Chores And Projects

I like to hand wash and wax the rig at least twice a year.  That way I get to see “up close and personal” little problems or issues that are developing.  Our coach is now going on seven years old (it’s a 2006 but it was built in July and August of 2005 and we took delivery of it in September of 2005) and there are several caulking issues developing around the end caps and trim work.  We have some touch up paint and I will be needing to get that out as well.  Also, the upper level of the end caps are beginning to dull from constant exposer to UV rays; that will require polishing with carnauba wax and, most likely, some buffing thereafter. 

On top of that, our toilet is beginning to act up.  The gasket has begun to leak again leaving the toilet with no water in the bowl a couple of times a day, every so often the valve on the “foot flush” sticks not allowing the water to flow, and the sprayer has quit working.  I’ll have to see if there are any kits available to repair the toilet.  I looked for a new sprayer and found that it cost over $60; that’s ridiculous, I’ll bet I could modify a kitchen sprayer to work and that would be less than ten bucks.  I’ve found in the past that Home Depot and Lowes are a better places to shop than Camping World.  Just say, “RV part” and the price goes up exponentially.

As you can see, one can always find something else that needs to be done.  Living in an RV doesn’t negate the home maintenance line item from your agenda.  Whether you live in a “stix and brix” house or a house on wheels, they both need maintenance.  The big difference is where you repair things when they break; in your back yard or along the side of the road.  That’s why preventive maintenance is such a biggy for us fulltimers.

Judy has been working diligently on two different projects – making a “Scrappy Quilt Of Many Colors” and crocheting a cuddle blankie for Alex.  Both are coming along just fine; hopefully, she’ll finish the projects before we head west in March.  Here is a picture of Alex stretching out on Katie’s blankie and Katie waiting patiently, on the top of the sofa, for him to leave (this is why Judy is making him his own blankie).

Hope You Have A Great Day and May God Bless  - - - - - - - - -     

Built Like A Brick . . . . . .

Just a few weeks back I made mention of an outhouse incident that took place many years ago when I was growing up in Maine (We’ve Got Legs).  Then, the following day I elaborated a little more about the construction of the said outhouse (Being In Love).  Well, that brings me to an article that I came across regarding the construction of an outhouse along a portion of the Appalachian trail that passes near Delaware Water Gap in Pennsylvania.

It seems that, back in the nineteen and nineties, the National Park Service had a “two holer” erected along the trail at a price tag of $333,000 (keep in mind this was back in the 90’s, it would be twice that amount today).  Now, I’m no expert on outhouse construction, but that seems just a tab bit over priced to me.  Granted, unlike Unk, they faithfully used a square, a level, and a tape measurer.  And I’m sure that they used the 16 inch on center construction technique as well.  Further, they used state of the art materials and building techniques such as a gable slate roof, cedar clapboards, cottage style porches, and a cobble stone foundation.  It was, also, build to “Gummint” standards to withstand an earthquake – just something that one would expect in modern outhouse construction (those standards were the latest rage all over Washington and the “Gummint” has plenty of experts on dealing with feces).

Now, can you just imagine, for a minute, the engineer’s resume who designed such an edifice?  “1996-97 – On site engineer for Federal construction of a two hole outhouse along the Appalachian Trail.”  That in itself would get him an interview at most engineering firms – if for nothing more than for sheer curiosity factor.

But, no matter how you slice it, I’d almost take a bet that if you rounded up the construction cost of every outhouse ever built in the State of Maine over the years, it wouldn’t come close to $333,000.  This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “Built like a brick sh-- house”.  Is it any wonder that our “Gummint” is in debt.  They need to put Unk on the payroll, he’d save them a bundle.

As you can tell, it’s a slow news day at the Patterson household this morning.

Be Happy, Have Fun, and May God Bless  - - - - - - - - -

Worship And Ice Cream

What’d we do yesterday?  I don’t remember, but I can tell you that we didn’t get done!!!!  Like I’ve said before, the trouble with retired life is that you never get a day off (or any vacation time for that matter).  I guess the highlight of the day was a trip into Foley to pick up a Papa Murphy’s pizza.  But we kept busy all day none the less.

Today is Sunday.  Yay!!!  We get to go to church and worship the Lord.  Well, we get to worship the Lord everyday, but Sunday is special because we get to do at our church.  The only other thing on the agenda is the Ice Cream Social at the clubhouse followed by Ms. Banjo and Mr. Harmonica (neighbors Diane and Jerry) who will be entertaining us after the social time.

In between, we’ll find something to fill the time.  I’ll probably wash another section of the rig while Judy and Alex continue working on the “Quilt Of Many Colors”.  Judy is, also, crocheting Alex his own blankie so he won’t have to pester his sister and take hers.  She works on Alex’s blankie in the evening while watching West Wing on television.

Well, that’s the state of affairs in the Patterson household this Sunday morning.

