My heart goes out to those in North Texas. My thoughts, prayers & best wishes are with ya'll...
18 tornadoes.
Semi truck trailers tossed in the air like toys.
100's of homes destroyed.
So far, no casualties found! Wow.
They think a lot of lives were spared because many people were at work while the storms struck.
I've been stuck to the news on TV this morning.
Here is a video of trucks being tossed into the air like toys...or rather like leaves in a breeze.
Amazing! Wow.
*Video is from a youtube account*
On a lighter note, this came across my youtube account. Nice, clean, simplistic. Japanese campers:
Again, I'm hoping for the best for everyone that were effected by the North Texas Tornadoes yesterday.
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Tripod, workcamping, medical junk
Howy ya'll. Er uh, howdy. Don't you sometimes love typos ;-) Hope all is well with everyone.
I had hoped to be packed up & be leaving about now, but nope, I'm being held here longer due to medical stuff. They've submitted for more therapy for the wankle. I so want to be done with all this, but I still have to endure more therapy first. Bummer! But then, driving hurts right now too. Wonder how long it could take to get to Pa driving 60 miles a day?
Nah, ain't gonna happen.
Yet.
So because of all this, I'm now committed to more dog sitting! I don't get paid for this, it's part of the wonderful world of workcamping for a place to plug in for free. Or at least, I figured that out after taking on more responsibilities here while staying here. My friends are dog show judges, so they'll be gone for the next 3 weekends judging, some of that actually involves a week of them being gone. So I'll look after their dogs, get things wrapped up around here. If therapy doesn't get approved till a later date, then I'll have to figure something else out. I really, really need to get up to Pa & be with family for awhile! My Mom isn't getting any younger, there's nieces I've never met (babies) & family I need to reconnect with. I had hoped to stay up there for the summer & come back in early fall.
My dogs are still in their kennel, now it's heating up & I can't rely on the power here to keep the portable a/c running. If the power shuts down, so does the a/c. We have a lot of power surges here, that cause it to shut down. It does not automatically turn back on. I should have gotten one that does. live & learn. But if I were away & the power surged with the dogs in the RV, then that could be a disaster. So for the meantime, they are in the kennel & I'm out here with fans going. So far, it's not been too bad, but soon, it will get hot. I've not set up the portable a/c because I'm trying not to use any more power than necessary while here. I can't run the roof air (as I've explained in the past) due to the power it draws & the lack of that here. The fans I use are nice fans that actually push cooler air through them. One is a tower fan, the other one is a floor fan, but both use the same kind of system that blows cooler air instead of just blowing hot air. Actually, it's the humidity here that gets ya! I have remote controls for both fans (talk about spoiled huh?) Yep, remote controls for fans I can't be bothered to get up & change when I can actually reach one of them from the sofa. Ha! And I discovered a little while ago that although they are different fans, the remotes work on both! I picked up the Holmes remote for the Holmes fan & used it on the Aloha Breeze fan & it worked. Didn't do that on purpose, but found out that those remotes work on either fan, so that's good. I could probably put one of the remotes away.
In my TV cabinet, I have a small contractors type of tool belt. I got it at the 99cent store. (there we go with the actual cost $1.00 thing again). It has pockets for different tools, works great for putting all the remote controls in that aren't being used! I take the batteries out of them & store them in the TV cabinet in that pouch. I like to keep all my remotes that aren't being used there. That way when I do need them, I know where they are. Beside my sofa, I have another pouch type of thing that I keep the remotes, DVD's & such in that are in easy reach.
I bought this the other day. I realized I could not video tape the redoing of the windows without a tripod. I have a regular sized tripod, but it doens't work as a table top type. I've been needing a table top tripod for awhile now. So I picked one up at WalMart the other day. It's not heavy duty. It could hold my big camera on the table position, but not with the legs extended. My camera would be too heavy for it. However, it works well for the small point & shoot camera, so I got it for that camera. I can use the bigger tripod for my bigger camera instead. The small tripod can be easily put in a back pack along with both cameras for hiking & such. I use my big camera for good quality shots & the point & shoot for it's video functions.
I had hoped to be packed up & be leaving about now, but nope, I'm being held here longer due to medical stuff. They've submitted for more therapy for the wankle. I so want to be done with all this, but I still have to endure more therapy first. Bummer! But then, driving hurts right now too. Wonder how long it could take to get to Pa driving 60 miles a day?
Nah, ain't gonna happen.
Yet.
So because of all this, I'm now committed to more dog sitting! I don't get paid for this, it's part of the wonderful world of workcamping for a place to plug in for free. Or at least, I figured that out after taking on more responsibilities here while staying here. My friends are dog show judges, so they'll be gone for the next 3 weekends judging, some of that actually involves a week of them being gone. So I'll look after their dogs, get things wrapped up around here. If therapy doesn't get approved till a later date, then I'll have to figure something else out. I really, really need to get up to Pa & be with family for awhile! My Mom isn't getting any younger, there's nieces I've never met (babies) & family I need to reconnect with. I had hoped to stay up there for the summer & come back in early fall.
