller case for my Nikon.  They didn't have one.  Then we went to a pet store to look for Licks.  They didn't have any, but they had duck feet.  From there we went to Harbor Freight.  I wanted a pipe wrench.  They didn't have one.  In fact they were out of about half their stuff.

While I was there Ellen went next door to Albertson's.  I joined her.  We bought food for the next few days.  We stopped at Best Buy and Wally World for camera cases.  They were both busts.  We drove by the UTV place on the way home.  That way I'll know where it is in the morning.

It was sandwiches for lunch when we got home.  By then it was 105.  We read, napped, and watched TV for the rest of the afternoon.  I put two sided tape on the cat stained glass.  This time I put it all the way around the frame.  I need to clean off the window before I can remount it.  I also looked for Amazon for a mount for the dash cam.  The ones with the cam won't work in the truck.  I think I found one that would.

Ellen fixed fajitas for dinner.  We bought some taco beef at Safeway.  It was really good.  After dinner it was surfing.  When it cooled down to 98 we went for a walk around the park.  It was actually pleasant.

A note about last night.  After I wrote up the blog Ellen went to take a shower.  She left the door open and I didn't notice.  Cooper got out of course.  I'm not sure how long he was gone before I noticed.  I went out looking for him.  Ellen did also when she got back.  I spent half an hour or more looking for him.  Ellen found him in another section of the park.  It was very lucky.

Day 1674

We got up at 7:15, did the pet stuff and had breakfast.  Then I loaded up the truck and we went to Purgatory.

At first we thought it was closed, but it was just that the clerk had stepped out.  We got a cart and went out on their course.  It was only in the 80's.  Most of the time Lucy could be in the shade, but she sure didn't like it when there wasn't any.

I'm still shooting like shit.  I have moments of competency followed by stretches of complete stupidity.  I feel like I did in years past when I was just learning how to shoot sporting.  We shot their monthly competition course and a four station "advanced" course.  We both did better on the advanced course.

We finished about 10:30.  It was getting hotter, but was still comfortable.  We went home and put the stuff in the trailer.  Once that was done we left for St. George.

We stopped at Camping World and got more leveling blocks.  They didn't have gas struts, so we went to another large RV place.  They had struts, but not the right size.  They were a Grand Design dealer, so we ordered shower door seals to replace the ones the cat had eaten.

We stopped at Culver's on the way back.  It was packed.  The parking lot was totally full.  After that we decided to go to Lowe's for some double sided tape.  They were having a sale on DeWalt stuff, so I ended up buying a heat gun.  The next stop was Best Buy.  We didn't need anything, we just wanted entertainment.  We ended up buying a movie and a dash cam.

All of that kind of satisfied our need to spend money.  We went home to huddle in the trailer.  It was only 102.  I sat down in the recliner for a few minutes.  I woke up 2 and a half hours later.

Ellen fixed steaks for dinner.  They were the last of the good HEB steaks.  It will be awhile before we have any again.

After dinner I looked for an UTV tour.  There are a lot of companies here.  After a lot of looking at websites we settled on one.  I booked a 4 hour tour for Friday.

The rest of the evening was surfing.  I was going to replace the bathroom sink drain, but I don't have the right tools.

Day 1673

We got up at 7.  I had breakfast and then we packed up the trailer.  I thought there might be an issue leaving the campsite because it was pretty tight.  It turned out to be OK.

As we left Flagstaff Ellen said that 89 was closed south of Page and we had to take a detour.  Long story short - it was closed in 2013 and at that time they used a secondary highway as a detour.  It did cause me about half an hour of "oh shit".

The truck did a magnificent job of hauling the trailer up the cliff face south of Page.  We ended up with 10.3 mpg for the day.

The rest of the trip was OK except for some construction south of Kanab.  It caused about a 10 minute delay.  That resulted in a mile long string of traffic.  That meant that we did 55 instead of 65 all the way to Kanab.

We got to the RV park a little after 2.  It's brand new and really nice.  After getting everything set up I wanted to go to an RV store.  Ellen's asshole problems put a stop to that.  We ended up just sitting in the trailer reading and surfing.  There was no going outside.  The temp was 107.  The dual AC's did a good job though.

Ellen fixed hamburgers for dinner.  After dinner we went to Wally World for milk.  When we got back home the rest of the evening was TV, surfing, and games.  I went to bed early because I was really tired.  I'm glad tomorrow isn't a travel day.

Day 1672

We woke up at 7.  Actually I woke up at 6, but dozed for an hour.  Then it was breakfast and then pack up the  trailer.  The drive today was nice.  There was no headwind and the whole trip was on I40.  We did have to slow down twice for construction, but we never had to stop.

Mileage was good, almost 10 MPG.  The road gained and lost several thousand feet in elevation.  We could have made the 300 miles on a singe tank, but that would have been cutting it a little too close.

