Day 3248

 I woke up about 7:30 and played games until 8.  There wasn't any point in getting up earlier.  Besides, it was 41 degrees outside.  At 8 I got up for breakfast and hooking up.  That went as usual and we left a few minutes after 9.

There was little or no wind for most of the trip.  What there was was a slight tail wind.  We mad 12.2 mpg for the trip.  That's because overall it's a down hill run.  Unfortunately I started having diarrhea  problems about 40 miles outside of Tucson.  I had to stop twice on exits to shit in the trailer.  The only other problem was some pain in the ass truckers and a car driver about 60 miles out.  They really weren't anything to talk about.  I just sped up to 70+ to get away from them.

We got to the park about 1:30 their time (2:30 our time).  We set up and then went looking for a sewer hose.  We found one at a RV dealership across the street from the park.  Then we went to Costco for DEF.  We were down to half a tank.  

When we got home I connected the new sewer hose.  I'll dump the tanks tomorrow.  We also put DEF in the truck.  The two boxes I have in the truck bed should be enough to get us home.

I called the repair guy and left a message telling him our campsite.   He didn't respond.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was videos.  Abby was really disappointed that we didn't take her anywhere.

Day 3247

I woke up at 7:30 and played games until 8.  Then it was up for breakfast and hooking up.  We left the park a little before 9.

When we started out there was a strong cross wind.  It eventually turned into a headwind.  Mileage was a little over 8.  That meant that I had to stop for fuel a little before Van Horn.  When I got out of the truck the wind was strong enough to make it a little difficult to stand.  The wind continued until we got to El Paso.

Between the wind and the lousy fuel that we got in Fort Stockton the overall mileage for the day was about 8.5.  The mileage was really low, and the EGT's were really high, before I got fuel.  Fortunately the additional fuel wasn't bio diesel.  Mixing it lowered the EGT's by at least 100 degrees and raised the mileage by almost 1 mpg.  Doing a regen for 30 miles didn't help the mileage either.

Driving through El Paso was about as easy as it gets.  Traffic wasn't too heavy and it was moving.  It was still a little scary driving next to a semi through the construction zone.  There's only a little more than a foot between the concrete wall on one side and the semi on the other.

We gained an hour during the trip and got in a little after 1 New Mexico time.  We set up and made the short trip to fuel up.

When we got back it was surfing until the dog costume show at 3.  We dressed Abby in her skeleton Halloween costume and took her to the clubhouse.  There were only two other dogs, but she had fun playing with them.  When the show was over we took Abby to the long dog park.  She had real fun chasing the birds back and forth.  The park has a really nice dog wash, so Abby got a bath on the way back to the trailer.  That turned her into a white dog rather than a gray one.

The rest of the day was videos and surfing.  Ellen fixed pork chops, scalloped potatoes, and garlic bread for dinner.  It was really good.

Day 3246

I woke up at 7:30 and played games for quite a while.  There was no point in getting up.  We aren't going anywhere until the trailer has a new axle.

We did have to do the wash though, so eventually it was up for pet stuff, breakfast, and start the wash.  The only thing to do while the wash was going was surf.  When the wash was done surfing was still the only thing to do.  We couldn't go anywhere until the repair guys replace the axle.

About 11 the repair guy said that he'd be there in about an hour.  He and his helpers showed up about 1.  They spent quite a bit of time installing the axle and making sure everything was right.  The total cost was a little over $6,000.  $1,500 of that was the charge to go to El Paso to get the axle.  That's a 500 mile round trip.

It was mid afternoon before the repair was finished.  We got in the truck and went to Fort Stockton.  We bought a few groceries at Wally World and ate a very late (4 o'clock) lunch at a local hamburger place.  It was half price hamburger day.

When we got home it was videos.  We really didn't have any dinner.  Bedtime was pretty much the usual.

Day 3245

 I woke up at 7:30 and played games until 8.  Then it was up for breakfast and hooking up.  We left the park a little before 9.

There were a couple of slow spots on 1604, but nothing really bad.  Once we got on I10 we just cruised.  The only dark spot was the wind.  We had a very strong cross wind.  That combined with 150 miles of hill country up and down meant that we only got 9 mpg.  That caused us to stop for 10 gallons along the way.  We did manage to average 61+l mph for the day.

We got into the park a little before 2.  When we set up we had a surprise.  The front tire on the right side of the trailer had decided to come off.  It was just gone.

I went over to the park office and asked them for info on repair people.  They gave me the card for one that they highly recommended.  I called him and he asked me to send pictures.  I did and he said that he suspected that the axle was damaged, but he had to come look. He showed up less than an hour later with two trucks and two helpers.

He confirmed that we needed a new axle and his crew removed the damaged one.  He will also get us a new tire and wheel.  Then they left.

Ellen and I spent some time sitting outside and looking for another tire monitoring system because I'm now down two sensors.  The company that made the one we have now doesn't make it anymore.  The repair guy called and said that he's sending someone to El Paso tonight to pick up another axle.  He thinks the repair will be done by noon tomorrow.  It's 250 miles to El Paso, that's a 6 hour round trip at 80 MPH just to get the axle.  I bet this whole thing is going to cost us.

Ellen fixed Rudy's sausage and hash browns for dinner.  After dinner we watched videos.

Ellen has cancelled the reservations for the rest of the trip and I called the Tucson repair guy.  We're going to stay in Fort Stockton tomorrow.  Hopefully redoing the plans won't be a problem.

Day 3244

 I woke up at 7:30 and played games for a while.  Then it was up for pet stuff and breakfast.  I wanted to do a couple of things before shooting, so then we left for the club.

The first stop when we got to the club was to buy two more titanium chokes.  That way we both have chokes for our CG's.  Then we took Abby to the grass field so that she could run.  She had a great time and covered a lot of ground.  The cherry on top was I had a box for her.

It was still a little while before shooting, so we killed some time sitting on the patio.  I shot 20 ga FITASC at 11:20.  By then it was hot and humid.  I didn't do well on the first peg - 20 out of 25.  I did better on the second - 24 out of 25.  That isn't going to win me anything, but it was fun.

We ate lunch at the roach coaches on the course.  I had chicken and rice, Ellen had sushi.  Then we went back to the clubhouse and had shaved ice for dessert.  We took Abby for another run on the grass and then went home.