My dogs are still in their kennel, now it's heating up & I can't rely on the power here to keep the portable a/c running. If the power shuts down, so does the a/c. We have a lot of power surges here, that cause it to shut down. It does not automatically turn back on. I should have gotten one that does. live & learn. But if I were away & the power surged with the dogs in the RV, then that could be a disaster. So for the meantime, they are in the kennel & I'm out here with fans going. So far, it's not been too bad, but soon, it will get hot. I've not set up the portable a/c because I'm trying not to use any more power than necessary while here. I can't run the roof air (as I've explained in the past) due to the power it draws & the lack of that here. The fans I use are nice fans that actually push cooler air through them. One is a tower fan, the other one is a floor fan, but both use the same kind of system that blows cooler air instead of just blowing hot air. Actually, it's the humidity here that gets ya! I have remote controls for both fans (talk about spoiled huh?) Yep, remote controls for fans I can't be bothered to get up & change when I can actually reach one of them from the sofa. Ha! And I discovered a little while ago that although they are different fans, the remotes work on both! I picked up the Holmes remote for the Holmes fan & used it on the Aloha Breeze fan & it worked. Didn't do that on purpose, but found out that those remotes work on either fan, so that's good. I could probably put one of the remotes away.
In my TV cabinet, I have a small contractors type of tool belt. I got it at the 99cent store. (there we go with the actual cost $1.00 thing again). It has pockets for different tools, works great for putting all the remote controls in that aren't being used! I take the batteries out of them & store them in the TV cabinet in that pouch. I like to keep all my remotes that aren't being used there. That way when I do need them, I know where they are. Beside my sofa, I have another pouch type of thing that I keep the remotes, DVD's & such in that are in easy reach.
I bought this the other day. I realized I could not video tape the redoing of the windows without a tripod. I have a regular sized tripod, but it doens't work as a table top type. I've been needing a table top tripod for awhile now. So I picked one up at WalMart the other day. It's not heavy duty. It could hold my big camera on the table position, but not with the legs extended. My camera would be too heavy for it. However, it works well for the small point & shoot camera, so I got it for that camera. I can use the bigger tripod for my bigger camera instead. The small tripod can be easily put in a back pack along with both cameras for hiking & such. I use my big camera for good quality shots & the point & shoot for it's video functions.
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Showin' mah durty side - leaky widows, check!
Hi everyone, it's been several days since I've posted!
Today's post is full of photos & a video all relating to a DIY project of how to fix leaky windows. So my apologies as I'm trying to be thorough with this project in my explanation of how I did this.
Been very, very busy lately. Took the RV back to the shop on Tuesday for the overhead window leak. Spoke with Mitch, the owner. He was not happy about the fact that it was still leaking & how the sides were applied to the RV during the rebuild. So he had them reseal & line the fiberglass sides up - they now fit properly into the frame. He had them clean up the edges of the framing too. And they took the front overhead window out, took out the glass, resealed it, then reseated it back into the window opening. Was told it was tested & no longer leaked. Got the call on Thursday that it was ready! Yay!! So I head over there when I can, the skies break loose! Well, that's probably a good thing...one of the guys went inside -- YEP, It's LEAKING!!! ARGH!!! So Mitch profusely apologizes, asks me to come back. I say, lets take a look. I can't keep doing the come back game. So their scratching their heads over this one. I say, lets go outside & look. I look up, yep, I determine it's not the window leaking, but it's the Coach Light in the center that is leaking!! So they get up on the roof, sure enough, water is sitting inside the cover. So they go to work, take off all the clearance lights (which should have been done during the rebuild, but it was overlooked!). All clearance lights are taken off, properly sealed down, then get a good layer of caulking when all installed again. Then I had to wait another 30 mins for the caulk to settle & for the rains to lift up. I'm pretty sure that was the problem. I've not tested it myself yet & we've not had a good rain since. But I needed to let the caulk seal & set before I go hitting it with water.
Let's hope that Ellie is now water tight!
Totally water tight.
Forever!!
Sadly, those clearance lights were NEVER sealed down properly! Not even by the factory. grrrrr
So, onto my leaky windows, even the ones that don't leak.
The day I took the RV over to the tire place to have new shocks & the tires rotated, I went across the road to Bluebonnet RV services. I spoke with Tim for his advice on my windows. He told me what needed to be done. So a few days later, I redid all of my windows. Yay, no more leaks that I know of!! My big picture window by my sofa had just recently started to leak, so I did it first. Then the next day, it poured rain -- NO LEAK! YAY! So then I set off to do the rest on the next chance I got. Did the rest all in the same day & I'm glad that project is finished & out of the way. So today, I want to share with ya'll on how to maintain or possibly fix a window leak. I hope this can be of help to others. Had I known about this sooner, I would have done mine a long time ago.
I put a video up on youtube, but for those that can't do vids, I'll also add detailed steps on todays blog.
Warning for those with short bandwidth or have to pay for vids, this video is almost 17 mins long:
So in text with photos, here are the steps:
Tools I used:
* Small head hammer
* Philips Screw Driver
* Shop vac with micro mini tools
* Bucket with cleaning solution - do not use bleach based products. I used Mr Clean. Bleach may break down components in the rubber glazing bead (some people refer to that as gasket)
* Old toothbrush for cleaning - scrubbing
* Another type of longer stranded brush to clean window tracks with
1. Remove glazing bead -- the rubber strip that is around the glass part of your RV window. I use the philips screw driver to carefully pry under the glazing bead to lift it, then I can pull it out.
See photos:
Today's post is full of photos & a video all relating to a DIY project of how to fix leaky windows. So my apologies as I'm trying to be thorough with this project in my explanation of how I did this.