Because of the time zone games we got to the campground a little after noon.  We had to wait for two other people before we could check in.  We set up and then left to get fuel.  Flagstaff sucks for fuel.  It was $2.20 out in the desert and $2.65 here.

After that we went back to the trailer.  We basically did nothing for the rest of the day.  The cable had lots of channels, so we watched car shows.  I kind of needed the rest after three days of driving.

The doctor called with the results of the genetic biopsy test.  It wasn't real good news.  One of the samples showed signs of cancer.  It raises my chances of having it from 10% to 30%.  The plan remains the same - PSA test in December.

Ellen fixed BLT's for dinner.  After dinner I watched a blu-ray movie.  It was really good.  After that I did a little surfing and then went to bed.

The drive to St.George tomorrow is shorter - 280 miles.  However, it's on secondary roads with a lot of challenges.  I'm not looking forward to it.

Day 1671

WE woke up at 7:30.  I'd intended to get up at 7, but I messed up and set the alarm for 8.  I had breakfast and then we packed up the trailer to leave.  Everything went pretty smoothly except for one of the front leg jacks.  Its pin is bent and I had to hammer it out.

The first part of the trip went fine.  Then we crossed into New Mexico.  I hate this state.  The roads turned to crap.  Long sections we in major need of resurfacing.  Other parts had long sections of what looked and felt like frost heaves.  Something in either the suspension or the hitch would squeak as we went over them.

We spent over 100 miles suffering through this crap.  The roads didn't improve until we got to I40.  Even then there were sections of the interstate that were pretty bad.  Gas mileage was terrible - 8.4.  I think that was mainly due to climbing from 3500 to almost 8000 feet.  A 15+ MPH headwind for about half the way didn't help.

New Mexico is an ugly state.  We did have fun reading all of the billboards.  New Mexico is a state where the billboards actually improve the scenery.  We also started a book on tape which helped to improve the trip.

Two stories about fuel.  We stopped at Santa Rosa for fuel.  We only had 80 miles of fuel left.  The town has 5 gas stations.  They were all packed except for the one that didn't sell diesel.  Two of them were too small to get the trailer in.  We drove from one end of the town to another before giving up.  I should mention that the prices at all of them were highway robbery - $2.50.  We ended going a few miles down to a lonely Sinclair station (the only building at the exit).  Their price was $1.99.  We saved $14 on the fill up. 

 

It was down hill to 5500 feet in Albuquerque.  Ellen had me drive to the wrong RV park.  Fortunately the right one was a quarter mile down the same road.  We unhooked and went to a nearby Lowe's for DEF and fuel.  We used a lot of DEF today.  We used so much that the truck displayed a warning.  Lowe's wanted $18 for DEF (it was $12 at Autozone in Austin).  I said screw it and drove back and exit.  We fueled up at a Circle K there.  Fuel was 25 cents cheaper and not biodiesel.  We saved another $4.  There was an Autozone next door.  DEF there was $15.  I bought 4 boxes.  We put one in the truck in the parking lot.  The rest should be enough to get us to Salem.

The rest of the day was reading and surfing.  The park doesn't have TV, but the rest rooms and showers are open.  That's nice since New Mexico has a Democrat asshole for a governor.  Everyone is supposed to wear masks.  I doubt half do.

Day 1670

We got up at 7.  No pet stuff, but I had breakfast.  Then it was pack up the trailer and go.  Everything worked well except hooking up.  I still haven't got the heights right.  I had to lower the pin box from the height the trailer set it at.  Oh well.

The trip to Lubbock was really enjoyable.  We were driving back roads through Texas.  We started in the Hill Country and ended up in flat Texas.  There wasn't much to see, so we started counting road kill.  There were many skunks, one fawn, two armadillos, and a raccoon.  There were several others that couldn't be identified.

As we left the Hill Country the oil pumps and windmills started to show up.  There were an amazing number of windmills - literally uncountable.  About half the pumps were working.

When we got about 75 miles out of Lubbock the two lane state highway turned into a four lane.  It's quality was every bit as good as an interstate.

We got to the campground about 2.  That made it a 5 hour trip.  That was plenty.  We got 10.3 MPG.  That was Hill Country up and down balanced with a flat Texas tailwind.  The truck has massive power.  I had to pass a truck on a pretty steep hill.  I went from 65 to 80 without doing more than pushing down about halfway on the gas.

I had to unhook in order to find fuel, but I'd decided to do that anyway.   The only fuel for miles was Love's.  It was the most expensive and 20% biodiesel.

When we got back there were messes to clean up.  The cats had barfed all over the bed and bedroom floor.  I took the floor and Ellen washed the bedding.  A bottle had come open in the refrigerator.  I spent half an hour cleaning that up.

Dinner was leftovers.  After dinner was surfing.  The internet here is faster than our home internet.  The showers were open, so I took a shower there.  It was nice.

Day 1669

I got up a little after 8.  After pet stuff and breakfast I did a little surfing.  I left for Dripping Springs a little after 9:30.