We started watching videos and both fell asleep.  When we woke up we fed the animals and then went to HEB to get lunch meat, OJ, and bananas.  We also got fuel.  I also put out the sewer hose I couldn't use with a "free" sign on it.  It was gone by the time we got back.

Ellen fixed waffles and Texas toast that we'd bought at HEB.  After that was videos until an early bedtime.

We won't have to get up really early tomorrow.  We have to wait for rush hour to wind down before we can leave.

Day 3243

 I woke up about 7:30 and played games for a while.  Then it was up for pet stuff and breakfast.  After that it was surfing until it was time to go to the club.  Abby went with us.

As we left I took some time to wait for the truck to turn itself off when I opened the door.  Then I disconnected the CTS, waited for a little while, and then reconnected it.  When I started the truck up all of the frozen measurements started working correctly again.  I was a very happy man.  They've been working ever since.

Ellen had the women's tournament at 10:30.  She didn't do particularly well, but she was pleased with the new recoil absorber in her shotgun.  When it was over we went to the Bearpaw shooting vest tent.  I got measured for a vest.  I think I"ll order one when we finally get home.  We also stopped at the Negrini place and got a receiver sleeve to replace the one that Perazzi didn't return to me.

We had parked by the big grass field, so we let Abby run.  She had a great time cruising all over.  I also gave her a box to destroy.  Then we went to lunch at the roach coaches.  We ate with another couple who were staying at the park.  They brought their GSP today.  Abby and their dog had a great time.

There was about 45 minutes before we had to go to the K-cup, so we just watch Make-a-Break.

It was hot and somewhat humid for the K-cup.  The targets were really good though.  I had my moments, but in general didn't shoot well.

When we were done we went back to the clubhouse for the free dinner.  It was really good.  We were going to go home when some people we'd met yesterday sat down with us.  They convinced us to stay for the shooting exhibition.  It was fun.

When we got home Ellen fed the animals while I put the guns away and got mine out for tomorrow.  Then it was a short video session before going to bed.

Day 3242

 I woke up about 7:30 and played games for a while.  Then it was up for pet stuff and breakfast.  After that it was a little surfing.

Eventually I went outside to dump the tanks.  We used the new black tank sprayer.  It worked great.  At least it did once I installed the missing gasket and covered the hose input with Teflon tape.  It was a typical long process though, but at least the weather was cool.

We didn't shoot until 3:30, so the rest of the morning and early afternoon were surfing and a little video.  I'd managed to hurt myself during the tank draining.  I had a pain in my side that made it hard to walk.

We left for the club about 2:15.  We got about halfway there before Ellen decided she might not have locked the trailer.  We went back home, it was locked.  I also stopped at CVS on the way to get pain killers.  That meant that we'd chewed up most of our extra time.

We did make it to the first station with 5-10 minutes to spare.  It was a little over 90, but not particularly humid.

I shot really shitty the first half of the course.  I kept missing targets that there was no way I should miss.  Things changed on the second half of the course.  I missed 3 targets on the last 7 stations.  Of course they were all 1 shot per station.  I ended up with an 80.  I would have had a really good score if I'd shot that well at the beginning.

Abby did great the whole time.  She got petting from several people.  She even didn't try too hard to take off her ear muffs.

We were following a really slow squad.  That met that we got to the dinner half an hour after it started.  Waiting in line was OK though, because I got drinks while Ellen stood in line.

The food was really good.  We ate with some fellow Texas shooters and compared notes about places in Texas to shoot.  Abby got both beef and chicken.

After dinner we watched the stadium show.  Once again I didn't catch one of the t-shirts.

We went home after the show, surfed for a little while, and went to bed.  Ellen shoots at 10:30 tomorrow.

Day 3241

 I woke up about 7:30 and played games for a while.  Then it was up for pet stuff, breakfast, and some surfing.  We also tried to install the new seal on the sewer hose.  That didn't work at all.  We left for the club about 9.

When we got to the club we picked up Ellen's gun with the new recoil reducer installed.  The gun is much heavier.  Then we put the titanium chokes in it.  After that we went to the stadium to watch neophyte women shooters shoot powder puff (one outgoer, one incomer) targets.  We did that for over an hour.  Ellen had misread her starting time.  It was 10:30, not 10.

Eventually Ellen got to shoot.  There were 5 stands, with an instructor at each.  The targets were slight variations at each stand.  Ellen started out slow, but she got better.  Her session lasted until about noon.  She went off to eat at their luncheon.  I had a roach coach brisket burger.

We left when she was done with lunch.  We stopped at Wally World to look for a sewer hose.  They didn't have the right thing.  We went to a RV lot.  They didn't have anything.

On the way back the notification from Best Buy that the microwave was in came.  We drove to the store and picked it up.  When we got home another camper with a GSP was playing with it at the end of the row.  Ellen took Abby down to play with it while I got the microwave out of the truck and made a place for it in the basement.  When Ellen got back we put the microwave in the basement.  It just fits.

After that we went inside to rest a little and watch videos.  Then I took Abby to a walk to the back row (600) that the receptionist originally wanted to put us.  The sites are nicer and longer.  However, there's only 1 shower building.  I'm glad that we're in front.

When I got back we left for Rudy's for dinner.  Traffic was horrible.  Luckily there were clear ways to go to Rudy's.  Most of the other roads were backed up for miles - literally.  There's no way I'd work in this area if I had to commute. 

When we got back home it was videos until bedtime.

Day 3240

 I woke up  a little before 8 and played games for a while.  Then I got up for pet stuff and breakfast.  When that was done we got in the truck and drove to San Marcos to vote.

We took 410 through San Antonio to I35.  That part of the trip went well.  Most of the time we were doing between 70 and 80.  They've even redone the connection from 410 to I35.  It's now pretty smooth.  The trouble started just after getting on I35.  Traffic slowed way down and stopped at one point.  The traffic jam lasted for several miles with an average speed of 15 to 20.  Once past the jam it was 70 to 80 again.

When we got to the election place the line was clear around the building.  We later found out that they were quoting 1.5 to 2 hours to vote.  We went to an alternative sight and waited about 20 minutes.  When we were done we immediately headed south.