Been very, very busy lately. Took the RV back to the shop on Tuesday for the overhead window leak. Spoke with Mitch, the owner. He was not happy about the fact that it was still leaking & how the sides were applied to the RV during the rebuild. So he had them reseal & line the fiberglass sides up - they now fit properly into the frame. He had them clean up the edges of the framing too. And they took the front overhead window out, took out the glass, resealed it, then reseated it back into the window opening. Was told it was tested & no longer leaked. Got the call on Thursday that it was ready! Yay!! So I head over there when I can, the skies break loose! Well, that's probably a good thing...one of the guys went inside -- YEP, It's LEAKING!!! ARGH!!! So Mitch profusely apologizes, asks me to come back. I say, lets take a look. I can't keep doing the come back game. So their scratching their heads over this one. I say, lets go outside & look. I look up, yep, I determine it's not the window leaking, but it's the Coach Light in the center that is leaking!! So they get up on the roof, sure enough, water is sitting inside the cover. So they go to work, take off all the clearance lights (which should have been done during the rebuild, but it was overlooked!). All clearance lights are taken off, properly sealed down, then get a good layer of caulking when all installed again. Then I had to wait another 30 mins for the caulk to settle & for the rains to lift up. I'm pretty sure that was the problem. I've not tested it myself yet & we've not had a good rain since. But I needed to let the caulk seal & set before I go hitting it with water.
Let's hope that Ellie is now water tight!
Totally water tight.
Forever!!
Sadly, those clearance lights were NEVER sealed down properly! Not even by the factory. grrrrr
So, onto my leaky windows, even the ones that don't leak.
The day I took the RV over to the tire place to have new shocks & the tires rotated, I went across the road to Bluebonnet RV services. I spoke with Tim for his advice on my windows. He told me what needed to be done. So a few days later, I redid all of my windows. Yay, no more leaks that I know of!! My big picture window by my sofa had just recently started to leak, so I did it first. Then the next day, it poured rain -- NO LEAK! YAY! So then I set off to do the rest on the next chance I got. Did the rest all in the same day & I'm glad that project is finished & out of the way. So today, I want to share with ya'll on how to maintain or possibly fix a window leak. I hope this can be of help to others. Had I known about this sooner, I would have done mine a long time ago.
I put a video up on youtube, but for those that can't do vids, I'll also add detailed steps on todays blog.
Warning for those with short bandwidth or have to pay for vids, this video is almost 17 mins long:
So in text with photos, here are the steps:
Tools I used:
* Small head hammer
* Philips Screw Driver
* Shop vac with micro mini tools
* Bucket with cleaning solution - do not use bleach based products. I used Mr Clean. Bleach may break down components in the rubber glazing bead (some people refer to that as gasket)
* Old toothbrush for cleaning - scrubbing
* Another type of longer stranded brush to clean window tracks with
1. Remove glazing bead -- the rubber strip that is around the glass part of your RV window. I use the philips screw driver to carefully pry under the glazing bead to lift it, then I can pull it out.
See photos:
2. Drop Glazing bead in bucket of cleaning solution to soak while you clean window tracks. (do one window at a time, not multiple windows at a time)
3. Clean the window tracks, being sure to do a deep thorough cleaning. I first vacuum out the tracks, then brush dry with an old toothbrush, then blow the track out with the shop vac set on exhaust.
Then I dip the toothbrush in the cleaning solution & thoroughly wash the tracks carefully, don't want to soak them. Then I use my longer brush to get into the deeper part of the tracks, keep paying attention to all the little drain holes to be sure that they get cleared out. Inside of the tracks are 3 sets of drain holes, at least in my tracks. There are several drain holes in the felt part, then a few more bigger holes on the inside hard part of the track, then the holes that you can see from the outside of the window frame. You will want to really deep clean those tracks to clear the hole openings for water drainage from rains, washing the rig, etc.
4. After the tracks are cleaned, then use your toothbrush (no, an old one, not the one you use daily!), to scrub the glazing bead that you've been soaking in the cleaning solution. After that is totally cleaned, then dry with a towel & you are ready to pop back into the window track. This is done easiest if you have your windows closed. In order to clean the tracks, the windows have to be opened, but to reinstall the glazing bead, the windows should be closed.
5. Reinstall the glazing bead. It can be a little tricky to reinstall the rubber beading, but don't worry, it is not really hard to do. Follow the ridges & pop the rubber grooves back into the track.
It might be necessary to use a small headed hammer to lightly tap the bead back into place if you don't have a lot of strength in your fingers to push the glazing bead back into place. I lined mine up, pushed it in, then secured it in with light taps with the hammer along the edge of the rubber part. Do not tap on the metal frame or you will mar/scratch/dent it.
Viola! Finished! Now hopefully, this window will not leak in the future! It wasn't leaking, but this one was done for maintenance to prevent any future leaking.
Note: When reinstalling the glazing bead, be sure to work from the bottom of the window frame to the top of the frame. You can slide the GB into place at the bottom of the track once you get it started, so you don't have to start in the very corner. After you get it started, simply slide it as tight as you can into the corner of the bottom. You will most likely have a gap at the top. The elements of weather & sun shrink the rubber eventually, so it is not like it was when newly installed. It's best to have the gap at the top then at the bottom. You can fill the top part with some black colored caulk to prevent bugs & such from getting back under the GB.
When I did my big picture window over my sofa, it wasn't too bad, but was starting to leak. So I got that under control before any leaks happened. I was very pleased to find that it worked when we had a downpour & no water was standing on the track or getting inside of the rig! So I decided to do all my windows. I'm glad I did. I was shocked when I took the bead off of the kitchen window! WOW! Bug city! They had their own community going on in there! Bet they blogged about the mean lady that took their city away! City? They had their own country in there!!!
Yuck!! It took me an entire day to do this project. But then, it also took time for me to stop & video/photograph the project as I went along. It was definitely needing to be done though & I'm very glad I did it. I'm grateful that I can do these projects myself & it is a bit self rewarding when finished.