The drive to town was uneventful.  I wasn't in a hurry, so I drove the speed limit.  My first stop was the license place.  The building was dark.  A sign on the door said "building closed, we don't know when it will open, if you need a license go to San Marcos".  Isn't the government great?

I stopped at HEB and got lucky.  The paper Ellen found yesterday was enough for me to get a license.  $132 later I had a sticker.  I went to Home Depot and got another drain tube for the bathroom sink.  The current has a ridge in it that keeps the bowl from completely draining.  I also got a small hand broom for sweeping up cat litter.

To continue the cat litter theme I stopped at Tomlinson's and bought a cat litter mat.  Hopefully that will keep the kitchen floor a little cleaner.  The next stop was home.

I brought in the garbage cans.  I got the cat bed out of the house.  By then it was getting near lunch time.  I stopped at Well's Cargo to get $100 to replace what I'd taken out of the travel money.  Then I ate lunch at the Italian place.

I stopped at the post office on the way to the doctor's.  There were a couple of things.  I didn't have to wait long at the doctor.  He said everything looked fine.  He did warn me to put drops in my eyes whenever they are dry.

After that I started back home.  Traffic through the Y was as heavy as it ever was before the flu.  I made good time once I got through though.  I stopped at HEB for bananas and Tractor Supply for DEF.  I burnt quite a bit of DEF towing yesterday.

When I got home the park's water was out.  That means no showers and worse, no toilets.  We went to Wally world and bought several gallon jugs.  Then I went to the Dollar Store for a super soaker.  That way Ellen can shit and wash it down with the soaker.  We also stopped at Sonic so we didn't have to wash dishes.

After dinner was TV.  The internet, both park and Verizon, wasn't working worth shit.

Day 1668

I woke up about 7:30, got up and did the pet stuff and had breakfast.  Then it was time to prep the trailer.

I moved a few final things into the trailer.  Then I retracted the slides.  That allowed me to remove the tire covers, check the lugnuts and check the tire pressure.  Everything was fine.  I locked up the garage and turned off the pump and water softener.

Hooking up the trailer wasn't too bad.  I did  raise the trailer a little took far to hook up the first time.  After that it was easy.

Getting out of the place went pretty well.  There were a couple of trees that I should have cut farther back.  We also had to move some boundary rocks.

We stopped at the oil change place to get the safety certificate.  They told me that the license office was closed due to the flu.  They said try HEB.  HEB couldn't do it because we didn't have the renewal letter.  I told Ellen to file it, she said she couldn't find it.

The trip to Fredericksburg was uneventful.  The new truck pulls the trailer fine.  I think the transmission is programmed to keep the truck in the highest gear possible, which keeps the load on the engine high.

We parked the trailer.  The spot is one of the few we've ever been in that is completely level.  Unhooking was a breeze except for me having to remember how to do things.  To top things off the new bathroom fixtures I put in don't leak.

We went into town.  We cashed a couple of checks and walked around for a while.  We ate lunch at a Mexican place.

When we got home we watched old westerns on TV and read.  That pretty much filled up the rest of the evening.

Day 1667

I got up at 8 today, had breakfast and did the pet stuff.

Today was a final preparations day.  I got all the rest of the stuff that we are taking ready.  Moving stuff the last few days made that a little easier.  Ellen took the rest of the food over.  I helped.  The new storage I created by replacing the fireplace helped.  We actually have a fair amount of space left in the pantry.

I did run into a snag when I moved the plants.  I'd forgotten that the doors on the cat shield had to change.  I changed them.  I also added a knob to both doors to make it easier to water the plants.  That took a while.

When that was finished I did a little surfing and we had lunch.  For once it was sandwiches rather than leftovers.  Then we left for the post office.  We got the mail there.  It should be the last of it.

While we were in the truck I noticed that the position I'd put the trailer tire pressure monitor in wouldn't work.  The gear shift blocks the view when the truck is in drive.  So when I got home I moved it.  That was a pain because getting the old adhesive off the mount wasn't easy.  The fact that it was the mid 90's didn't help.

I filled the time until dinner with reading and some TV.  I took Lucy to the mailbox.  She was pretty spritely.  She even ran part of the way.

Ellen fixed ham and pancakes for dinner.  The ham was a little long in the tooth.  I hope it doesn't make us sick.  After dinner we watched TV for a while.  Then I took the chargers and DirectTV box to the trailer.  I hooked them up.  I also took the rest of the pet treats.  I left the pet food, because I think we'll feed them breakfast tomorrow.

The rest of the evening was surfing and reading.

Day 1666

I woke up at 7 today and played games until a little after 8.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.  After breakfast it was clean up the house day.

Ellen started by vacuuming the bedroom and cleaning the bathroom.  I started by sweeping out the cat room and pantry.  Then I went to work on the kitchen cabinets and sink.  They were really heavy and it took quite awhile.