We stopped at Camping world for a new sewer hose and Bucee's just because.  We went through 410 again.  This time the speeds were slower, but we still made good time.  I filled up before we got hom and we also stopped at Whataburger.  It wasn't bad.

We loaded the shooting stuff in the truck along with the dog.  Then we went to the club.  Ellen left her gun with a repair guy to get a recoil reducer installed.  Then we bought her another lens for her glasses.  After that we picked up some free shells at a vendor and walked around a little.  We also bought two titanium chokes for her gun.  We ended up at the patio watching the Make-a-Break and surfing.

The club put on a dinner with beer about 5:30.  We enjoyed it and so did Abby.  Then we left to run Abby in the field.  The truck was parked along the road by the field.  On the way there some asshole backed out of an illegal parking spot and knocked me down.  What actually happened is that I hit my shin on his trailer hitch and went down flat.  I got up, called him and appropriate name, and kept walking.  The damage was a cut to my shin and a scrap on my elbow.

Abby had a great tie running.  We even had another box for her.  She went completely over to the upper skeet fields and came back as soon as I whistled.  She did the same thing when she went around the wooded area and we couldn't see her any more.

After that we went home.  It was about 6:30 when we got there.  I got out the new sewer hose and found out that it is way too long.  That's $50 down the drain.  Then I rearranged the basement so that I can fit the old microwave in it when they replace it in Tucson.  Finally I tried to replace the seal in the old sewer hose.  Unfortunately it was too dark to finish that job.

I was soaked in sweat when I went back inside the trailer.  I decided to take a shower and get ready for bed.  When I got back I watched videos for a while and went to bed.

Day 3239

 We woke up at 7, had breakfast, hooked up, and left.  The first 60 miles of the trip were a pain.  We were driving due east just as the sun rose.  I had to hold my hand up to block the sun's reflection on the hood.

Eventually the sun rose enough to turn the trip into a normal boring west Texas drive.  We listened to more podcasts.  Some were pretty good, and others not so much.

We were going 314 miles today.  Unfortunately we didn't get stellar mileage.  Part of the reason was a regen.  That meant that we had to stop inn Kerrville for 10 gallons.

One worrisome thing.  The CTS isn't reporting the input air temperature or the engine loading anymore.  The temperature is stuck at 108 (not even close), and the loading never moves off 0.  I'm not sure whether this is an engine problem or a CTS problem.  The truck seems to run fine.

We had to deal with a short delay at the 1604 exit, but it wasn't bad.  They've completed widening 1604, so it moves a lot better. We got to the park about 2.  We unhooked and then went to the club.

We took Abby and she walked around with us.  Of course people wanted to pet her and talk about her.  We walked all along vendor's row and got our signature sheet filled out.  Ellen wants some new lenses, but there's very few available because Pilla has discontinued them.  I got a t-shirt.

We stopped for shave ice before we went home.  It's really hot and humid here.  We're not used to it.  We met a lady from Capitol City.  She was going to run her dog, so we let it run with Abby.  They had a good time. 

We stopped at Wally World on the way home and I bought DEF and stuff for dinner.  We got home after 6.  Ellen fixed dinner and then we started watching videos.  That turned into a nap until 8.  When I woke up I sorted through all of the stuff in the goody bags.  Then I took a shower and went to bed.

We have to drive to San Marcos tomorrow to vote.  It's 60 miles one way.

Day 3238

 I woke up at 7:30 (6:30 our time) and got up to have breakfast.  After that it was out to hook up.  Ellen did the dog stuff and the inside stuff.  We left the park less than an hour after we got up.

The trip included another trip through El Paso.  This one featured a 10 mile construction zone that started just after we crossed the border.  Some of the time we were on a frontage road and other times we were on two VERY narrow lanes.  Fortunately traffic was moving.

A side note: the speed limit for the entire 30+ miles through El Paso is now 60.  Of course nobody goes that slow.

After El Paso the trip became the typical boring drive through west Texas.  We listened to a pod cast which made the trip a little less boring.  We also lost another hour to a time zone change.  That meant that we got to the park after 2.  We set up, fed the pets, and then did the wash.  Tomorrow is Tuesday, but I don't want to get to San Antonio and have to wash clothes rather than going to the club.

After the washing was done we took the dog for a walk and then drove back to Fort Stockton to fill up.  The price was $3.39.  I like under $3 better.  We also stopped at a DQ on the way back for dinner.

When we got back to the trailer we watched videos for a while.  Then we fed the pets again and took Abby for another walk.  After that was a short video session.

We went to bed early.  We'll be getting up at 7 (5 our time) tomorrow.

Day 3237

 We woke up about 8.  I had breakfast and went out to hook up.  Ellen took Abby to the park and then did the inside stuff.  We were on the road a little before 9.

The trip was about 300 miles, all on I10.  We got low mileage climbing the first 50 miles out of Tucson.     That worried me, so we stopped at an almost deserted station on the other side of Benson and topped off.  Fuel was $2.99.  Yeah.  It turned out that we didn't really need to, but doing so gave me peace of mind.

Nothing else of note happened during the trip, just hours of boring driving.  That's good.

It took about 5 hours to get to the park, but on the clock it was 6 because of the time change.  After we unhooked we went to fill up.  Fuel was $2.98.  Yeah again.  Then we went back to the park to surf and watch videos for the rest of the afternoon.

Ellen fixed sausages for dinner.  After dinner it was some more videos before a really early bed time (we'd lost an hour).

Day 3236

 I woke up at 7:30 and played games for a little while.  Then it was up for pet stuff and breakfast.  After that I loaded the shooting stuff in the truck and we left for the club.  It was only 55 degrees.

When we got to the club it was 57 and we were in t-shirts and shorts.  We decided to shoot anyway.  We drove out to the course and shot 4 stations before the rain made us quit.  We drove back to the clubhouse and had snacks (pan cakes for me, french toast for Ellen).  Eventually the rain stopped.  I bought a long sleeved shirt at the clubhouse and then we went back out.

By the time we got back out to the course the clouds were parting and it was warming up.  We had a good time shooting.  The course was a fairly challenging monthly shoot course.  I didn't shoot badly, but I would have shot better if I'd hadn't shot the sighters.