:-)
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
Monday, March 26, 2012
Tired -- is there any cheese for that whine?
Hi everyone, hope all is well.
Yesterday was spent redoing all my moving windows. I'm beat. It was a long day of removing the glazing bead, soaking & cleaning the glazing bead & cleaning window tracks. But it stopped one window from leaking! So I thought I'd do them all & am glad I did. I could not believe how much "stuff" gets embedded around the window frames under that glazing bead & on the track! So although some windows weren't leaking, I did it for all of them as preventative maintenance.
I took pics & vids of the process. I'll try to share that with ya'll tomorrow.
I am beat.
Too tired right now to even get the RV ready to take back in.
Have to do that today!
And I have to move my dogs back into the kennel again. :-(
I really like having them in here with me, not in a kennel. It's my friend's kennel here on the property. I know I should be grateful to have that convience, but I hate not having them with me in the same space. One of them is nearly 13 years old. It just makes me want to cry. But I need to suck it up & do what I need to for now. I'm just being emotional right now, probably just from exhaustion.
I spoke with Mitch at Felton's this morning, he says he knows what needs to be done with my RV. I told him I wanted him to be there when I drop it off tomorrow. He said he will be & that it will take 2 days to fix.
So today, I begin the process of once again, cleaning out the fridge, taking essential items out of the RV, including important paper work. Just in case. And stripping the bed off again! Who has the energy for all this! I swear, I just want it to be done. No more leaks. No more problems. Please!
I also have a doc appointment tomorrow. I kind of hope they just release me. I'm tired of being held back. Had major foot spasms for hours last night though. But I was on my feet nearly the entire day yesterday too.
Anyhow, sorry to be whiney. I just want to load up & leave. Travel through Texas, visiting friends on the way out & enjoy the bluebonnets before they are gone!
And I really need to mentally detox. Badly!
The other day, I aired up the tires on my bike. Oiled what needed to be oiled, grabbed my point & shoot camera & took a bike ride around the block. The block here is 2 miles. Spotted the wildflowers, unfortunately, no bluebonnets here, but caught the Indian Paint. And fireants!! Yikes! Feet are covered in them. So I'm doing a jig in the middle of the road. Toss my camera bag on the road, rip off my shoes, realize anyone can run over my camera, scoot it over. A lady slows down, she probably can't decide if I'm crazy or need help. So she goes on. I now have a zillion fire ant bites & could not wait to get back to the RV to get my benedryl cream!
So here's a picture of the Indian Paint. The quality isn't as good as it would be had I grabbed the bigger camera. But I love driving the highways spotting the bluebonnets & the indian paint blooms. Need to do that soon!!
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
Yesterday was spent redoing all my moving windows. I'm beat. It was a long day of removing the glazing bead, soaking & cleaning the glazing bead & cleaning window tracks. But it stopped one window from leaking! So I thought I'd do them all & am glad I did. I could not believe how much "stuff" gets embedded around the window frames under that glazing bead & on the track! So although some windows weren't leaking, I did it for all of them as preventative maintenance.
I took pics & vids of the process. I'll try to share that with ya'll tomorrow.
I am beat.
Too tired right now to even get the RV ready to take back in.
Have to do that today!
And I have to move my dogs back into the kennel again. :-(
I really like having them in here with me, not in a kennel. It's my friend's kennel here on the property. I know I should be grateful to have that convience, but I hate not having them with me in the same space. One of them is nearly 13 years old. It just makes me want to cry. But I need to suck it up & do what I need to for now. I'm just being emotional right now, probably just from exhaustion.
I spoke with Mitch at Felton's this morning, he says he knows what needs to be done with my RV. I told him I wanted him to be there when I drop it off tomorrow. He said he will be & that it will take 2 days to fix.
So today, I begin the process of once again, cleaning out the fridge, taking essential items out of the RV, including important paper work. Just in case. And stripping the bed off again! Who has the energy for all this! I swear, I just want it to be done. No more leaks. No more problems. Please!
I also have a doc appointment tomorrow. I kind of hope they just release me. I'm tired of being held back. Had major foot spasms for hours last night though. But I was on my feet nearly the entire day yesterday too.
Anyhow, sorry to be whiney. I just want to load up & leave. Travel through Texas, visiting friends on the way out & enjoy the bluebonnets before they are gone!
And I really need to mentally detox. Badly!
The other day, I aired up the tires on my bike. Oiled what needed to be oiled, grabbed my point & shoot camera & took a bike ride around the block. The block here is 2 miles. Spotted the wildflowers, unfortunately, no bluebonnets here, but caught the Indian Paint. And fireants!! Yikes! Feet are covered in them. So I'm doing a jig in the middle of the road. Toss my camera bag on the road, rip off my shoes, realize anyone can run over my camera, scoot it over. A lady slows down, she probably can't decide if I'm crazy or need help. So she goes on. I now have a zillion fire ant bites & could not wait to get back to the RV to get my benedryl cream!
So here's a picture of the Indian Paint. The quality isn't as good as it would be had I grabbed the bigger camera. But I love driving the highways spotting the bluebonnets & the indian paint blooms. Need to do that soon!!
I have no idea what kind of bee that is. Anyone know?
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Here Kitty ...kitty...kitty
Hi, hope all is well with everyone in blogger land today.
Not much happening here. I'm having a VERY lazeeeeeeeeee day & am enjoying it!