Ellen got sidetracked taking things to the trailer.  I was kind of pissed, since she should have done that yesterday.  When I was finished in the kitchen I took over vacuuming.  I did the rest of the house.  By the time I was done Ellen had quit taking stuff to the trailer.  I told her she won the scrub the kitchen floor job.  She did that while I cleaned the kitchen table and the bar counter.  When those were done we had a clean house.

After that it was lunch - leftovers.  We have made a dent in eating the food in the fridge the last few days.  After a little surfing I went back to Lego.  I finished part 2, which used up all of the bag 1 parts.  It took a little more work than I wanted to do today, but I wanted to get to that stage so I could put the bag 2 parts in the parts boxes.

I sorted the bag 2 parts.  Then I tested the truck.  It's not finished, but its running gear is complete.  It worked fine.  Then I took it and the parts boxes out to the trailer.  I'll finish the truck in Salem.

We took a short trip to HEB and CVS.  Ellen had to pick up some drugs and I wanted to drive the truck far enough to get it up to operating temperature.

When we got back Ellen called Dan and Patsy.  We wanted to make sure they wanted to see us.  They do.  They said it's been cold and raining.  We're going to freeze.  This evening I went out with the garbage.  It was 80 and I thought it was cool.

Ellen fixed stir fry for dinner.  She burnt it a little.  After dinner was mostly TV and games.

Day 1665

I woke up about 7:30 and played games until almost 8:30.  Then it was get up for pet stuff and breakfast.  At 9 we left for the Audi dealer.  When we got there they decided to fix the trim right in the reception area.  It only took about 15 minutes for them to find a tool and 2 minutes to fix it.

I stopped at the donut place on the wya home and got lunch - bacon croissants and donuts.

When we got home we rinsed off the car.  Then Ellen waxed it while I cleaned the interior.  When we were finished I put it in the garage and hooked it up to the battery maintainer.

The mount for the trailer tire pressure gauge in the truck had fallen off.  So I replaced the mounting tape and attached it again.  Hopefully it will stay this time.  I put the trailer paperwork in the truck so we'll ave it for the safety inspection.

When I was finished I called the oil change place we looked at yesterday.  They said they would do the inspection, no appointment necessary.  We'll stop there on the way to Fredericksburg on Thursday.

After lunch i did some surfing.  That go old, so I went to work on the Lego.  I completed part 1 and a portion of part 2.  It's weird, I haven't run out of #1 parts yet.  Apparently I won't until I've completed part 2.

After I got tired of Lego I did some reading.  I eliminated one more magazine from my stack.

Dinner was some stuff out of the freezer.  We need to reduce the volume so that the remainder will fit in the trailer freezer.

After dinner we watched an episode of the Grand Tour.  It was cool because a lot of it was filmed in Boulder.  They stayed at a RV park we stayed at and went to the race track next to the gun club.

Day 1664

I woke up a little after 8 and played games until about 9.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.  After that it was time to start packing up the trailer.

I moved a bunch of stuff from the house pantry to the trailer pantry.  I also moved some clothes that I wanted to take with me.  Then came the extra pet food.  Finally I moved the two folding kitchen chair from the trailer to the apartment.  We don't need them and it makes the kitchen table area a lot roomier.

It doesn't sound like much when written down, but it took a couple of hours to do.  As I was doing the moving I was also updating the two computers I haven't used in 6 months.  I'd stop and press "restart" on them as I was getting stuff from the house.  When they were finished updating they went to the trailer, too.

Lunch was leftovers.  After that we put the dog in the car and went to the HEB in Dripping Springs.  I bought some stuff to put in the trailer.  I also stopped at an oil change place on the way.  It was closed on Sunday, but it looks like it would be easy to get the trailer in and out of it.  I'll call them tomorrow and see if they do safety inspections.  If they do, I'll stop there on our way out of town.

When we got home I'd sort of run out of things to do.  I read a few magazines and did some surfing.  Ellen was watching chick flicks. 

Ellen fixed pork chops for dinner.  After dinner I did a little more surfing, but that got old fast.  I decided to start another Lego.  I picked this 4x4 off road vehicle.  I spent a little over 2 hours sorting parts and starting the build.  It's another cool design.  It's definitely not as complex as the shovel.  I got halfway through part 1 of three parts.

About 10 Ellen saw on the internet that there is a "Zoom" (internet) neighborhood meeting tomorrow.  Someone wants to ban shooting.  Of course I'll attend.  Coincidentally someone was shooting about 9:30 when I took out the garbage.  It was almost dark.  He was shooting relatively quick strings and hitting the steel every time.

Day 1663

I got up at 8:15 today because I needed to work outside greasing the trailer.  After breakfast and pet stuff I went out to the garage.

It took me a little while to get the grease gun loaded with grease.  It's cheap Chinese junk and the plunger lock barely works.  Priming took so long that I thought something was plugged.  I took everything apart and found out that if I'd pumped it a few more times grease would have started flowing.