When we were finished we stopped at Costco for DEF and the corner gas station for fuel.  When we got back we put the clothes that we're going to eed in the plastic bins.  When we tried the slide out it wouldn't work.  I called the RV guy.  He came over and determined it was a fuse.  After that the slide out worked.  It's going to be a pain in the ass with it in though.

The only way to get the microwave we want is to buy it in San Antonio.  Ellen ordered it and it will be at the Best Buy there in a week.

After that we took the dog to the dog park along with a box.  She had a great time running around chasing birds and chewing up the box. 

After that was videos until dinner.  Ellen fixed steak.  Abby loves steak night.

The park had bingo at 6:30.  We went and had fun.  I won some ice cream.  When we got back I decided to take an early shower.  The goddamn thing still didn't have hot water.  Then it was early to bed.

Day 3235

 I woke up at 7:15 and played games until 8.  Then it was up for pet stuff and breakfast.  After that I loaded the stuff into the truck and we went to Coyote Springs.

When we got to the range there was a huge number of cars parked.  They must have had a charity thing going.  The cart parking was completely empty.  We turned around and left.

On the way home we stopped at a Dollar General and got two plastic bins to put clothes in.  We also went to a pet store and got kitty treats for Devon.

When we got home I called the RV guy.  He had talked to Lippert and the parts will be here by the end of the month.  I wrote him a check.  I also called Grand Design and got the repair parts for the recall sent to him.  Then I did a little surfing.  That got boring, so I did some "chores".  I brought in TP, water, and cereal.  Then I cleaned the AC filters in both conditions.  The living room ones were filthy.

After that we had lunch.  Then we took Abby to the dog park.  I took a box for her to play with.  Another dog came and helped her destroy the box.  Then the two of them ran around for quite a while.  Abby also had some fun chasing birds.

When we got back the two of us spent a lot of time choosing a microwave.  Apparently getting a new one that actually works for a long time is a crap shoot.  We really can't decide if we want a new one.

After some surfing we went to the grocery store.  I wanted some Mtn Dew for the trip.  

Ellen fixed pork chops with garlic bread that we had bought at the store.  After dinner was videos until bed time.

Day 3234

 I woke up a little before 7 and got up to get dressed and have breakfast.  Then I went out to hook up.  The process went on as it usually did and we were on the road a little before 8.

Traffic was light and we made good time through Bolder, the bridge, and up the other side of the canyon. We did hit a head wind that was with us for the whole day.  It killed mileage enough that I stopped at the stations on the flat after the climb.  I filled up (6 gal.).  It later turned out that I didn't need to, but it made me feel better.

The road continually deteriorated.  The right lane was so wrecked that i started using the left lane when possible.  In addition the headwind continued to limit mileage to 9 or less.  Going through Kingman was the usual pain in the ass although I did get lucky getting in front of some trucks on the I10 entrance.

The road down from I10 was a crappy as the one to Kingman.  There was little traffic, so I ended up driving down the middle of the two lanes on the divided section.  I'd move over whenever someone came up on me.  Of course I couldn't do that on the 23 mile 2 lane section.  There the road just beat us up.

Wickieup is a real pain in the ass.  They've changed the highway north of the town into a series of 5 to 10 roundabouts.  The speed limit is 35.  I needed fuel but all of the stations were jammed.  Fortunately I was able to fill up at the last station at the end of town.  It didn't have any people and had the cheapest fuel in town.

From there everything was pretty smooth sailing.  Traffic was a little heavy on I10 in Phoenix. We took a new bypass that loops from I10 around downtown to the west, and reconnects to I10 below Chandler.  It's shorter and doesn't have much traffic at all.

The two lane part of I10 was a solid mass of cars.  The good news was that everyone was moving a 65 or over except for a couple of short slow parts.  Traffic in Tucson was light also.  We ended up making the trip in a little less than 7 hours.

Trouble started when we set up.  The bedroom slide wouldn't go out.  There was a trailer repair guy there an he said that the slideout mechanism is trashed.  It will take at least a week to get parts and a day to fix it.  I said go ahead and find out about ordering the parts.  Hopefully they can get the parts and fix it after Nationals.  That means we'll have to drive back here, but OK.  The repair guy can also fix the refrigerator and replace the microwave.

We took the dog to the park.  She had a great time running with some other dogs.  Then we did a little online microwave shopping.  After that we went to Best Buy to look at our choices.  We found two that would work.  We stopped at In-N-Out on the way back for dinner.

We didn't get back until 9.  After some videos it was showers and bed.

Day 3233

 I woke up about 8, played games for a while, and then got up to feed the cats.  After that we took Abby on a walk over to the big dog park.  She ran around for a little while, but just didn't seem to be very interested.  We walked back to the trailer, fed her, and had breakfast.

After breakfast I drained the tanks.  It was the usual drawn out pain in the ass process.  I had Ellen use the sprayer on the inside.  I also flushed it twice with 25 gallons of water each time.  After that it came out clear.  When I drained the grey tanks I was surprised by the amount of water in them.  It was easily more than what was in the black tank.  I'll have to take note of that in the future.

When the tanks were flushed and everything was put away I went back inside the trailer for a little surfing.  About 1 we left to do the errands.  We went to the groceries and got some essentials - OJ, bread, water, etc.  Then we drove over to an inexpensive gas station and fueled up.  It was right next door to an In-N-Out, so we ate lunch there.

When we got home I lined up the truck so that it will be easy to hook up in the morning.  I'm going to get up at 7 and hope to be on the road before 8.  I expect tomorrow to be a 7 to 8 hour drive.

After that it was videos until dinner time.  We went to the cafe.  Unfortunately the bar was closed.

After dinner was surfing until an early bed time.

Day 3232

 I woke up about 7:30 and got up immediately.  So did Ellen.  She took the dog out while I got the laundry ready.  Then I took the laundry to the laundry room and she met me there after taking the dog back.

It was good that we got up early.  There were already two people washing clothes before 8 on a Tuesday.  Who would have thought?  Fortunately there were enough machines left and Ellen could start the wash.  Then we both went back to the trailer for breakfast and pet stuff.  After that we just surfed until the wash was done.  Then we left for the strip.

I ended up parking at the Luxor.  It's structure actually is high enough to fit the truck.  It was early morning, so we got to park near the stairs.  We went inside the Luxor and took a short walk through it to the Madalay bay.  Then we walked all the way through Mandalay Bay to see the aquarium on the far side.

