Casa Grande, AZ: Asking The Dreaded Question

Mary Lynn had her hair cut this afternoon so she let me take her out to dinner tonight. She won a free hair cut at a recent event here at Palm Creek.  MLA was pretty excited about winning the haircut although she tells me the hair cutter didn't follow any of her instructions on how she wanted her hair cut. 

So first thing when she gets home this afternoon she asks me the dreaded question "Do you like my hair?". 

That question is among the most dreaded question that men get asked. There are a few others like a) do you like this dress? b) do these pants make my butt look big c) do you think she is cute?, etc. Huge warning bells (should) go off for a man when asked those or similar questions.

Back to the haircut. Actually, I do like it although it's very different from how MLA usually does her hair. Even though I liked it I wasn't sure what to say. I mean, how many times have I said "I really like it" only to have MLA let me know she doesn't like it? And then give me a look that says "How could you possibly like this haircut when I don't like it; what's wrong with you?". All with a look; no words necessary. 

Guys just want a hint, an indication of which way this conversation is headed and how we are supposed to answer the (hair, dress, pants, etc) question before it gets asked. We need some direction from a lady when she asks us any of these questions.

The skeptics among you will think men are just trying to give 'the' answer which will result in the most loving. Ha - how can you be so cynical? Men are just naturally nuturing and caring...

Here the process that I've developed over many years of marriage; use at your own risk, and as they say "your mileage may vary":

1. If MLA likes it and I like it, I tell her yep, I like it. I never say I love it in case she decides in a day or two she doesn't like it.
   
2. If MLA doesn't like it and I don't like it, I tell her I liked her hair the way it was. Which is the truth even if she is 'tired' of the way it was.
3. If MLA doesn't like it and I do, I tell her she's being too hard on herself, it looks better than she thinks. Occasionally she lives with it for a few days however usually, once she's made up her mind, she stays with her original decision and the new (haircut, dress, pants, etc) disappears.
   
4. The really tricky one is if MLA likes it and I don't, I tell her (truthfully) I need some time to get used to her new look. Usually its a matter of I'm not used to seeing her with a different look and, within a few days, I end up liking it as much as she does.  Usually I end up liking it within a few days.
   

Responses 1, 2 and 3 are the easier responses to the question. It gets trickier when you find yourself in situation #4. Remember, these are life and death moments for us guys. A man could end up having to cook dinner for himself or tuck his own self in at night. 

Why women ask guys these questions all the time I'll never know. I mean, we all know that women get together they universally agree that men are clueless and have little/no sense of style. Unless they are gay, in which case the guy is not (usually) a spouse... but that's another story altogether. 

So I like her new haircut & MLA thinks she likes it. The truth is it will take a couple of days of here doing her hair herself before either of us knows if we like it. Which translates to: MLA will decide in a couple of days if she likes it or not and then she'll let me know if I like it or not.

In any case, to celebrate MLA's new look we went out to dinner at the Olive Garden. I don't know what it is about the Olive Garden however there is always a wait to get a table, even during the week.

Now I know some of you are saying "not if you go early". Well you are not living in the retirement center of the universe where 'older' couple's start going to dinner around 3:30 or 4:00. Many of these folks are in bed asleep by 8:30 or 9. So going to dinner early could easily be confused with going to lunch -- not good. Going to dinner early here in Arizona does not prevent waiting in line. Actually you can probably do better if you are willing to wait a little later in the evening. 

While we were waiting for our table, MLA was nice enough to let me go and take a few photos of tonight's sunset, which was just getting started. Is she a great lady or what?

We plan on going for a ride on the Harley tomorrow morning. We have tickets to a play here at Palm Creek that starts at 3pm. I told you thinks happen early here! Actually the play is offered at 3 pm or 7 pm; some good friends already had tickets for the 3 pm and asked us to join them. Means I'll have to skip water volleyball. Oh the sacrifices I make for marital happiness. 

On Sunday we plan to have dinner with Mark & Karen K at their home in Scottsdale. I worked with Mark for years and it will be great getting caught up with Mark & Karen and their two kids.

Always something fun to do here!

See Ya! 

  

Casa Grande, AZ: Alaska Marine Highway System Trip Booked

Well, we did it -- today we pulled the trigger on our trip to Alaska. We booked the portion of our trip where we will travel by ferry on Alaska's Maritime Highway System.  