I got out a moving blanket to put over the gravel and crawled under the trailer.  It was surprisingly cool laying under the trailer with a light breeze blowing.  There were 5 zerks on each side.  After scooting under the rear axle I could reach the back 4 on each side.  I had to get out from under the trailer and reposition from the front to get the other two.  The job was tiring, but not really hard.

That was pretty much all I had to do for the day.  When I went back into the house Ellen had cleaned the shower.  I told her that she would have to reseal it because the cleaner had removed the sealer.  She was not happy about the extra work.  She wanted a battery operated scrubber to finish the cleaning, so off to Home Depot we went.

We got the scrubber and also stopped at Target for a collapsible dog water bowl.  We found ouot at the range that Lucy won't drink out of a bottle anymore.

When we got home Ellen finished with the shower.  I surfed, read, and played games because I didn't have anything better to do.

Ellen fixed steaks for dinner.  She put them on the Treager because we'd purchased really good meat.

After dinner was TV and surfing.

Day 1662

I woke up at 8 and spent some time gaming.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.  I didn't really have a lot of things to do, so I constructed some.

I started to load up the truck.  I put ammo and the gun cart in it.  I also put the trailer hitch in one of the boxes in the bed.  I may need it, but I don't want to attach it because of the tailgate.  I also put the presents in the trailer.

I put away the parts from the box I found yesterday.  It was mainly empty, but a couple of things were useful.  After that it was time to go shopping.  I loaded the car with a bunch of stuff for Goodwill before we left.

We went to Lowe's and I got vinyl glue.  I also got a solar powered pink flamingo.  I had to go to an auto parts store to get a grease gun.  The other stops were the post office and Goodwill.  We were going to eat at Jack Allen's, but they were closed.  So we ate at Sonic next door.

When we got home I used the glue I'd purchased to fix the mower seat.  I'll put on another coat tomorrow.  I got a couple of screws and screwed the new flamingo to the upper deck.  The grease was waiting at the gate when we got back.  I decided to put the grease guntogether so I wouldn't have too tomorrow.  That turned out to be a good idea.  There was some assembly required and it took some time, primarily because there were no instructions.

Lee texted me, so I went over to his place.  I talked to him and his daughter for quite awhile (mainly him).  She'll be looking over the house again.

Ellen fixed sloppy joes for dinner.  After dinner it was TV and surfing.

Day 1661

We got up about 8 because we needed to do a couple of things outside.  The temp was the mid 70's.  After pet stuff (no breakfast) we took the dog out to do her nails.  They have gotten extremely long.

Trimming Lucy's nails was a traumatic as usual.  She spent the whole time shivering and panting.  I tried to keep her calm, but wasn't really successful.  She did enjoy the duck foot she got when we were finished.  She doesn't click nearly as much when she walks now either.

The next project was the DirecTV antenna.  We still weren't getting a signal and it was relatively cool, so the SWM wasn't the problem.  I got out the ladder and pushed the antenna up slightly.  That really improved the signal.  I extended the turnbuckles a little and that did the trick.  Installing them makes fixing the sag issue really easy.

After that I was going to grease the trailer.  The first step was switching grease in the large container grease gun.  I decided that buying a new gun was easier, so that was the end of the greasing.  I did go inside and order some grease in small containers from Amazon.  It will be here tomorrow.

I went back out to the garage.  I was looking for something else and found a vinyl repair kit.  The mower seat had two tears, so I cut patches an prepared them.  That's when I discovered that the glue had hardened.  I tabled that and started to finish sorting parts.  I ended up packing up the new case I'd purchased and sorting the rest into two smaller containers.  Everything doesn't fit in the cabinet anymore, but it's a lot easier to get to.

I was hot and sweaty by the time I was finished.  As I was about to go I noticed a cardboard box in a high shelf.  It had some parts in it.  That will have to wait until tomorrow.

That was the end of useful labor for the day.  After lunch was surfing until I got sick of the country's stupidity.  Then it was TV and a little reading.

Dinner was leftovers.  We've got an almost full freezer and we're leaving in a week.  I'm afraid we'll be throwing out some food.

After dinner was TV (the signals are great) and game playing.  Another player kicked my ass, but I came in second.

Day 1660

I woke up about 8:30 and played games until 10.  That was way too late to get up.  After pet stuff and breakfast I went out to work on the trailer.

The first step was to make sure the paperwork in the trailer was OK.  It wasn't.  There was no proof of insurance.  Ellen had to print one out.  Then I replaced the batteries in one of the temperature sensors.  That involved crawling under the trailer, unscrewing it, replacing the batteries, and then screwing it on again.

My next task was to grease the axles.  There wasn't any documentation on them in the documentation folder.  There was a Lippert blurb, so I assumed they were Lippert.  After messing around on their crumby website for quite awhile I determined that wasn't true.  I crawled under the trailer again and found out they were Dexter.

I went to the Dexter website and found the lubrication section.  The good news is I don't have to grease the axles until 12K miles.  The bad news is that I have to grease the spring mounts.  I didn't have the right grease.

