Sunday, June 17, 2012
Happy Birthday, Greg!
Oops, I'm a bit late. You were born at 11:01 and I see that my clock says 11:06. What a great day. I'm so glad you were born!!!
Have a wonderful Birthday and Father's Day!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
ALERT!! Tomorrow is a Special Day.
Tomorrow, June 17th, is Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there.
And for those of you who have fathers, this is your last minute reminder to contact Dear Old Dad.
Not my children, though. They are already great at remembering important events. Like our anniversary, on July 25th, and my birthday, on August 16th, and Christmas, on December 25th. My children and family and friends are all great at remembering these things. So thank you all. Oh, and, of course, Peggie's birthday on December 28th. And Mother's Day, on May something.
This Father's Day has the added significance of being Greg's birthday. This is the seventh time the two have fallen on the same day since 1979, when he was born on Father's Day, allowing me to celebrate at the earliest possible opportunity.
Happy Birthday Greg. Don't let Ariana get away with just one card or gift. One for each occasion is appropriate even when they fall on the same day! Get her used to it while she is young.
Casey, I got the sun-viewing-glasses and enjoyed watching Venus transit the sun. I made the mistake of using binoculars, though. It made for a better view, but each time, they focused the light and burned a pinhole in the plastic lenses. It took me five pinholes to figure it out. So next time I watch Venus cross the sun I will know better.
Greg, the truck swelled to just the right size. We use it for all our driving needs. I am worried that the current dry conditions will cause it to shrink back to Matchbox size. Should I add more water? I lost the instructions.
Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there.
And for those of you who have fathers, this is your last minute reminder to contact Dear Old Dad.
Not my children, though. They are already great at remembering important events. Like our anniversary, on July 25th, and my birthday, on August 16th, and Christmas, on December 25th. My children and family and friends are all great at remembering these things. So thank you all. Oh, and, of course, Peggie's birthday on December 28th. And Mother's Day, on May something.
This Father's Day has the added significance of being Greg's birthday. This is the seventh time the two have fallen on the same day since 1979, when he was born on Father's Day, allowing me to celebrate at the earliest possible opportunity.
Happy Birthday Greg. Don't let Ariana get away with just one card or gift. One for each occasion is appropriate even when they fall on the same day! Get her used to it while she is young.
Casey, I got the sun-viewing-glasses and enjoyed watching Venus transit the sun. I made the mistake of using binoculars, though. It made for a better view, but each time, they focused the light and burned a pinhole in the plastic lenses. It took me five pinholes to figure it out. So next time I watch Venus cross the sun I will know better.
Greg, the truck swelled to just the right size. We use it for all our driving needs. I am worried that the current dry conditions will cause it to shrink back to Matchbox size. Should I add more water? I lost the instructions.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Normal?
Is there such a thing as "normal?"
If there is, that's where we are. Or, it's what we're doing. Or, it's how we are.
Anyway, for Tucson in June, it is HOT!!
Air conditioning makes indoors the place to be. The heat makes nothing the thing to be doing. And we are doing a good job of it. We try to put off outdoor chores and errands until evening or early morning, and combine them to reduce exposure. We take walks after sunset. We have seen another diamondback. We frequently see the "s" trail across the dirt road so there are more of them out there. The resident red tail hawk seems to have moved away.
Peggie's creativity is active. She is designing work to put in the various shows her artists' group has coming up in the next twelve months. Yesterday, we restored her studio to work-in mode, instead of go-away-for-the-season mode. The outdoor sink has proven to be the useful appliance she wanted when dying fabric. The rail plates and other rusty objects are making interesting designs.
So, for now, normal is the new adventure.
If there is, that's where we are. Or, it's what we're doing. Or, it's how we are.
Anyway, for Tucson in June, it is HOT!!
Air conditioning makes indoors the place to be. The heat makes nothing the thing to be doing. And we are doing a good job of it. We try to put off outdoor chores and errands until evening or early morning, and combine them to reduce exposure. We take walks after sunset. We have seen another diamondback. We frequently see the "s" trail across the dirt road so there are more of them out there. The resident red tail hawk seems to have moved away.
Peggie's creativity is active. She is designing work to put in the various shows her artists' group has coming up in the next twelve months. Yesterday, we restored her studio to work-in mode, instead of go-away-for-the-season mode. The outdoor sink has proven to be the useful appliance she wanted when dying fabric. The rail plates and other rusty objects are making interesting designs.
So, for now, normal is the new adventure.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Flexible? We are as raw pretzel dough.
Well, that was a thrilling ride!
The promise of a short season in Skagway was greatly exaggerated as it turns out.
At least, we think it has turned out.