Trust me when I say it felt like quite an accomplishment. Far greater than it sounds/reads in the eighteen words of the last  sentence. I mean, there are an incredible number of options that can be combined in an almost infinite number of variations. 

Which city do 

we choose for departure: Bellingham, WA; Prince Rupert, BC; Haines, AK? Which towns will we explore by foot and in which towns will we unload the RV and spend a few days exploring: Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, Wrangell,Haines, Skagway? Which town will be our departure point: Haines, Skagway, Whittier, Valdez? Do we take the ferry Northbound at the beginning of our trip or Southbound on the return leg? 

The answer to each of these questions impacts all of your other choices. 

Less distance travelled by ferry means more mile of driving the RV + toad, no small consideration on a trip that will cover at least 6000 miles. And that's just the portion in Canada & Alaska. 

More time on the ferry means much more money than driving, even with the high fuel prices of the far Northern lands. And this ferry is not cheap for a 40 foot motor home plus our car. You can easily spend more than $5000 getting from Bellingham, Washington to Whittier, Alaska. 

After two hours on the phone with the Alaska Maritime Highway System's reservation office (with a very patient lady named Thelma), we were done. In the computer and confirmed is a trip from Prince Rupert, BC to Haines, AK. leaving in late May. We will unload the RV and explore Petersburg, Juneau and Haines. 

In addition to paying for the RV, the CR-V, and the dog, there is a charge for each passenger. All told our ferry trip will run about $2200. Our original plan would have cost about $4200 so "a little bit of driving" will save us some big bucks. Alaska is a huge state where "a little bit of driving" translates into a drive of ~ 800 miles. 

Now the fun really starts. Now we start to plan the side trips and activities we will take while in Alaska. And I thought there are a lot of options for the ferry.

Well, that's it for tonight; I'm exhausted and headed to bed. Yesterday I worked out for an hour at the gym, played pickle ball for 2 hours in 85 degree weather and then played water volleyball for two hours. It all caught up with me today. I could barely bike up to water volleyball today.

Don't feel too sorry for me, I just spent another few days in paradise.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Nerds & Talking Frogs

I was a nerd while growing up. I enjoyed math, science, architecture, engineering and computer classes. If you read many of my blog posts you quickly realize English class was not a particular favorite however I know enough to get by. And of course I enjoyed playing any type of sport. My wife say I'm competitive however I disagree so I challenged her to an arm wrestling contest, best two out of three is the winner, and gets to decide if I'm competitive...

And thank goodness for the spell checker on my computer; spelling was never a strong suit, at least not while I was in school. I loved spelling bee's because I always wanted to be the winner. You can imagine how much conflict this caused because in my early years I was convinced you couldn't spell the word "cat" without  the letter "k". 

Even when I entered the business world in 1978 I was a nerd; as a Systems Engineer I helped customers debug their computer programs and fix the operating systems on their company mainframes. I really enjoyed the work; especially since computers were not nearly as judgemental as people. Computers just do what you tell them without any filters or checks to see if what you told them to do made sense. 

Here's what you will learn in Engineering:

• You can study hard & still fail
• You can not study & still pass
• Multiple choice does not mean easy
• There are no trains here
• Six exams can be written in 4 days, but it hurts
• You can skip all the classes, study for 15 minutes before the final & still do better than an arts student in any art class
• Pi to six decimal places
• Judging by fellow students, engineers are either drunks or geeks
• Everyone is someone else's wierdo
• Front row people are wierd
• Those who can, do; those who can't, teach
• A 95.75% can be an A
• An 80.1% can be an A+
• You can kill your neighbors with a 9 volt battery
• You NEED an HP calculator

So, for most of my life I've been a nerd, enjoying technology, especially computers, far more than anyone should enjoy an inanimate device. I thought they were cool. And despite what you see in the movies and what you've read, women don't really like nerds.....

Whenever I think about my early years around technology I am reminded of the story about a nerd who found a frog in the street. The frog says to him "If you kiss me I'll turn back into a beautiful princess, I'll stay with you for a week, and I'll do anything you desire".

At which point the nerd picks the frog up and puts the frog in his pocket. The frog says "didn't you hear what I said?" and the nerd replies "I'm and engineer; I'm too busy for a girlfriend, but a talking frog; now that is cool".

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Alaska Travel Planning

Most of our travel planning is done pretty informally. Actually, we may be at whatever level is below informal since we rarely make any travel plans more than a day or so in advance. When we are on the road we like to take our time, stay as long as we want, explore as much as we want and then move on.