My last project was to put away some stuff I'd piled on the kitchen counter and mount the cat stained window.  The only place it could go was the door window.  It took awhile to put mounting tape on the back.  Then I screwed a mounting hook into the door.  This was all done in the hot sun.  I soaked in sweat by the time I went in for lunch.

After lunch I went in search of grease.  I also wanted some groceries.  I went to three auto stores.  None had what I needed.  At the third one I broke down and bought a big grease container.

When we got home I watched TV until dinner.  Ellen fixed stir fry.  I watched some more after dinner.  It was all recorded.  The SWM has gone south due to the heat, so the DirecTV selections are limited.

About 7:30 I decided to work on the Lego shovel.  I worked for over 2 hours and got it finished.  I put hundreds of small parts on it.  All of them were details like lights and guard rails.  The hardest were a bunch of hydraulic hoses.  The last hurdle was finding where I'd missed the last two decales.  I went all through the parts 2, 3, 4, and 5 instructions.  I found it at the end of part 1.

I finished with the shovel about 10.  After a little surfing it was bed.

Day 1659

I didn't wake up until almost 9:30.  Lucy got up twice in the middle of the night.  Both times I had to wait for here while she cruised around outside.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.

It was reall hot today - 99 degrees.  I spent most of the morning surfing and reading.  Ellen started looking into places to stay.  It turns out Fredericksburg is almost full the days we want to stay there.  She managed to find one place, but it is 30 amps.  I looked and I don't have a 50 to 30 amp adapter.  After some searcing on the internet I found out that Lowe's had one.  So off we went.  We took Lucy.

We picked up the adapter and then went to the pet store to get cat food for the trip.  Neither of us wanted to eat lunch at home, so we stopped at the burger place.  We ate outside with Lucy.  It was hot, but not unbearable.  The last stop was the post office.

When we got home it was too damn hot to do anything outside.  I worked on the Lego shovel.  I'm getting near the end, but there are still a lot of pieces to go.  I spent a couple of hours putting together well over 100 pieces.  When I was finished you needed to look closely to see what I'd accomplished.

I went to the mailbox alone.  Lucy didn't want to go, and I don't blame her.

Dinner was leftovers.  After dinner was some TV and then a movie.

Day 1658

I got up about 8:20.  I did the pet stuff, but I had phone calls to make before breakfast.  I called Audi.  They won't take the car until next Monday.  I was more disappointed by the eye doctor.  He won't see me until the 19th.  That means our trip to Oregon may come into conflict with the fourth of July. 

I had some breakfast and did some thinking.  My original plan was to take the trailer to Fredericksburg, get it's certificate, and drive back to Dripping Springs for the license.  I then take the next day off to see Fredericksburg.  Instead I'll probably drive to Fredericksburg, get the certificate and wait to the next day to drive to Dripping Springs.  I'll get the certificate there and then go to the doctor.  Finally I'll drive back to Fredericksburg.  We'll leave there the next day.  From there it will take 7 to 10 days to get us to Richland depending on how we go.  Then we'll have to decide how long we are going to hang out there.  I might wait until after the holiday to go to Salem.

After all of that Ellen an I went out to the truck to put DEF in it.  It turned out that the box the DEF cam in had a nice long nozzle - no funnel necessary.  I put it all in - 2.5 gallons.  The truck said the 7 gal. tank is now 3/4 full.  I'm really surprised that the truck hasn't burned more than that.

We went back inside.  I worked on the Lego shovel for almost 2 hours. I put a lot of parts together, but it doesn't look like I got much done.  That's because it's all detail work.  The basic structure is done and now it's the gingerbread.  I also converted another two books to mp3.  Then I made up a thumb drive will everything on it for the trip.

I ate a really late lunch.  That showed that we needed to go to the grocery store.  So we left for HEB.  It's now too hot to take Lucy anywhere.  After that it was go back home.

I put the groceries away.  The parts I ordered from Optics Planet finally came.  So I went out to the garage and put them away.  I took the opportunity to take a lot of the unorganized parts and put the in parts boxes.  I worked in the cooled apartment because the garage was unlivable.

Ellen fixed sausage and hash browns for dinner.  After dinner was TV.

Day 1657

I woke up about 8 and played games until 9.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.  After breakfast I spent some time making up more itineraries for our trip to Oregon.  These go through the middle of the country.  The next step is for Ellen to investigate potential RV parks along the way.

When that was done I wanted to test the Lego shovel.  I had Ellen control it because I wanted to be able to pick it up if it went rogue.  I also wanted to see what went wrong if something failed.  Nothing failed.  It worked perfectly.  It works really well.  The app even allows you to program a series of actions.  It's going to be fun to play with when it's done.

After the testing I could start part 4 of the build.  It's all cosmetic and begins to close up the top of the cabin.  I wanted to make sure that everything worked before I did that.  I completed most of part 4 before I got tired and called quits.