So in lieu of my lazy day, I'm taking a break from movies & thought I'd share some funny kitty stuff with ya'll instead of wild flowers, RV things, the weather, etc. (although it's another nice day with windows open & fans a'blowin')
So get ready, here's some crazy cat stuff that I just found on my external hard drive!
Enjoy!
Not much happening here. I'm having a VERY lazeeeeeeeeee day & am enjoying it!
So in lieu of my lazy day, I'm taking a break from movies & thought I'd share some funny kitty stuff with ya'll instead of wild flowers, RV things, the weather, etc. (although it's another nice day with windows open & fans a'blowin')
So get ready, here's some crazy cat stuff that I just found on my external hard drive!
Enjoy!
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Dumb bell - got boots?
Welcome Bargirl2381 I'd love to share your blog, but one doesn't show up on your name. Glad to have you along!
Hey everyone, hope all are well & ya'll are having a great day!
Once again, I'm leaking!! ARGH!! Maybe I'll just put a tarp over my overhead cab window! grrrrr. So another call needs to be made to the RV place & this time, it has to be fixed right! At least it was another drip & this time, in 2 spots instead of the whole length of the window, but still. I want to be dry! What's the point of having the overhead rebuilt if it's still leaking somewhere :-(( So this happened around 7:30 yesterday morning. It was pouring outside! I knew it was coming & actually got up at 5 & walked my dogs before the rains came. It was thundering & lightning then, so I wanted to get them out asap.
Went back to bed, then the rains came. And came. And came.
I wake up & think, oh, check the window. I turn over & the body pillow I have under it is WET! Again! So I'm thinking, oh forgot to grab my tarps. They are in the van. I don't want to go out in the downpour to get them. Then I think, OH, shower curtain! So I go & grab it. Grab a towel & some bowls. Secure the area...once again. Lets hope this is the LAST TIME! It's supposed to rain more today, so the area is still secured. :::grrrrrumble:::
So I thought I'd focus on essential items today. Items that are essential for the RV lifestyle & yet keeping things healthy & clean.
So here are the healthy items:
Hey everyone, hope all are well & ya'll are having a great day!
Once again, I'm leaking!! ARGH!! Maybe I'll just put a tarp over my overhead cab window! grrrrr. So another call needs to be made to the RV place & this time, it has to be fixed right! At least it was another drip & this time, in 2 spots instead of the whole length of the window, but still. I want to be dry! What's the point of having the overhead rebuilt if it's still leaking somewhere :-(( So this happened around 7:30 yesterday morning. It was pouring outside! I knew it was coming & actually got up at 5 & walked my dogs before the rains came. It was thundering & lightning then, so I wanted to get them out asap.
Went back to bed, then the rains came. And came. And came.
I wake up & think, oh, check the window. I turn over & the body pillow I have under it is WET! Again! So I'm thinking, oh forgot to grab my tarps. They are in the van. I don't want to go out in the downpour to get them. Then I think, OH, shower curtain! So I go & grab it. Grab a towel & some bowls. Secure the area...once again. Lets hope this is the LAST TIME! It's supposed to rain more today, so the area is still secured. :::grrrrrumble:::
So I thought I'd focus on essential items today. Items that are essential for the RV lifestyle & yet keeping things healthy & clean.
So here are the healthy items:
Yes, I carry dumb bells.
They work well.
They are even better for things other than your arms.
They work GREAT for this!!
Heehee, I use area rugs in the RV. I actually have two different vacuums. When I use the shark, I drag out the rugs outside & put the dumb bells on them to hold them down. Then I can do a deep vacuuming with the Shark vacuum. That thing rocks! Or sucks. Sucks well! Might even suck a rock?
Here are my two vacuums:
The Shark really deep cleans. It's the lavender one.
The Hoover NanoVac does a decent job, but isn't as intense as the Shark.
So for weekly or bi-weekly vacuuming, I use it in the RV. It doesn't eat the rugs.
For deeper cleaning, I drag out the rugs & pull out the Shark to really vacuum the carpeting in the rig deeper & use the dumb bell on the rugs to vacuum them outside. My RV doesn't have slides, so it's easier to take the rugs outside to vacuum for the deeper cleaning when using the Shark.
I LOVE the Shark. If I didn't use area rugs, then I'd only be using the Shark. Both vacuums have cleaning tools & the hoses come loose for the use of the tools. That way, I can use the brush assemblies for cleaning the a/c & other things as well. I think when I take my trip, the Hoover will have to stay behind & I'll take the Shark with me. After all, I'm from the Texas gulf coast, why not take a Shark along my travels?
Now for the BOOT! Or boots in this case!
It's been a pretty wet season the past month or so. Too wet. One day, I soaked 3 pair of shoes just walking the dogs. So I took off for WalMart to get a pair of rubber boots. (which still kind of hurt to put on & even moreso to take off due to my wankle). I find the last pair of rubber boots that I can still fit. They are one size bigger than I wear, but I realized that would make it easier to get them off & on. And I can wear thicker socks in them when I need to. So I bought them. Then on my way to another dept in the store, I pass hiking boots on clearance! Woah, STOP! Look! BUY!
I planned on buying a pair once I got up to Pa, but wait! These are on SALE! Clearance! Cheap!
So I bought two pair. They had a waterproof pair & a regular type. The waterproof $10. The other $8.50. WooHoo! I'm buying! So I did! Glad to find that score. So I walked the dogs in the waterproof ones to test them & they work well.