Last year we were gone for 9 months and the only reservations we made in advance was to be at our son's wedding (seemed to be a good idea to put it on the calendar) and we made a reservation for a week in Key West three weeks in advance since the RV parks in Key West are frequently completely full. Other than that, we 'winged it'. 

Usually we stay at an RV park for at least a  week since you get a better price than the daily rate when you stay a week and an even better rate when you stay a month. On travel days we would make a call or two around 4 pm to see if the RV park we were near had any space for our rig. And I can't recall being turned down. There is almost always space available.

However, travel planning for our Alaska trip is taking a little more effort. We want to take the Alaskan Ferry System through the inland passage either on our way to Alaska or on our return from Alaska. The Ferry System in Alaska is quite robust and can handle almost any size truck/RV combination, including 18 wheelers. 

That said, you need a reservation to take the Alaska State Ferry system since it does fill up in the summer months. 

Taking the ferry on the way up to Alaska has the benefit of allowing you to use your reservation early in the trip; then you can stay as long as you want in Alaska and drive south at your leisure.

Taking the ferry on the way back means no matter what happens or how much longer you might want to stay, you have to get to Haines by a specific date or you'll miss your reservation. The knowledge that we have to be in a specific part of Alaska on a specific date will be hanging over us for the whole time we are travelling in Alaska. 

So that's one big decision although I think we are leaning towards taking the inland passage on the way up. 

Another big decision is when to 'enter' Canada and Alaska, which is really more of a weather related decision than anything else. We want at least 2 full months in Alaska or even a little more. However you pretty much need to be out of Alaska mid-September at the latest since RV's don't do well on snow and ice.

So we are balancing wet months Vs dry(er) months, lots of mosquito's Vs fewer mosquito's, temperatures, peak fishing periods etc. For instance, there are five varieties of salmon and when they run varies by type of salmon and by which river. So many decisions.

To top it off I am trying to decide exactly what we'll need while traveling through Canada & Alaska, so I can order anything that needs ordering, install anything that needs installing, etc.

I know I want a Toad Cover, which is a large piece of heavy duty fabric that protect the front of the toad from any rocks kicked up by passing trucks. 

So I'll leave you now and return to my Alaska books, guides, magazines, and maps, all of which purport to tell me the 'best way' to see Alaska. And of course, not all of them agree. Oh well.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Travel 2000 Miles To See Your Neighbors

When we bought our first house, Sandy & Marshall were our next door neighbors. We lived next to them for seven years and then just three doors down from them for another eight years. You see, we liked our neighbors and neighborhood in Maryland so much that we purchased our second house on the same street. On the same side of the  street even! It had a lot more room, four bedrooms and most importantly, at least to the kids, a pool. 

When Christopher, our oldest started to complain about having to move I told him I didn't want to hear it. We only moved three house up the street for pete's sake. I told him he had no right to complain. I mean, he not only didn't have to change schools, he didn't have to change bus stops. 

I was a military brat growing up and attended 17 schools in the first 12 years of school so I didn't have much compassion for someone moving three houses away....

In any case, Sandy & Marshall were great neighbors and even better friends. You know how some people have the ability to bring life to a party? That's Sandy & Marshall. They are a lot of fun and you know it's going to be a good party if Sandy & Marshall are there. 

So imagine our surprise, sitting here in Arizona some 2000 miles from Maryland, when we get a call from Sandy & Marshall letting us know they would be in the area and wanting to know if we could get together. 

Wow - I always thinks it's a stitch to get together with your neighbors when you are 1000's of miles away from your normal circle.

We had a blast today. Sandy & Marshall brought Sandy's dad Bill and his wife Angie along with them. They really wanted to see our RV and the RV park where we are staying. And we had a great time showing them around before we went to dinner at Mimi's Cafe. The food was excellent however the best part by far were the stories told around the dinner table. I laughed so hard I thought I would bust. What a fantastic afternoon & evening.

You know you are with good friends when you are able to pick up your friendship and relationships after months or even years have gone by. Sandy & Marshall are like that. Sandy's dad is 87 and, except for stairs where he needs a little help, he gets around extremely well. We had a great time and all too soon it was time to say goodbye. So good to see all of them.

I said it before and I'll say it again, check out our travel map and if you are going to be in any area at the same time we are going to be in that area, give us a call. We love seeing family and friends, even if its only for a short time.