The aquarium was great.  It was room after room of fish displays.  Two of the rooms were "under water" with fish swimming above you.  In one of the rooms there were three Navy divers in a tank of sharks.  It must have been some sort of commercial because they were filming it with professional gear.  The tanks were filled with different exotic fish - sharks, sting rays, piranha, and lots of other odd and/or brightly colored fish.  It was really a great exhibit.

When we were done we took the tram to the Luxor and finished walking thought it.  There were the typical shops and a couple of exhibits - Titanic and "The Body".  We didn't stay long.  Then we took the tram to Excalibur.

Excalibur was a lot more fun.  There was an arcade, but most of the games weren't manned.  There were a lot of the electronic ones that we couldn't figure out (we're getting old).  It was after 1 and we were getting hungry.  We found a place that was still serving breakfast.  It was a fun place to eat at, but the food was OK, but not great.

From there we went to New York, New York.  We were getting tired though and decided to skip walking through it and went to the Coke store a block away instead.  Unfortunately it didn't have any neat bear stuff.  After that we went back to the Excaliber and took the tram to the Luxor.  From there it was back to the trailer.

One thing about the trip that was nice was there wasn't a lot of traffic on Las Vegas Blvd.  That made for a nice easy drive.

We got home about 5:30.  Ellen took the dog out while I fed everybody.  I also picked up the watch band I'd ordered and installed it.  After a little videos and rest we decided to go to Bass Pro Shops.  I got a dog toy and a waterproof shell box.  Then we went to casino to eat.  We had Chinese food.  It was packed, but we managed to get a table.  My Kung Pao chicken was OK, but nothing to write home about.

After that we went home.  We started watching videos for the rest of the evening.

Day 3231

 I woke up about 7:30 and played games for quite a while.  Then it was up for pet stuff and breakfast.  We didn't have to leave for a while, so I followed that up with surfing.

Eventually I just couldn't wait any loner and started to hook up.  It went pretty quickly even though I hadn't lined up the truck yesterday.  We were on the road before 11.

The trip was a short and smooth one.  I'm not sure about the mileage because we didn't fill up before we left.  The only hiccup was a three mile or so traffic jam around Tropicana.

We got the the park a little after noon (remember we gained an hour).  We checked in and set up.  Then we went to the cafe for lunch.  After that we went back to the trailer.  Even though it was a short trip I was really tired.  After a little surfing and videos I fell asleep.

The animals really didn't like having their dinners delayed and hour.  Our dinner was leftovers.

After dinner we watched videos until it cooled down to the 80's.  Then we took Abby to the dog park.  It's big enough that she got some running in.  Then we walked around the park in the dark some just to look at the trailers.

When we got back to the trailer it was videos for the rest of the evening.  So much for an exciting time in Las Vegas.

Day 3230

 I woke up about 8 and played games for a while.  Then it was up for pet stuff and breakfast.

Ellen took Abby to the dog park while I went out to check on the CTS that didn't work yesterday.  I started the truck and the CTS worked perfectly.  WIN.  She took Abby back to the trailer and we left for Home Depot.

I needed something to brace the shower item holder that had fallen off the shower wall.  We found a plumbing fixture for $.30 that would fit the bill.  We also stopped at Wally World to get some water for the dog.  We decided to go to Best Buy across the street just because we didn't have anything else to do.

It was 10:30 and Best Buy didn't open until 11.  We went down the street to Dutch Brother's and got drinks.  By the time we got back Best Buy had opened.  We walked around the store and didn't find anything we really wanted until I looked at watches.  My watch's display is getting dim.  The current models don't have rotating bezels.  However the sales guy showed me an earlier one that did.  It was marked down because it was old, so I bought it.

When we got home we took Abby for a walk to the other RV park down the road.  It's a nice park, but doesn't seem to be any nicer than this one.  They charge extra for dogs, so that's puts them lower in desirability.  Abby used their dog par and then we went home.

Back at the trailer I put the brace on the shower holder.  Then I started to transfer to the new watch.  That involved some slow software updates.  Apparently Verizon was sucking today.  It turns out that I'll need a new watchband, so I ordered on to be delivered in Las Vegas.  Then I tried to change the watch face.  That's when the trouble started.

The phone app is used to transfer watch faces to the watch.  It refused to do so because it said there was an error logging on to my Samsung account.  I reset the password twice, and it still wouldn't work.  After much frustration I contacted Samsung support.  That's a painfully slow chat app.  Eventually they told me to reset the phone and clear its cache.  That's a long involved process.  I said thanks.  I decided to delete and reinstall the Samsung phone app instead.  That fixed the problem.

I finally had my new watch with the watch face I wanted.  It's pretty nice.  By then the temperature was in the mid 90's.  We hid out surfing and watching videos for the rest of the day.

Ellen fixed BLT's for dinner.  Afterwards we took Abby for a walk around the park.  I was still above 80, but with no sun and a breeze it felt nice.

The rest of the evening was videos.  We don't have to get ready until tomorrow.  Checkin time in Las Vegas is 1, and we're an hour ahead of them.

Day 3229

 I woke up at 8 and got up for pet stuff and breakfast.  After that I loaded all of the shooting stuff into the car and went to the club.

The club had reserved a cart for us - thank God.  We loaded up the 12 ga stuff and went out on the course.  It was a little slow and crowded, but we didn't mind.  Also it was fairly early, so it wasn't overly hot.  I shot well, sort of.  I ran 2 stations, dropped three on one, and shot 7 on the other 9.  I hate shooting 7, especially when I should have hit the one I missed.

When we were finished with the 12 ga we switched guns and shot the 50 20 ga.  I shot a little worse on it, but I was tired and it was getting hot.  We left for Hurricane as soon as we were done.

The truck had just started a regen before we got to the club.  It started up again when we drove to the Ace there.  I got the two items I was looking for and also got a Dremel sander for $40 off.  Then we stopped at Arby's for lunch.

The trouble started when I tried to start the truck when we left.  Instead of starting the dash started flashing a whole list of nonsensical error messages in quick succession.  The only one I really understood was "low fuel" even though the tank was full.  The truck wouldn't start.