After that it was some surfing followed by leftovers for lunch.  After lunch I surfed a little and then went outside.  It was hot - 94 degrees and humid.  I wanted to do a couple of things on the truck.  I also wanted to put the gas I'd bought at the beginning of the panic in the Audi.

Gassing up the Audi was a disaster.  The 5 gal can I had had a stupid government spout.  It was impossible for me to hold up the can with one hand while I pushed the spring loaded button on the spout to make it work.  I ended up pouring gas from that can into my smaller can.  At least I could lift it.  That's when I found out that the Audi has a flap in the filler tube.  The gas filler nozzle pushes it open.  The gas can nozzle wasn't long enough.  I had to use the funnel I'd bought for the truck.  I also had to have Ellen come out to hold it in.

After that I couldn't put DEF in the truck (no funnel).  So I decided to mount the trailer tire monitor.  I had a hard time finding a position on the dash for it that was far enough away so I could read it, and not blocking the dash controls.  I finally found what I think is a great place.

Did I mention it was hot?  By the time I was finished my shirt was thoroughly drenched.  I went back inside and took a shower.

After the shower I decided I wanted to go out and get a new funnel.  That way I can fill up the DEF in the morning.  We went to NAPA at the Y.  They had a great funnel.  It's a big improvement over the one I had.  We also stopped at the post office.  I really wanted purchased food tonight for some reason.  So we stopped at Fireman's.

When we got home I got out the Lego.  I wanted to finish part 4.  That didn't take long.  Sorting the pieces for part 5 took quite a while.  There were a lott of different kinds of small parts.

After that it was TV and surfing.

Day 1656

I woke up about 8 and played games until about 9.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.  After a little surfing I went out to trim the trees bordering the driveway.

The trees needed trimming so that they don't contact the trailer when we leave.  I had to cut high branches at the gate.  I also had to cut high an d low branches where the driveway curves.  I had more high branches to cut at the bottom of the driveway.  The temperature was in the low 90's with 60% humidity.  It was sort of bearable in the shade, but some of the pruning was in the sun.

I got finished after 10.  My shirt looked like I'd gone swimming in it.  I was literally too tired to take a shower.  So I surfed for awhile.  Then I got out the Lego.  I finished part 3.  That ended with the arm connected to the cabin.  The resulting vehicle is pretty impressive.It's 2 feet long, 2 feet high, and a foot across.  I still have three "parts" to go.  I finished up by sorting the parts for part four.

I had lunch and then took a shower.  When I got out my hair was wet, so we went out on the porch and Ellen cut my hair.  It was over my ears again and the back hair was curling.  She did a pretty good job.

After that it was a little surfing and then TV.  I took Lucy to the mailbox.  She wasn't excited to go, probably because it was so hot.  Ellen fixed tacos for dinner.  I really like the flat bottomed taco shells I bought.

After dinner was a couple of Amazon movies.  I saw them recommended on the internet.  They were both good.

Day 1655

I woke up at 9.  It sounds late, but I played games until 1.  I won.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.  After that we loaded up the truck and went to Capitol.  It was in the low 90's, but I'm tired of spending the whole day in the house.

The main course looked like it was set up for a tournament.  There were a lot of long shots and a lot of on edge shots.  It took me several stations before I wasn't shooting like shit.  My new eyes are giving my subconscious fits.  All target look closer than they used to.  On long targets that means I shoot behind them.  Argh.  Fortunately I think the cure is practice.

When we got done I wanted a hamburger.  We ended up eating at the Jack-in-the-Box on William Cannon.  I was also Jonesing for Ice Cream, so we stopped at Circle C.

When we got home I did the other thing I really wanted to do, work on Lego.  I got the arm completed.  Then next steps are to complete the raising system and attach it to the cabin.  Then part 3 will be done.

We talked a little about leaving today.  I'm going to develop a pretty accurate schedule.  We'll need it because reservations will likely be necessary everywhere.

I went to the mailbox alone.  The dog wouldn't get off the couch.  There was a notice from TexanEye telling me to set up an appointment for an exam.  Of course I had to get this at 5 on a Friday.  I'll have to wait until Monday to find out when I can get in.  We can't leave until I have the exam.

Dinner was a HEB salad.  After dinner was TV and a little surfing.

Day 1654

I woke up after 8 and played games for awhile.  I quit when I was ahead, but there's still half a day to go.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.

Today was the day I got my biopsy results.  I think I might have finally learned to not worry about what I can't control.  I've been a little nervous, but I've been successful in not letting it eat at me the last two weeks.  Maybe it's that I've gotten old enough that it's not going to be that many more years before something is going to get me.

After a little surfing I got out the Lego.  I'm really enjoying building the big shovel.  It's going to be big, too.  Today I did most of the boom.  This whole shovel will be over two feet long when the boom is attached.  I am pacing myself though.  I don't want it to get old, so I'm only doing one work session a day.