See Ya! 

NEWFLASH - THIS JUST IN.     NEWSFLASH -- THIS JUST IN.

The Bailout Mascot

Casa Grande, AZ: Cool RV Video

Our good friends Sandy & Marshall are visiting Sandy's dad in Mesa and, as we encourage all of our friends to do, are going to come visit us while in town. 

I've spoken to both Sandy & Marshall over the last couple of days and can't wait to see them.

In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy the following video created by LoydBonifide & posted on YouTube. It's called "Airstream Light Show: Rivets in Summer". Very cool. Enjoy!

Here's the link if you have trouble playing video link above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqFxCSjUahc

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: You Meet The Nicest People On A ... RV Trip

I've said it before and I'll say it again. You meet some of the nicest people when you get a chance to meet fellow RVers. Everywhere we go we have been amazed at how open and welcoming fellow RVers have been to one another.

Time after time, after you get to know some of these couples (and it is mostly couples) you realize just how many ha

rd working, kind and decent people their are in this world. We have met people from all over the US and Canada, most of whom are soft spoken friendly people. 

So it got me to thinking. Is RVing a magnet for these special people? Or, are there kind, decent, hard working people throughout the US & Canada, some of whom are fellow RVers? 

People who RV are necessarily easy to talk with. When you are travelling throughout North America, many times far from your family and friends, you welcome the opportunity to spend time with others. Most RVers go out of their way to introduce themselves and their spouse to their neighbors. This happens even when you are only going to be neighbors for a night or two. 

So, as I said, it got me to thinking and my conclusion the US and Canada are literally 'chock full' of decent people. It's only through the media we are conditioned into believing we are surrounded by people of low moral character and that it is not safe to walk the streets.

Now I'm not so naive as to believe there is no danger 'out there'. Of course there are people who take advantage of others however I don't think its as bad as it seems if your only source of data is the media. As for MLA & I, we have other sources that tell us the world is not nearly as bad as the media would have you believe.

See Ya! 

Chandler, Arizona: Costco Returns Highlights Differences

It occurred to me as I drove Mary Lynn around this afternoon so she could return several items, that there may be another difference between men and women that has not been fully documented. At least, I haven't heard about this difference previously. 

You see, as we headed north to the Costco in Chandler, it occurred to me that Mary Lynn, like many women, is a professional 'returner'. I'm not sure that is even a word however it describes the behaviour she demonstrates on a regular basis. 

MLA is willing to return anything at anytime. I'm not talking just about returning an item that doesn't fit or doesn't work as advertised, although those types of returns certainly comprise a portion of her returns. 

Nope, I'm talking about her willingness to take something back if the item goes on sale or the price is reduced. Now, men are (usually) willing to take something back if it doesn't work, that is, if they don't have to go too far out of their way. 

Men might also be willing to take something back if the price changes significantly. I know every one's definition of 'significant price change' is different, however women seem to be moved to action for a lot less than men. Almost every man I know would not bother to make a return in order to get money back unless the dollar amount is at least $10, and many would require the difference to be even greater than that.

That's assuming of course that the man can remember how much he originally paid for the item AND it requires that he notices the price change. I mean, once I purchase an item, I quit following the price of that item shortly thereafter. And the length of time I remember what I paid for an item gets shorter and shorter every year; it will soon be measured in nanoseconds...

MLA, and many of the women I know, can tell you exactly, to the dollar and many times to the penny, how much they paid for an item purchased six months ago. And, if the price of that item is reduced long after she made the purchase, she notices. She not only notices, she takes action. This is the part where many men fall down -- taking action. Although THAT behavior has been documented pretty thoroughly...

To me, and I bet I'm not alone, taking action means telling MLA about the price reduction, knowing full well she will not be able to sleep soundly until she orchestrates an exchange and gets 'her' money back. I won't do it. I'm either too lazy or too embarrassed, however I'm more than willing to capitalize on her need to feel like she 'won'.

I know I put a value on my time and try to figure out the cost of going back to a store to see if making a return is worth my time and energy. MLA will go out of her way, spending almost any amount of time and travelling almost any distance, to perform the refund.

And as I said, the dollar amount does not have to be huge. I've seen MLA return an item and then turn around and repurchase that same item, just to save a dollar or two. Last week MLA went shopping with a friend of hers. Her friend, who I will not name, returned a pad of paper for which she paid a dollar so she could buy two pads of paper when they went on sale for 50 cents each. Most men would not bother...