I had Ellen get out and we moved away from the truck until it turned itself off.  When I got back in it started right up, but the check engine light was on.  FUCK.  We headed to the St. George GMC dealer.  The truck was still regenning, and we had to drive a couple of extra miles until it quit normally.

It was 2:30 in the afternoon and the service department closed at noon.  However there was a Chevrolet dealer nearby whose service department was open until 3.  We got there at 2:45.  The service write ran the codes.  They we all "history".  He said it was likely caused by the communication channel not starting up correctly.  He said this was usually cause by low voltage.  The batteries are old, and it was over 100 degrees.  They must have just not been up to the task.  Unfortunately it was too late for them to replace them.

When I started the truck the check engine light was off.  The CTS didn't work though because it had been unplugged.  I'll deal with that tomorrow.  I'll try to make an appointment Monday to get the batteries changed in Las Vegas.

It was just under 100 when we got home.  We hid out in the trailer surfing and watching videos.

Dinner was leftovers.  After dinner it was cool enough to take Abby to the dog park so she could tear up the ammo box we'd emptied.  She had fun.

The rest of the evening was surfing.

Day 3228

 I woke up at 8 and played games until after 9.  Then it was up for pet stuff and breakfast.  After that we took Abby to the dog park.

There were several dogs at the park and Abby had fun running around with them.  I also threw the bumper for her until she got bored.  It was warm and sunny though, so she didn't get as much exercise in as I would have liked.

The dog park was soggy.  Apparently they keep the grass soaked.  It also meant that there were a few muddy spots.  Abby was a dirty dog when we finished, so we took her to a pet store that had a dog wash.  It was a nice one and she came out clean and soft.  Then we made a short stop at the Hobbytown that I bought the Tyhon Grom at last May.  I didn't buy anything though.

Our next stop was a hamburger place for lunch.  The sign said it had been there since 1960.  I gotten a text from CVS, so the last stop was there to pick up some drugs.  By the time we got home it was in the 90's.

I did a little surfing when I got home and then watched videos.  That lead to a nap.  When I woke up I got out the guns for tomorrow.

We'd planned on eating at the roach coach that was supposed to show up.  It didn't, so it was frozen pizza instead.

After dinner was more videos.

Day 3227

 I woke up at 8 and got up for breakfast.  then it was out to hook up.  There was nothing extraordinary about the process and we were on the road a little before 9.

The first 250 miles went pretty smoothly.  The Salt Lake City metropolitan area stretches for almost 100 miles.  That's a long time to be driving a trailer in close proximity to several lanes of cars.  Fortunate traffic was heavy only at times and no one seemed to be on a crusade to be somewhere fast.

One weird thing happened.  The truck did a regen at 335 miles and 60% soot.  I have no idea why.  It was a relatively short one though.

The pain started when we stopped for fuel 150 miles from St. George.  We stopped at a Shell station whose pumps didn't have card readers.  When I went inside they went through this weird explanation where I would have to got to an adjacent pump (where someone was) to turn on the pump I was at.  I said forget that, I'll go to Maverick across the freeway.

Fueling up at Maverick was a breeze.  However, taking a piss wasn't.  The line for the can was out the door.  I said screw it and hit the road.

I had kind of forgotten, but the last 150 miles encompass 3 or 4 6,000+ foot passes.  That's a lot of up and down.  In addition there was a strong headwind.  Strong enough to push the rig around at time.  That caused me to have to slow down for every pass so that I didn't exceed the EGT limit.  It made the last 2.5 hours of the trip very wearing.

We managed to average a little over 60 MPH and 10.0 MPG for the trip.  The headwind killed the mileage, although going a lot of the way at 70 didn't help.

We got to the park a little before 3.  We unhooked and fed the pets.  The rubber trim on the front of the trailer had come loose again.  We taped it back down with Gorilla tape.  When that was done we went to Wally World for Gorilla tape, bar soap, and bananas.  Then it was back home.

When we got home I noticed something stuck under the kitchen slide.  I pulled it out, it was a dead mouse.  Apparently there had been two mice.  This one might have died of eating poison.  I took it out to the dumpster.

We ate at the Black bear restaurant.  It was really good.  I'm glad we went a little early.  When we left the place was full and there was quite a waiting line.  The state games are on again.  The park is full and so are the other parks we passed.

After dinner we fed the pets and took Abby for a walk.  Tomorrow we'll take her to a dog park. The rest of the evening was videos.  I tried to watch a football I quit after about 10 minutes.  There's way too many commercials and ot enough football.

Day 3226

 We woke up at 8, had breakfast and hooked.  We left the park at 9:05.

Luckily the traffic through Boise wasn't too bad.  It was moving quickly and wasn't too crowded.  I'm glad we weren't westbound.  There was a crash at about Nampa and the traffic jam backed up for miles.

I spent the first 100+ miles stressing because there hadn't been a regen in 600 miles.  Also, the soot level was below 60%.  Finally the truck went into a regen at 735 miles and 61% soot.  I was VERY relieved.  Ellen looked it up.  The mileage limit for a regen is 800 miles.  The regen was perfect, going down to 0%.  After that the soot buildup is on track for another 700+ mile regen.

The trip itself was totally uneventful.  We averaged just over 65 mph the whole way.  MPG was 10.1.  All in all a pretty good trip.

We got to Trementon at 1:35.  After setting up and feeding the pets we went into town.  I'd waited to eat at the local hamburger place.  Unfortunately it was closed.  We stopped at a grocery store for bread.  Then we filled up ($3.39) and went back to the park.

I watched some videos and took a nap.

Ellen fixed pork tips and rice with baked beans for dinner.  It was really good.  After dinner we took Abby for a walk.  She raced around the dog park for a little while, but it's a far cry from what she is used to.  When we got back it was a combination of surfing and videos until bedtime..

Day 3225

 We woke up at 7:45.  Ellen got dressed while I got all the laundry in the bag.  Then we took everything over to the laundry and Ellen started the wash.  The reason for the rush was to make sure that we could make the 11:00 bank meeting.

I went back to the trailer and took the dog to the dog park and garbage can.  We never made it to the park.  Abby pissed in the gravel and shit twice on the asphalt.

When I got back I fed the pets and did my morning routine.  Abby didn't eat again.  Then I surfed until Ellen finished the laundry.  Everything was done by 9:30, plenty of time to make the appointment.  We surfed until about 10:30 and then left.