I had a HEB salad for lunch.  Then I surfed until it was time to go to the doctor.  The traffic at 3:30 was amazing.  There wasn't any.  It was like driving early in the morning.

The doctor made me wait outside in the courtyard.  This Chinese flu stuff is bullshit.  At least I didn't have to wait long. 

The biopsy report came back negative.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that could be the result of sampling error, especially since my prostate is 1.5 times normal size.  The doctor recommended a genetic test.  He says it would give a little bit more confidence on there not being cancer.  I said fine.  Apparently the other options are a drug to shrink the prostate and a MRI.  He didn't recommend either and I agreed.  The next step is a follow up PSA test in late November.

I stopped at HEB on the way home for a celebration cake.

Ellen fixed pork chops for dinner.  They were good.  After dinner was a TV marathon (House and the Deadliest Catch).

Day 1653

I woke up at 7, turned over and went to sleep until 8.  Then I played games until 9.  I'm competing with another guy.  Right now I'm ahead, but he's good.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.

After a little surfing I got out the Lego.  I'm now on part 3 (of 6).  Ellen and I tried to test what's been done so far, but the control app apparently only works when the whole thing is assembled.  Today I put together the last three motors and their mounts.  I think the sub assembly I'm working on attaches to the inside of the cabin.

I just didn't feel like doing anything.  Tomorrow I get the results of the biopsy.  I'm trying not to let it worry me.  I did look up MD Anderson and the proton therapy.  Apparently it's 5 days a week for 8 weeks.  That means I'll have to move to Houston.  I guess Ellen could come along if we can find a convenient trailer park.  I hope it won't be necessary.

Lunch was leftovers.  After that I mainly did surfing and some reading.  I did have a squirrel success.  I've been after one that climbs on the feeder.  He's always taken off whenever I open the door.  Today he decided to hide in the tree.  His mistake.  I had less luck with the deer.  They came by all day.  I kept shooting them with the pistol, but they don't seem to get the idea.

I took the dog to the mailbox.  After that Ellen fixed ham and hash browns for dinner.

After dinner was TV and game playing.

Day 1652

I got up at 8, but played games until 9.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.  After that it was some surfing.  We needed groceries, so after a short time we took the truck.

Before going to HEB we stopped at Harbor Freight.  We bought a couple of boxes so she could sort the parts for her Lego.  Then it was off to HEB after the Post Office.  HEB was a full shopping trip - milk, orange juice, bread, bananas, and a bunch of other stuff.

When we got home I got out the Lego.  I finished "step 2".  I think that's more than halfway through, because that finishes one of the two instructions books.  The shovel is getting big.  The outside of the cab is complete.  There's still the whole shovel and arm to do as well as the outside of the cab.  It's a foot an a half long and 10" high.

After that it was lunch followed by surfing.  I also did a bunch of reading.  I'm finally making a dent in all of the old magazines.

One of the things we bought today was some really good steaks.  Ellen fixed them on the Traeger. 

After dinner we watched a movie with James Wood in it.  He is a GREAT actor.  After that was a little more surfing and bed.

Day 1651

I woke up at 8.  The first thing I did was go out to the gate and open it.  FedEx is supposed to deliver a package today that requires a signature.  Then it was pet stuff and breakfast.

I was going to have to stay here all day until FedEx showed up.  Ellen had a doctor's appointment clear up north by Fry's.  I started out with some surfing.  It wasn't long before I decided to work on Lego instead.  Ellen went to her appointment.

I worked on Lego until a little after Ellen got back.  I'd lost track of time and it was about 2.  The Lego is coming along well.  It's really interesting to see how big it's going to be.

Lunch was leftovers.  After lunch was surfing, reading, and a little TV.  The packages (three of them) showed up a little before 4.  They were all Lego things.  They were big and a little heavy.  After unpacking them I took the remains back to the recycle.  It took a fair amount of time to break all of the boxes down and put them in the can.

I decided to go to the mailbox while I was out there.  The replacement key fob for the trailer was there.  I'm not sure the dog missed her walk.

Ellen fixed mac and cheese with ham for dinner.  After dinner I went out to the program the new fob.  It's a simple process that I managed to screw up.  I ended up having to reprogram one lock from scratch.  That included 5 key fobs.  Oh well.

After that it was TV and surfing.  We need some groceries, but I decided to wait until tomorrow to get them.

Day 1650

I woke up at 8, but spent over an hour playing games.  I'm getting my ass beat.  Then it was get up for pet stuff and breakfast.

I've run out of things to do.  So it was surfing for awhile.  Of course it got boring, so I got out the Lego.  I really enjoyed working on it, but eventually I got tired.  That was my signal to quit.

I did a little reading before and after lunch.  It started to rain off an on for the rest of the afternoon and early evening.  That put a stop to anything outside.  There were a couple of packages when I took out the garbage.  Apparently we missed one that required a signature.

Dinner was leftovers.  After dinner was TV.  About 2 hours of that and I was bored again.  I finished the evening surfing.