MLA keeps a list of stores where she needs to make a return. In fact, she puts anything that needs to be returned in a box located (permanently) in the back of our car. 

It's almost as if MLA, who considers herself to be a professional (or at least semi-pro) shopper, sees a price reduction (paying more than she has to) as an affront on her image of herself as a professional shopper. 

And we all know most men don't consider themselves to be a shoppers. In fact, many of us men pride ourselves on being a buyer. We dash into a store, grab the first item that appears to meet our needs and is within our loosely defined budget, pay for the item, and bang, we are out of the store. And thankful it didn't take any longer than the seventh inning stretch at a baseball game. 

What does it all mean? Who knows. Just an observation. That's what happens when you retire and suddenly find yourself spending nearly all of your waking hours (and sleeping hours for that matter) with your spouse. You notice things. Some good, some not. Some important, some not. 

Is this one good? Is it important? You decide. I just noticed the difference.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Mary Lynn and I finally had a chance to take the Harley out and go riding. I was supposed to play water volleyball and MLA was supposed to go to a lapidary class however, it was such an incredibly beautiful day we decided to go riding instead.

The other evening we met Larry & Shirley from Spokane, Washington, who also ride. So we located their RV site and asked if they wanted to 'come out & play". 

Thirty minutes later we were headed east towards the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. These the local community of Casa Grande takes its name from these ruins.

For over 1000 years the Hohokam thrived in this hot arid climate by building a complex series of irrigation canals. At one point the had over 110,000 acres under irrigation in the southern Arizona territory and raised 11 different crops including, corn, several varieties of beans, gourds, agave (source of fibers, food and, at least in modern times - tequila), etc. 

In addition to the canal system they built multiple compounds that housed various community functions. The specific ruin that were named Casa Grande by archaeologists during the 1800's is a building over four stories tall and 60 feet to a side. The people living here were sophisticated enough to create an opening in the buildings wall through which the setting sun was visible on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. 

They were even able to calculate and create an opening that captured the winter solstice, which according to the ranger giving today's talk, only happens once every 17 years. Clearly these folks were great observers of the earth cycles and the heavens above.

Huge trading networks crisscrossed this the area from modern day California to Texas and deep into Mexico.  

In any case, it was a great day for riding the Harley and exploring some of the local area's history.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you from paradise. Or at least as close to paradise as Mary Lynn and I have found in the US at this time of year. 

Today started with MLA & I riding our bikes throughout the park. Today was "Patio Sale" day in the park; anyone who wanted could set up a table of items for sale on thier patio. The park publishes a map which shows all the sellers locations in order to guide the buyers. There were about two dozen sites that had goods (I use that term loosely) for sale. 

Over all Mary Lynn did pretty good and avoided making any purchases that are impractical for us while living the wandering life while living in an RV. Pretty good but not perfect. There was one item she felt we absolutely had to own. What was the item? I'll tell you in just a minute although I have little doubt that anyone reading this will guess correctly.

Now those of you who know MLA know how much she used to enjoy going to yard sales when we lived in Maryland. Since we hit the road a year ago, MLA has been unable to pursue this interest. And for good reason. There's just not enough room in the RV to be buying/accumulating items, even if they are next to free. She has battled this addiction valiantly, resisting all temptation, until today. 

Today was her opportunity to 'cut loose' and relive a little of her past yard sale addiction. I mean, it was Valentine's Day after all. How could I refuse her request? We rode all over the park and she was able to shop/browse at all two dozen Patio Sales. You should have seen her smile. She was downright giddy.

Then we went out for a late breakfast/early lunch. Of course, I was able to get back in time to enjoy a little water volleyball. Seriously, it's like an addiction. No day is complete without a few hours of water volleyball. and a little soak in the hot tub afterwards.

For years, MLA and I have not gone out to dinner on Valentine's Day; it is just too crowded. We always make it a habit to go out the day after Valentine's Day for our Valentine's Day celebration. We both hate standing in line/waiting for a table at a restaurant. So tomorrow we'll find a nice restaurant and we'll be able to enjoy a great meal without all the crowds.

However that's for tomorrow. 

What's that you say? What did MLA buy after such a long break from browsing yard sales? I'll tell you but you are not going  to believe it. 