The trip to the bank was short.  Everyone was very friendly.  The banker was really flustered about being a little late.  We told her not to worry.  Eventually another banker finished first, and we got him.

We had a great talk with the banker.  The actual work of updating the CD took only a little time.  The whole bank experience yesterday and today was really enjoyable.

After the bank we went to Albertson's to get a couple of items.  Then it was back to the trailer where it was surfing, lunch, and some videos.

We left for the club a little after 3.  It was 82 degrees, but not uncomfortable.  The club has one great improvement - rental carts.  We took Abby with us, but she was more interested in riding in the cart than running.

We met a member on the course.  He was shooting alone, so we joined him.  It was really fun.  They even had a trampoline station.

We filled up the truck on the way home - $3.29, the cheapest I've seen in a long time.  When we got home I positioned the truck for a quick hookup in the morning.

Dinner was a frozen thing.  I'm a little pissed that Ellen has decided that cooking is optional.  After dinner it was videos and a movie.

Day 3224

 I woke up abut 7:45 and played games until 8:30.  Then it was up for pet stuff and breakfast.  After that I drove the Bronco over to the storage and put it away.

When I got back it was the standard hook up activities.  I didn't bother to rush as we had plenty of time.  We left a little before 10.

The trip to Baker was uneventful.  I drove slowly through the curves.  I don't want to repeat the bent axle.  I probably could have made it to Caldwell without more fuel, but I don't like to cut things close.  I put in $40 of fuel in Baker.  I would have filled up (unnecessary) except the pump was pay before pumping.

We got surprisingly good mileage from Richland to Caldwell.  The gauge read 9.0 at Richland and 9.6 at Caldwell.  That meant that we had to get at least 10 for today's trip.  The only bothersome thing is that it's now been over 600 miles since the last regen and the soot is only 55%.  Hopefully one will happen tomorrow.

We got to the park about 1:45 (we lost on hour for a time zone).  We unhooked and then went to Wally World.  I need a new nose pad for my glasses.  We also bought a few groceries.  Lunch was at a DQ.  Then we stopped at Wells Cargo to get more money.  The teller said that a CD had expired that day.  We needed to see a banker to renew.  It was almost 5, so they made us an appointment for tomorrow.

We went home.  Ellen sat on the can while I took Abby to the dog park.  There were two dogs to play with, but the park is small so they couldn't run much.  From there I took her to the ranch store.  I didn't see anything that I wanted.

I went back to the trailer and started watching videos.

Dinner was Ramen.

After dinner was more videos.

Day 3223

 I woke up about 7:30 and got up to feed the pets.  Then I went back to bed to play games.  Eventually I got up for breakfast.

By the time breakfast and some surfing was over Abby could run.  Actually, she didn't eat much at all.  We went to Holcomb and she had a nice run.  She was definitely tired when we were done. I'm a little worried about her.  She's getting skinny and doesn't eat as much as she used to.

Dan was at church, so we went back to the trailer.  I dumped the tanks and put away the sewer hose.  We got Abby to eat about half of breakfast.  We were just about to go to lunch when Dan called, so we went to his place.

On the way over the driver's door latch quit working.  I had to hold the door open on the inside to close it.

Dan wanted me to help him trim some trees.  Basically I held the ladder while he climbed it and trimmed them.  When we were done I looked at the door latch.  After some detective work I discovered that the door was out of alignment.  I also discovered a stopgap that negated holding the door handle.

Patsy fixed us ham and bean soup for dinner.  It was good.  We talked for a while and then Dan left to walk his dogs.  I didn't want to go because Abby wasn't eating and is too skinny.  We went home and fed everyone.  Abby only ate part of her meal.

I looked up how to fix the door.  It's easy, but requires a floor jack.  The fix will have to wait for the spring.

Dan never called.  Eventually it was dark, so Ellen fixed BLT's for dinner.  Abby finished her food when Ellen poured bacon grease over it.

Dan called after dinner.  Patsy was supposed to call us and didn't.  Oh well.  We said goodbye over the phone.

I spent the evening watching movies.  I'm really beginning to burn out on videos.

Tomorrow is a short day - only 150 miles.  The park won't let us check in until 1, so we won't need to leave here until 10.

Day 3222

 I woke up at 7:45 and played games for a while.  Then it was up for pet stuff.  Then we went to breakfast at the cafe.  The place was packed.  It took about an hour to get our meal and eat it.  That was fine, we just sat and surfed.

After breakfast we went to Dan and Patsy's.  We talked for a while and then Dan did some yard work.  I knew that he was having fun, so I surfed.  Eventually he got to tree trimming.  That's when I got up and helped steady the ladder while he trimmed trees.

After that Dan wanted to take Ellen back to the church for more work on the music.  I took Abby for a run at Holcomb.  After the run I took Abby to the trailer and surfed.  After an hour I fed Abby.  Ellen called me when they got back and I returned to Dan and Patsy's.

By then it was almost 3.  Patsy fixed pork chops and we had a good lunch/dinner.  We sat at the table and talked for a while.  Then Dan took his dogs to the barn for a walk.  I followed with Abby.  We had a great walk, the weather was perfect.  Abby again put in a good performance obeying and checking in.  She busted a covey of quail, but just ran by them rather than pointing them.

I stopped by the trailer on the way home and fed the cats.  I waited an hour and then fed Abby, but she only ate about half.  Then I left for bingo.

Bingo was fun.  I actually won twice.  One was the blackout.  I got paid for that.  I don't think I got paid for the other game, but I don't mind.

Bingo was over about 9.  We drove home and watched videos for a while before going to bed.  Abby finished her dinner and everyone got belated 8:00 treats.

Day 3221

 I woke up at 7:30 and played games for a while.  Then it was up to feed the pets.  We went to the cafe for breakfast, but they were closed.  We came back to the trailer and ate there instead.

When Abby's hour wait was up we took her to Holcomb.  She did a great job again.  The ran all over the place, but always came back to check in.  Once she ran almost all the way to the end of the green field, but came right back when I whistled.  The was good, because I'd forgotten the dog zapper.

When we were finished there we went to Dan's place.  We stopped at the ice cream place and bought the three of us lunch first.  They sell sandwiches as well as ice cream.  Then we all ate lunch and talked for hours.  Eventually it was time for Dan to run the dogs.