Oh & I bought this rug after I picked Ellie up at the RV place. They took my rugs out. They SHOULD have put my rugs in the hall of the RV, but nooo, they took them out. So they had to find them. They could not find my entry rug though. Which was a nice cute little grass mat. -- then later I discovered they also took out all my drivers & passenger floor mats too. Those are gone. grrrrr
So I bought a new entry rug as I like to use them to catch dirt as I enter the RV. But honestly, although it's really cool. The grass mats work better. So I might use this one as an outdoor mat eventually.
Thanks for stopping by ya'll & have a great day!
**OH, I almost forgot. I learned how to address another type of window leak. I'll share that later as I fixed one window & it works! So I'll do a video & photos to share on another blog. **
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
Monday, March 19, 2012
A Feather through my screen door & Bird of a Feather
Hi everyone, hope ya'll had a really good weekend. I went to a dog show - yay - more about that in a bit.
First of all, yes, a Feather DID go through my screen door!
And ripped out the Screen!
Yep, you read that right.
And the Feather also broke a part of the frame.
But I was able to fix it.
Fortunately.
Now that you think I've gone over the edge, the cliff, the wall, the fence...whatever it is that one goes over.
Well I have.
But that's not what happened.
Here is the Feather:
Now for Bird of a Feather -- that's her daughter!! Who did the same thing last fall...what's with these girls!? Actually, it's ReignBeau's Bird of a Feather, SC
What we did this weekend:
First of all, yes, a Feather DID go through my screen door!
And ripped out the Screen!
Yep, you read that right.
And the Feather also broke a part of the frame.
But I was able to fix it.
Fortunately.
Now that you think I've gone over the edge, the cliff, the wall, the fence...whatever it is that one goes over.
Well I have.
But that's not what happened.
Here is the Feather:
::::sigh::::
Here is a video on how to fix your screen door if she ever decides to enter your rig upon the same manner too:
Now for Bird of a Feather -- that's her daughter!! Who did the same thing last fall...what's with these girls!? Actually, it's ReignBeau's Bird of a Feather, SC
This is a picture of Birdie from last year. She has longer ears now & looks more like an adult now. But my current pics of her aren't very good.
What we did this weekend:
Ellie ate up the dogs & myself & we went to a dog show! Yipee, a trip out! Finally! Our first trip out camping since the damages in November. 4.5 months later. Sure felt good to be out. And although Ellie ate us, she let us escape. Sometimes. But then she'd eat us back up again. In fact, we're back in her right now! I digress.
This is also my first trip out as an exhibitor (hey, not that kind of exhibitor!) since my surgery four months ago! It felt so good to be back out in the ring again with a dog! I only showed Birdie in the Bred By Exhibitor class. First day, she won 3rd place out of 3 in her class. Oh well, that day didn't go so well. She did not show very well & actually deserved that placement.
Next day was way better! She won BEST OF BREED!! Yay! So that gave her another necessary major towards her championship, so she has what she needs major wise now. I think I'll hold off on showing her now till I get up east & show her some there at their great outdoor shows.
She beat 4 Champions for that win, including the Best Of Breed Westminster Saluki winner in this years Westminster event. I'm very proud of her! Ellie ate her back up.
I wish I had some ring pictures to share of us in the ring or any dogs in the ring. I did not take my camera inside, so I don't have any pics to share. But I do have pics to share of RV's & such out in the parking lot.
Where we parked, it was in the 2nd parking lot in the back 40's. I always park back there. It's much more private & quiet. I don't like parking really close to the other rigs in the first parking lot. It's crowded & fumy. Too many generators running in a close vacinity. I like it when I can park where I still get the camping experience for myself & my dogs. So I park near the grass so we can take a lot of walks in the grass & exercise.
Here are some of the other rigs in the parking lot. Most of our shows here are total boondocking, so generators are a must. Especially in Texas. It was warm enough to run the gennys & a/c's here.
**click on each photo for larger images**
You will see rigs of every type at a dog show. The travel trailer belongs to a friend that is a professional handler. She lives in her TT fulltime & travels everywhere each weekend for shows.
I think the dog logo in this van is an Irish Setter. Not positive, but it looks enough like one to be one.
I used my zoom on my camera to catch these cute little Lhasa Apsos at play.
So there's your outdoor tour of RVing at a dog show!
Hope everyone enjoyed it.
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Shock-ing news & a picture of me!
Hi, hope all is well with everyone.
So today, I took Ellie to town...or rather she took me. There's no way I can carry a motorhome to town, not even a small one. Nope. No way. No matter how shocking the image might be.
First we went to Bluebonnet RV repair to get their opinion on a few things. I was hoping I could order new glazing bead for my windows. He came out, we discussed it. He thinks if I remove the old glazing bead (Only on the moving parts of the two leaking windows), soak it in water to give it a good cleaning, the glazing bead that is (can't soak moving parts, because they keep moving I guess). And clean the window channels really well, then they'll probably be ok. Debris works it's way into there & he thinks that's the problem. So I'll give that a try next week. I tore off the white tape I had over the windows to finally let some fresh air breeze through them.
Ahhhh, mucho nicer.
Shocked yet?
No?
Me neither.
Want the shock-ing news yet?
So OK, here it is:
Then we went across the street to Tucker's Tire Shop to discuss getting new Shocks! Yes, that's the Shock-ing news!
So today, I took Ellie to town...or rather she took me. There's no way I can carry a motorhome to town, not even a small one. Nope. No way. No matter how shocking the image might be.
Beautiful entry to Rosenberg, where it states on the sign:
Something like shop in Rosenberg first
Alrighty then. I say buy Rosenberg some flowers & make that welcome a bit more purdy. And more welcoming. I digress.