She bought a steamer.  Yep, you heard me -- well actually you read it not heard it -- however that is what she bought. A steamer. Fill up the plastic jug with 1/2 gallon of distilled water, plug the unit in, and viola! almost unlimited amounts of steam. Far be it from me to criticize, especially since she is trying to solve the issue with our combo washer/dryer wrinkling our clothes, mostly my shirts. So her heart is in the right place. Some of my shirts wrinkle so badly they are about 1/2 as long after drying as the are prior to being washed. 

So MLA purchased a steamer. It has a pole that attaches to the steamer that's about 6 feet tall and probably weighs 25 pounds. I don't have a clue where we'll store it or where we'll be able to set it up but hey, I'll be one of the best dressed campers at the RV park. I know all the other campers will be jealous....

See Ya!

 

Casa Grande: MLA's Gambling Class is a Bust

Mary Lynn attended a class earlier this week that (supposedly) told you how to win more often when you go to a casino. She and a good friend of ours, Mary Anne, attended the class and learned how to play and bet the various games. MLA told me the class (& the instructor) were not that good. That should have been a huge warning sign and yet, somehow, we proceeded down the path...

One recommendation the instructor did have (that MLA understood) was to avoid going to the Indian-owned casinos. The instructor said these casinos are not required to adhere to the same state gaming commission's rules that non-Indian-owned casino's are required to follow. I have not heard that before and have been unable to confirm if that's true, however the instructor was adamant that this was the case.

When Mary Lynn and Mary Anne signed up for the gaming tips & techniques class, they also signed up to go on a bus trip to a local casino. Sometimes it's hard to determine the ownership of a casino -- sometimes its a little easier. The name of the casino for this trip? Apache Gold Casino -- I'll give you a minute to see if you can figure out who owns this casino...

So the first strike against this trip starts with the casino being Indian-owned.

Second strike against this trip: After boarding the bus early this am they are told the bus ride to the casino will take two hours - each way. So much for going to a local casino, some of which are only about 30 minutes away.

Third strike: they find out, while still on the bus, that this particular casino laid off 135 employees last week. Now what are the chances the games at this casino are paying off at the higher rate of return? Scratch that. What are the chances the games are paying off at all?

Lastly, when they arrive, they learn that the casino is very small, which means it offers a minimal variety of games, and more importantly, almost no non-gaming activities. Non-gaming activities are important since they provide a location or activity where you can take a break away from the gambling. You know, just in case the cards/games are not going your way.

I want you to realize that I gave MLA very specific instructions last night and again this am before she left for the casino. Now, I didn't say "Go win enough money for a new RV" or "Go win enough money for a new house" or even "Go win enough money to pay for our trip to Alaska". Nope, that's not what I said.

Being the nice guy that I am, I didn't want to put too much pressure on MLA. All I told her was "Take your new found knowledge and go out there and win us some BIG MONEY". No specific dollar amount. Keep the pressure low and give her an opportunity to really show me what she can do. Be the nice guy and let her come up with her own personal goal of how much BIG MONEY she should win.

Then I gave her $18 dollars plus $2 dollars for lunch, kissed her good-bye, and said "Go win us some BIG MONEY". See -- no pressure -- nothing but positive thoughts & great coaching from me.

Around noon Mary Lynn called to remind me to go down to Dave & Mary Anne's to walk their dog, Goldie. Dave had hip surgery two weeks ago and it's difficult for him to walk the dog while he's still using a walker. I met Dave last fall playing water volleyball. He's normally a very energetic and active individual, so having limited mobility is driving him crazy. Like most people who start feeling better after an operation, Dave is quick to 'over do it'.

When she called I asked her for an update -- and it was not good. That's OK I told her, still plenty of time to get back in the BIG MONEY! "Just go out there and win one for the Gipper" I told her. I mean, that line is one of the top motivational lines ever used. It never fails in the movies... I forgot however, MLA knows nothing of football, yet alone who the Gipper is...

Wait a minute -- I'll be right back.

OK -- I'm back now. Sorry about that.

This evening, while I was working on the blog, I baked six chocolate chip cookies as a snack for MLA & myself. The chocolate chips had melted just the way I like them and when I bit into a cookie I got a little chocolate on my cheek. I asked MLA for a paper towel and she picks up the used paper towel I had used to cool the cookies. That's OK I told her -- don't give me a clean paper towel -- I really prefer a used paper towel covered with chocolate. Sheeesh -- you'd think we could afford a clean paper towel.