For two weeks, we've been back and forth. On Tuesday night we packed everything but clothes and refrigerated foods into the new truck. With an hour for last minute close-down-the-house stuff and final packing, we were hitting the road Wed. morning. We thought. Then the phone rang. There were issues at work which were apparently beyond anyone's control or understanding. So we stood down for a day. That became two days. Now, the issues (not pertinent here) cannot be controlled so we aren't needed, after all.
Well, during the back and forth we got so we wanted to go. A short season seemed perfect. I guess it is a good thing we had some appointments (and potential jury duty) to delay us, or we would have gotten all the way there before the "issues" surfaced.
Now, we are back to the original, albeit modified, plan. We will pull the trailer to the cool mountains and veg periodically to escape triple digits on the ol' thermo-meter.
After we find a hitch. And get it installed. And lift the trailer. And get running boards. And replace the torn awning. And if the forest doesn't burn first.
But, we do have a beautiful new truck.....that is loaded to the rails with stuff that needs to come back in the house. Unpacking just doesn't have the same appeal, does it?
Can we still call this an adventure? What kind?
The promise of a short season in Skagway was greatly exaggerated as it turns out.
At least, we think it has turned out.
For two weeks, we've been back and forth. On Tuesday night we packed everything but clothes and refrigerated foods into the new truck. With an hour for last minute close-down-the-house stuff and final packing, we were hitting the road Wed. morning. We thought. Then the phone rang. There were issues at work which were apparently beyond anyone's control or understanding. So we stood down for a day. That became two days. Now, the issues (not pertinent here) cannot be controlled so we aren't needed, after all.
Well, during the back and forth we got so we wanted to go. A short season seemed perfect. I guess it is a good thing we had some appointments (and potential jury duty) to delay us, or we would have gotten all the way there before the "issues" surfaced.
Now, we are back to the original, albeit modified, plan. We will pull the trailer to the cool mountains and veg periodically to escape triple digits on the ol' thermo-meter.
After we find a hitch. And get it installed. And lift the trailer. And get running boards. And replace the torn awning. And if the forest doesn't burn first.
But, we do have a beautiful new truck.....that is loaded to the rails with stuff that needs to come back in the house. Unpacking just doesn't have the same appeal, does it?
Can we still call this an adventure? What kind?
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Casey comes thru again.
Even from Delaware Casey found me the sun-safe-viewing glasses. The store here in Tucson restocked. I got them today. I will be able to see Venus cross in front of the sun without going blind. Yippee. I just have to remember to take time from the frantic last-minute packing and loading we will be doing Tuesday.
And I can give Greg some credit for getting me a truck. Do I have great (adult) children, or what?
And I can give Greg some credit for getting me a truck. Do I have great (adult) children, or what?
Friday, June 1, 2012
Who doesn't like instant gratification?
Last night I got in the jeep and drove to the end of our street. Peggie got in the truck and drove to the other end. We accelerated at each other like a game of chicken, but we didn't chicken. Apparently we both hit 88 mph at exactly the moment of impact, sending us into the future. October to be exact. But when we got there, we were not in the jeep and truck any more. We were in this hybridization. It is a four door, 4wd, Dodge Ram 2500. We raced it up to 88 mph and returned to the past and the new truck came with us.
In reality, (that first paragraph is mostly fiction) I was looking on-line at truck dealers' inventory to get some kind of idea what might be available and what they cost. Here was a 2012 with all the equipment we wanted in the used car inventory. It had 19,000 miles on it and was about $18,000 less than a new, new truck. We decided, "What the heck. Might as well check it out." The good news was, it had the right stuff without anything we wouldn't want if we ordered from the factory. The other good news (?) it is available right now. I decided that with a 4wd truck, I could give up the jeep as a trade-in, and we needed to trade the old truck anyway. So it was a twofer.
Of course, there were some adventures included. I took the old truck to our favorite RV place to have the fifth wheel hitch removed, to be remounted on the new truck when we return in October. First, the hitch had been welded, not bolted in place. Second, the frame of the new truck will not accept this hitch without adaptive hardware, since Dodge has redesigned their frame in the last 16 years. Third, the company that made our hitch has been out of business for 5 years, therefore, the adaptive hardware is not available. Result: the hitch stayed with the old truck. Aw, it will probably all be scrap metal next week, anyway. There will be further adventures in October when we have to buy a new hitch, and have the trailer raised to the new bed height. I just bet that won't be a straight-forward proposition. You think?
We will be heading to the hinterlands in a new-to-us vehicle. The ride will be more comfortable. We have cruise control, a longer wheelbase, a heavier vehicle, and new suspension.
And we can take A LOT more stuff now.
I (mostly) don't make this stuff up, folks.
We will be heading to the hinterlands in a new-to-us vehicle. The ride will be more comfortable. We have cruise control, a longer wheelbase, a heavier vehicle, and new suspension.
And we can take A LOT more stuff now.
I (mostly) don't make this stuff up, folks.
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