First we went to Bluebonnet RV repair to get their opinion on a few things. I was hoping I could order new glazing bead for my windows. He came out, we discussed it. He thinks if I remove the old glazing bead (Only on the moving parts of the two leaking windows), soak it in water to give it a good cleaning, the glazing bead that is (can't soak moving parts, because they keep moving I guess). And clean the window channels really well, then they'll probably be ok. Debris works it's way into there & he thinks that's the problem. So I'll give that a try next week. I tore off the white tape I had over the windows to finally let some fresh air breeze through them.
Ahhhh, mucho nicer.
Shocked yet?
No?
Me neither.
Want the shock-ing news yet?
So OK, here it is:
Then we went across the street to Tucker's Tire Shop to discuss getting new Shocks! Yes, that's the Shock-ing news!
So here's Ellie awaiting on her new shocks. She was a little afraid when I told her she was getting a new shock treatment though...but hey, at least she didn't try to run & jump on that tow truck passing behind her!
We show up at Bluebonnet around 11am. Tim, the owner had just left for lunch. I say that's ok, I'll go across the street & talk to Bo at Tuckers for new shocks. Good then. I go across the street, discuss what I need with Tuckers, they say they can work me in at 2. So I agree to come back. I go back across the street (we're well traveled huh?), & sit & wait for Tim to return at Bluebonnet. He returns after an hour's wait. Good thing I have an RV to wait in huh? We discuss things, then I go back across the street to Tuckers. I wait. And wait. And wait. And wait...well, it's around 12:30 now. I think, where can I go? Um. Nowhere. So I wait. Had the door & windows open, cool breezes are flowing through, so at least the dogs were comfy. I should have taken my laptop out, but nooo, why should I make myself comfortable! I'll read mail on my phone. But I can't read blogger on my phone. So oh well. They finally come around at 2:25 for me to pull Ellie into a bay. They start to take tires off, they order the shocks, they come in within 15 mins. I thought that was pretty cool. So I'm thinking, OK, I'll be out of here in about an hour...or...2. Or.....2.5 So yes, it was a looooong day.
Then I spy a tire. Woah, now that's a REAL tire! Oh yes, a tire all other RV's would envy!! I want one. No, one won't do. I need 6! Because who ever heard of a motorhome rolling on one tire?? Then reality smacks me back to my senses. So no new tires. I got new tires on Dec 2010. Besides, I'm paying for new shocks. Not tires. So ok, I'm back, I think I kinda left here for a min too ;-)
But wow, whatta tire!
Now just imagine Ellie in those shoes!
And well, while I'm waiting, waiting, waiting...this again is before they took me in. I spyed myself! Oh what fun!! Oh, it's really fun! Oh wow!
So, I take out my phone to shoot a picture.
Drats.
Card full.
So I delete pictures so I can take a pic of myownself.
Ready?
Really?
Well,
OK
Then.
Here
I
Am.
Now aren't I just what you imagined me to be??!! :-*
Oh & the drive home was much, much more pleasant!! A much smooooother ride, so it was worth the cost & time! Actually, the cost was really good. I could not believe that they only charged me a $60 installation fee! Wow! If you are ever near Rosenberg, Texas & need new tires or tire related items/service. Check them out. They also service all the city trucks & such. Including the fire trucks. Down to earth type of folks. They were also the ones that put on my new tires in 12/10 & the tire extensions last spring. Best thing I ever had put on my RV. It's so nice to fill my own tires when needed!
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
(& avoid crazy people)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Cross those fingers!
Hope all is good with everyone here.
I took Ellie back to the RV place yesterday...um..the leaking window. Um..they FORGOT to caulk around it!! I've been doing some reading up on caulking windows. Seems it's a controversy within the RV industry. Some say, no need to once the window is set in with the rubber butyl tape. Some say, yes do it for extra insurance. Some say it's pointless. But I'm on the fence for extra insurance. I asked the RV guy about that yesterday & he apologized for not caulking. I told him I did the coach lights as they weren't done either. Then I asked him about the rubber butyl. He believes that it's good for keeping moisture from entering screw holes & such, but it's not 100% effective to keeping moisture from entering around window frames. Had I known that the problem was just caulking, I would have done that myself instead of driving back into Houston & wasting 1/4 tank of gas. I did find a station on the way home that was selling gas at $3.52 per gallon, so I topped my tank off. Otherwise, it's $3.79 everywhere else around here. I'll be boondocking at a dog show this weekend in the RV (hope it doesn't leak), so needed to have a full tank to use the generator.
Oh & Sunday, I turned on my water heater. I don't use it often here since I use the shower in my friends house. But to keep it maintained, I turn it on from time to time. It would come on, then click off. I tried that a few times through the day with the same results. So I wondered if there was a propane cut off switch on it somewhere. But it was raining, so I could not go out to inspect. When I got to the RV place, I asked them about it. The darn thing worked right off! I said, it's like taking a sick dog to the vet. You get there & the dog is fine! He laughed. But I did have the gas turned off when I took the RV in for the rebuild. I had trouble getting the stove light at first when I turned the gas back on, but it finally came on once the gas made it through the lines. So I guess since I turned off the gas, then turned it back on, the gas just wasn't getting through the line on Sunday. I also flipped my fridge to propane before I left for the RV shop, so maybe that helped feed the gas through the lines more too?