Be sure to Worship the Lord and May God Bless  - - - - - - - - - - -

A Pain In The Pa-tootsie

Alex was a real pistol yesterday.  While I was attempting, note the word attempting, to sort out the tax information, he kept on getting right into the middle of everything.  He’d push the folder on the floor, he’d start chewing on the paperwork, he’d attack my pencils and pens, and he’d push buttons on the calculator.  And yes, he pushed a few of my buttons as well. 

Then it was Judy’s turn.  He was into “everything quilting”.  He’d steal pieces from her blocks and carry them off to the other side of the room, he’d attack the cutting equipment, and then he’d stretch out across just as much of her sewing “stuff” as he possibly could.

Don and Gloria stopped by for a short visit and Alex gave Gloria a little nose kiss just before he hissed at her.  After they left he turned on Katie.  She was comfortably sleeping on her blankie, but Alex decided he wanted her blankie.  So he pounced on her and chased her up into the bedroom and returned to commandeer her spot on the sofa, stretching out in the sunlight.  What a pain in the pa-tootsie he was.  I was going to make him give up Katie’s spot, but Katie curled up in Judy’s recliner so I decided to just let him be.  No sense in waking a sleeping giant.

I managed to finish our Federal tax return, but being that we owe the Gummint seventy one bucks we’ll just wait until April to file.  I do have to do the means test for the VA and the state taxes for Kentucky.  We should get money back from Kentucky which will offset the dollars we need to send to Obama – someone has to pay for Obama-Care. 

Each year I have to do a financial means test for the VA to determine my eligibility.  Our household income is over the allowable limit, but we offset it with our medical expenses thereby just barely squeaking by.  Next year it just won’t happen because we’ll earn too much money workamping in Michigan, but in July I turn Medicare so it won’t matter.

I decided to help my wife by making the bed.  You know, I just don’t know how to make a bed.  Oh sure, I was in the military and know how to make hospital corners.  I can stretch a sheet as tight as can be so that you can bounce a quarter off from it, but I don’t know how to make a “civilian” bed.  Since Lucy and Ethel are no longer on television, I think Judy lets me do it just for the entertainment factor. 

She has a way of flicking the blankets and they rest nice and flat on the bed.  I flick them and they’re nothing more than a heap on the bed.  I walk back and forth – a hundred times – just to get everything straight and even.  And then when I back off to look, the sheet is stil hanging down like the old preverbal slip under the skirt during the 60’s (do women even wear slips anymore?).  So back and forth I go until everything looks satisfactory.  It only takes me an hour and a half to make the bed while Judy gets to be entertained.

Finally I throw the pillow scams on the bed and just walk away – we’re only going to mess it up again in about 10 hours anyway.  By the way, using scam instead of sham was on purpose.  If you consider the price of those things you’d know why I think they are scams.  Well, the bed was made, but it’s not any longer as we needed a place to sleep last night so I just might get to do it all over again today.

Okay, enough of that.  What’s up for today?  I don’t know for sure but I suspect that quilting will be progressing and a serious wash job on the coach will get underway.  We’re working hard to get all our “projects” and “chores” behind us so when Mike and Peggy show up here we’ll be able to go and play.  So hang in there, we’ll get out of our “routine” and start having some fun things to write about pretty soon.

Take Care, Have Fun, and God Bless  - - - - - - - -

An Inside Day

The storms moved in a little earlier than predicted and was pretty much past by noontime, however, it remained overcast for the rest of the day.  We could have made it a PJ day, but we didn’t.  One thing about overcast days is that they make beautiful sunsets.  Here’s another one of God’s Masterpieces.

Being that we “stood” inside, Judy and Alex worked on the “Quilt Of Many Colors”.  Judy cut out the pieces and, then, Alex sewed them up after which she would iron them.

By working together they got a lot done.  It’s always good to lend a helping paw to your fellow woman.  Good job, you two!!!

While they were busy with the “Quilt Of Many Colors”, Katie and I finalized the arrangements for our workamping assignment this coming summer.  We talked with Craig at Hearthside Grove Luxury Motorcoach Resort in Petoskey, Michigan.  We will start w*rking on June 11th and finish around October 10th.  Being that Hearthside is a “motorcoach” only resort, we will need to stay at the KOA which is a mile down the road (the Rose family owns both “campgrounds”).  It will be mainly a customer service job with little to no maintenance, landscaping, and/or cleaning involved.  Craig is looking forward to our arrival and said we could expect to have a great summer.  Now that we have a start date for workamping, we can put together a timeline for our spring travels.

Did I get around to the taxes yesterday?  Nope, I started but needed the table to sort out our itemized deductions and Alex wouldn’t make room.  So, maybe I can get things sorted out this morning before they get started on the quilt again.  It would be good to get that behind us as I will need the medical expense information to submit to the VA as well.

Well, the sun is shining brightly and it looks like we are going to have another great Rainbow day.  This month has been super here in Lower Alabama, just the kind of weather that the Snowbirds from the north look for.  Hopefully it will hold out for another couple of months, then it will be “summah time” here in the southland.

Take Care, Have Fun, and God Bless  - - - - - - - -