Then again, I guess that illustrates, as well as anything, that MLA failed to perform as expected. She not only didn't win BIG MONEY at the casino, she came back with less than she left with. So now, we'll have to use both sides of a paper towel before throwing them away. I can envision used paper towels hanging all over the RV, slowly drying out so we might use them a second or even a third time.

All because MLA failed to get the return on investment from her class and her trip to the casino.

We'll probably have to fix soup and tuna sandwiches for lunch from now on. Wait a minute - we already have soup and tuna sandwiches for lunch... I guess we'll have to cut that down to just soup.... probably with two cans of water instead of just one.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Serial Hackers Wreak Havoc In The Kitchen

Last week I told you how Mary Lynn and I purchased a lot of books at a used book sale to support the local library. Three dollars for as many books you could stuff into a plastic shopping bag. What a deal! We each filled a bag.

Mary Lynn was flabbergasted with one of my literary selections. In fact, she not only gave me a hard time about the book, she told me she questioned my judgement for reading a 'book like that'. She told me that buying that book, even buying it used, would somehow support the activities of 'that monster'.

She didn't react well well I laughed off her concerns. In fact, she was downright frosty. I thought (hopefully) her attitude meant she wasn't going to talk to me about it anymore. Boy was I wrong!

She launched into her subject with a vengeance. She had seen the book on one of the tables and had rejected it immediately. Civilized and educated people, she told me emphatically, didn't read sensational books like that.

By this time the grin (OK, maybe a little smirk) on my face had grown into a huge smile. The more frustrated she became and the more she warmed to her subject, the more I smiled, until finally I broke out into a loud laugh.

By then, she was really ticked and I realized I had better explain what was going on before I found myself on extended 'KP' duty in the RV.

I finally explained to her that the book titled "The Watchman: The Twisted Life and Crimes of Serial Hacker Kevin Poulsen" was not a book about a serial murderer. I explained the term 'hacker' had to do with someone who hacked (broke into) computers.

Computer hackers have a long a varied history in the computer industry. Many times, authorities who discovered computer hackers were at a loss to explain what had happened yet alone prove what damage had been done by the hack. In fact, being arrested by the authorities was the the first step into a career of computer security. Having been arrested for a major hack was the equivalent of being the editor of the Harvard Law Review.

In fact, the bigger the case brought against the hacker, the more money the hacker was offered to come to work for some large, usually DOD, organization. Many companies were at a loss to defend themselves from something they didn't understand. Hackers were ideal candidates to come in and beef up security.

Not that this always worked out as hoped for. More than once the 'reformed' hacker used their new position to provide a cover for their illegal activities, though most were smart enough to hack computers that belonged to someone other than their newly found employer.

In any case, MLA was torn between emotions. On one hand she was elated to find out I was not interested in the habits of serial killers. On the other hand she was furious I had let her rant for so long before finally sharing with her the exact topic of the book.

I was pretty much forgiven until she asked "Why didn't you tell me the true nature of that as soon as I expressed my concern?".

My fate was sealed when I responded "How would that be any fun?".

Oh well. Now if I could only remember which dish washing liquid promised to prevent 'dish pan' hands...

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Lapidary Gems: Emeralds, Rubies, Citrine, Garnet, etc.

Woke up to high winds this morning, only to watch/feel them grow stronger throughout the day. Our home on wheels has been occasionally shaking & vibrating as the high winds buffet the large flat sides of the RV. Each of the RV's slide-outs is covered by a small awning, called a slide topper, that keeps the sun and the rain away from the seams that surround the slide-out. When the wind is up you can hear these slide toppers 'flapping in the wind'.

Living in an RV means we live closer to nature than we ever did in our stick-built home. Keeps you in tune with what's happening in the outside world and this is a good experience.

RV's, even the best of them, have relatively small amounts of insulation relative to the land-anchors we lived in previously. Consequently very little happens outside the RV that escapes your attention. Some possible observations:

• Cold inside the RV? Means it is/has been cold outside.
• Warm inside the RV? Means it is/has been warm outside.
• Noisy inside the RV? Means it is raining outside or there is a party next door.
• RV rocking & rolling? Means (usually, but not always) that it is windy outside.

As a result, Mary Lynn and I spend much more time outside enjoying nature and exploring our 'local' surroundings than we ever did when we lived in a 'normal' house. And since our 'local' surroundings change frequently, spending time outside is almost always interesting and exciting.