I'm really tired today. After the stresses of the overhead, then the new leak, moving stuff out, moving stuff back in (which I've yet to find the time to put it away), stuffing stuff in my tub & bathroom so I could drive the RV, etc, I'm just plum worn out today. I still need to get Ellie in for new shocks & tire rotation, possibly an alignment too. Was going to do that today, but I'm beat. So will get to it tomorrow to find who can do it & what kind of prices I can get. I don't know what to expect cost wise. I have a general idea, I think.
Another thing for Ellie is an oil change & tune up. I might go back down to the bay for those jobs. There's a mechanic there that has worked on her before & he's done a good job at reasonable rates. Last time I asked him about a tune up, his quote was $250. That was a couple of years ago, so he might be higher now. BUT I got a quote recently from another source that is around $800! Um, I don't think sooo..
And I want to take the RV to the RV place across the road from the tire place to discuss my other windows that need attention. I have two windows that leak & I think they need new glazing bead on them. So want to discuss it with them for their opinion. Right now, I have white duct tape over them. My RV is a constant work of maintenance!
Oh & I also want to discuss the looks of my fiberglass with the RV place in town just to get his opinion of the work done. Feltons said they will fix it, but I have to drop it off & let them keep it overnight to let it set. Which is fine so long as it gets fixed right this time. So far, they've stood by their work & they tell me to come back, no matter how long after the work is done because they stand by their work. Course, that would not help me when I'm on the road or up in Pa, so it needs to be done correctly now. And the caulk situation should never have happened. It cost me a weekend of stress & sleeping on the sofa. Two of those nights, I was so upset that I didn't even make the sofa into a bed. I can't let myself get that way again. And if you've ever tried to sleep on an RV sofa in sofa position, well, it's not easy. Not much room to sprawl out in!
It's muggy today. Muggy & balmy. & sticky.
If I get all done & all goes well medically, I plan on leaving in about 20 days - yikes! I gots work to do!
I took Ellie back to the RV place yesterday...um..the leaking window. Um..they FORGOT to caulk around it!! I've been doing some reading up on caulking windows. Seems it's a controversy within the RV industry. Some say, no need to once the window is set in with the rubber butyl tape. Some say, yes do it for extra insurance. Some say it's pointless. But I'm on the fence for extra insurance. I asked the RV guy about that yesterday & he apologized for not caulking. I told him I did the coach lights as they weren't done either. Then I asked him about the rubber butyl. He believes that it's good for keeping moisture from entering screw holes & such, but it's not 100% effective to keeping moisture from entering around window frames. Had I known that the problem was just caulking, I would have done that myself instead of driving back into Houston & wasting 1/4 tank of gas. I did find a station on the way home that was selling gas at $3.52 per gallon, so I topped my tank off. Otherwise, it's $3.79 everywhere else around here. I'll be boondocking at a dog show this weekend in the RV (hope it doesn't leak), so needed to have a full tank to use the generator.
Oh & Sunday, I turned on my water heater. I don't use it often here since I use the shower in my friends house. But to keep it maintained, I turn it on from time to time. It would come on, then click off. I tried that a few times through the day with the same results. So I wondered if there was a propane cut off switch on it somewhere. But it was raining, so I could not go out to inspect. When I got to the RV place, I asked them about it. The darn thing worked right off! I said, it's like taking a sick dog to the vet. You get there & the dog is fine! He laughed. But I did have the gas turned off when I took the RV in for the rebuild. I had trouble getting the stove light at first when I turned the gas back on, but it finally came on once the gas made it through the lines. So I guess since I turned off the gas, then turned it back on, the gas just wasn't getting through the line on Sunday. I also flipped my fridge to propane before I left for the RV shop, so maybe that helped feed the gas through the lines more too?
I'm really tired today. After the stresses of the overhead, then the new leak, moving stuff out, moving stuff back in (which I've yet to find the time to put it away), stuffing stuff in my tub & bathroom so I could drive the RV, etc, I'm just plum worn out today. I still need to get Ellie in for new shocks & tire rotation, possibly an alignment too. Was going to do that today, but I'm beat. So will get to it tomorrow to find who can do it & what kind of prices I can get. I don't know what to expect cost wise. I have a general idea, I think.
Another thing for Ellie is an oil change & tune up. I might go back down to the bay for those jobs. There's a mechanic there that has worked on her before & he's done a good job at reasonable rates. Last time I asked him about a tune up, his quote was $250. That was a couple of years ago, so he might be higher now. BUT I got a quote recently from another source that is around $800! Um, I don't think sooo..
And I want to take the RV to the RV place across the road from the tire place to discuss my other windows that need attention. I have two windows that leak & I think they need new glazing bead on them. So want to discuss it with them for their opinion. Right now, I have white duct tape over them. My RV is a constant work of maintenance!
Oh & I also want to discuss the looks of my fiberglass with the RV place in town just to get his opinion of the work done. Feltons said they will fix it, but I have to drop it off & let them keep it overnight to let it set. Which is fine so long as it gets fixed right this time. So far, they've stood by their work & they tell me to come back, no matter how long after the work is done because they stand by their work. Course, that would not help me when I'm on the road or up in Pa, so it needs to be done correctly now. And the caulk situation should never have happened. It cost me a weekend of stress & sleeping on the sofa. Two of those nights, I was so upset that I didn't even make the sofa into a bed. I can't let myself get that way again. And if you've ever tried to sleep on an RV sofa in sofa position, well, it's not easy. Not much room to sprawl out in!
It's muggy today. Muggy & balmy. & sticky.
If I get all done & all goes well medically, I plan on leaving in about 20 days - yikes! I gots work to do!
Zeus's dog show crate. ;-)
~As always, be kind to your pets, clean up after them on your travels & respect your neighbor~
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)