We went with Dan back to Holcomb.  We stopped at the trailer to feed the cats.  When we got there we met up with Dan and the three of us land three dogs took another tour of the park.

We went back to the trailer for a few minutes and then went to the Shorthorn for dinner.  They have huge hamburgers.  I managed to eat mine, but there was no way to eat the tater tots.

After dinner we went home.  We fed Abby and then I watched movies while Ellen surfed.

One note: Dan went through a whole lot of cognitive tests.  Apparently the doctor said that he has about 4 more years.  It's depressing some of the things he said he couldn't do - remember words, draw a square, etc.  SHIT.

Day 3220

 I got up at 8 and did the pet stuff and had breakfast.  Then I went outside and put air in the Bronco tires.  Their max pressure is 50 psi.  They were all at 22 or 23.  I filled them all up to 35.

As soon as that was done we left for Baker City.  The trip went faster than I thought it would.  One weird thing happened.  For about 6 miles the tach ran about 800 RPM high.  Then it went back to normal.

We stopped at the new Maverick for coffee and toilet before going to the car repair place.  We were just on time.  We talked for a while and then walked the dog while they did the repair.  There were fields all around the repair place.  Abby scared up a flock of pigeons, lots of tweety birds, and several quail.  She didn't point anything.  She just scared them up and chased them.  She did cover a lot of ground though.

The bottom line on the Bronco is that they made the steering better, but it's not perfect.  Perfect will require removing the steering unit and sending it in to be rebuilt.  The tach thing will require a new tach.  I told them that I'd live with it for a while and decide if I want them to do it.

After that we went to BiMart to get DEF and car wash things for Dan.  Unfortunately they didn't have the DEF.  The next stop was the farm place.  We got the DEF there.  They were having a DeWalt sale, but I didn't see anything I wanted.  With that done we went to the Mormon hamburger place for lunch.  It was really good and not too expensive.  The next stop was the Polaris place.  They wanted $18K for the CanAm and it wasn't the model I wanted anyway, so pass.

We stopped at Safeway to get stuff for dinner with Dan and Patsy tomorrow.  The last stop was the new Maverick for fuel on the way out of town.  It was expensive.  They charged $.25 a gallon to use a credit card.  They also sell B20.  I won't be back.

The trip back was OK.  The steering was a little better and the Bronco seems to like premium better than regular.  We stopped at Dan and Patsy's, but they weren't home.  We went back to the park.  Ellen paid our bill while I unloaded everything.  Then we took Abby to the water pump for a run.  She had a lot of fun, but only busted a few tweety birds.

We went back to Dan and Patsy's, but they still weren't there.  We went home and watched videos.

Dinner was something frozen followed by movies.  I'm getting tired of videos.

Day 3229

 I woke up about 8 and played games until about 9.  Then we fed the animals and left to get breakfast at the cafe.  We took the Bronco.  It ran like shit and kept dying.  That's when I noticed that the tank was almost empty.

We stopped at the gas station and put in 6 gallons - over $20.  The Bronco didn't run any better.  After breakfast we went to Halfway because it hadn't been an hour since Abby ate.  We bought a whistle and mouse traps at the hardware store.  Then we got bacon and bread at the grocery.

When we got back to Richland we stopped at Holcomb so Abby could run.  She ran all around the field to the west and along the bank by the river.  We also took her around the other side of the park.  She ran quite a while, but wasn't tired when we were done.  I was happy with the way she acted.  She always came back to check in.  The only time that I had to blow the whistle was to tell her to change direction.

After the park we went to Dan and Patsy's.  We sat out in the yard and talked for quite a while.  Then I talked with Dan some more while he washed the car.  Ellen played Scooter.  Dan told me that Steve had traded in an CanAm with really low miles for $15K at the Baker Polaris dealer.  I might see about buying it tomorrow.

We took Abby with Dan to run the dogs.  We went to the water pump.  Abby ran like she hadn't run today.  She covered an amazing amount of ground.  She and Sugar scared up a lot of different birds including a huge covey of quail.

We went home after that.  Ellen set up the mouse trap we bought.  We watched videos for a while and then Ellen fixed grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner.

After dinner we watched more videos.  We heard the trap go off.  It got the mouse.  Ellen retrieved the trap and I put it outside for disposal tomorrow.

After that we went to bed.  Tomorrow we go to Baker to get the Bronco worked on and maybe look at the Polaris  Ellen isn't too keen on the idea.  That just means that I'll make them a really low bid, $16K or 16.5K.

Day 3228

 I woke up at 7:30 and got up for breakfast.  Then I went out to hook up.

The process went as normal except for the water.  It fought me all the way.  The connections at the well house were very tight.  The ones at the trailer were, too.  I had to get two wrenches to loosen the connection between the hose and the splitter.  The splitter and hose were covered with greasy mold. Once it was on your hands it didn't want to come off.  Finally, the hose was overgrown with grass and had to be ripped out of it.

Once that was done everything else went pretty easily.  The hookup was the smoothest I've done in a long time.  We left the club at 8:30.

The first 70 minutes of the trip sucked.  That's how long it took to get to I84.  There was a backup at Wilsonville.  After that it cleared up a little until I205.  I5 was a parking lot just after the exit.  That meant I205 was the way to go.  Unfortunately there was the usual backup at Foster.  I think it took almost half an hour to get through.

Once we hit I84 it was smooth sailing all the way to Pendleton.  We even got 10.6 mpg.  We fueled up and started up the grade.  We got 6.3 there.  It didn't get much better the rest of the way to Baker City due to a very strong headwind.  We ended up with 9 mpg to Richland.  We got there about 3:15.

The park is completely empty due to the fire and low water.  We got to choose our spot.  Setting up was a little extra work because I had to connect the sewer and add DEF.

I went over to hook up the Bronco.  That was easy.  Attaching the new license plate frames wasn't.  The old ones were held on with star screws that I had to take off with a wrench and a pair of pliers.  The result looks good though.

I got back to the trailer at 5.  I did some surfing and then had a beer and watched videos.  I got sick of YouTube and watched movies.  

Dinner was Yakisoba.

Side note: the place is crawling with quail.  Fuck Oregon for delaying the season.