Today was incredible. Strong winds blowing all day, moving huge clouds back & forth across the sky, some of them dragging ominous layers of black & gray clouds hanging from puffy towers of white clouds. Absolutely beautiful.

In the distance you could see some of these beautiful clouds dropping their precious loads of life giving water on some parched piece of Arizona real estate. And yet, even with clouds dropping rain literally all around us, our little patch of desert stayed completely dry.

Continued cool weather is the forecast for the next few days. Mary Lynn and I hope to pick up a few games of Pickleball and maybe go exploring on the motorcycle. Might even head over to the gem & mineral show taking place in Tucson.

Speaking of gems and minerals, MLA received her box of 'rocks' from Maryland today. I say 'rocks' however its really about 30 pounds of gems, minerals and rocks which MLA 'mined' from several mines in North Carolina, after which we carried them all over the US in the RV.

I estimate those 'rocks' have about 10,000 miles on them. While in Maryland over the holidays I unloaded said 'rocks' and (somehow) failed to load them back into the RV. Boy, did I ever hear about that from MLA.

So, we had Kasey mail us the 'rocks'. Turns out you can ship anything that fits into a US Postal flat rate box for only $11.00. The lady did ask Kasey why she was shipping 'rocks' to Arizona because she was under the impression there are plenty of rocks in Arizona...

Well, there are lots of rocks here, just not the right ones. When MLA went to the RV parks post office, four women (remember they are volunteers & somewhat elderly) helped move the box of 'rocks' to the counter. All of them wanted to know what kind of rocks justified shipment by mail, so MLA spread her 'finds' all over the mail counter. The women loved it.

When MLA got home, first thing she says is she is going to show her Lapidary partner, Dave, her 'rocks'. So we pedaled over to Mary Anne & Dave's home where Dave proceeded to examine MLA's 'rocks'. He was able to confirm the type of gems & minerals we had labeled and even helped us identify a few unknown bags of 'rocks'.

MLA is so excited I'm afraid she going to hurt her smile muscles. I'll try to get a few pictures of the rocks for you. Some of the types are: Quartz, Rose Quartz, Emeralds, Tourmaline, Ruby, Aquamarine, Gypsum, Kyanite, Red Garnet, Amethyst, Topaz, Unakite, Fluorite, Smoky Quartz, Beryl, Horne Blend (hey, you can't make this stuff up), Citrine, etc.

At least we think that's what we have. Tomorrow MLA will take them up to the Lapidary shop and have the gem specialist confirm what she has in her collection. Then we can determine which one(s) MLA can cut, shape and polish.

See Ya!

Chandler, AZ: Sam's Club, Costco, Harley Davidson Store & Mary Lynn Spills The Beans

It rained all through last evening, starting about 11 pm and ending early this am. It was a little breezy with occasional showers. Still a beautiful day however with the rain Mary Lynn and I decide to get a few chores accomplished.

We had some returns for Sam's Club so we headed about 30 miles North to the Sam's Club in Chandler, Arizona. WE try to limit our trips to the 'big box' stores since it is so easy to overspend in; plus we no longer need the huge quantities that Sam's Club & Costco typically offer.

In fact, we are always looking for ways to economize on both money and quantity.

In any case, we headed north to return a few items and to pick up some groceries & medicines at Sam's Club. As always we bought a few items that had not been on the shopping list. A few items of clothing found their way into our cart. Oh well, overall we did pretty good however, when it's time to pay for everything, the total is always a few dollars higher than we had planned.

Then we headed to the Chandler Harley Davidson shop to buy a new battery for the Harley. The old battery lasted five years which is pretty good. They better last a long time since a new sells for $160 a pop. Ouch! However, the darn Harley is too heavy to push start....

We arrived back at Palm Creek a few minutes before 5 pm so MLA ran in to the activities office and signed out some Pickleball racquets. I had originally thought we would buy a couple of racquets however they sell for 40 -75 dollars each. We're only going to be here for another 6-7 weeks so I think we'll keep using the loaners until we leave for California.

Across from the activities they have a BBQ vendor who sells a number of items. We decided to get a couple of BBQ rib sandwiches however they had run out. So we grabbed a couple of BBQ Beef sandwiches; mine with cole slaw and MLA got the beans as her side order.

Well, if you read this blogs title you might guess what happened next. As MLA was getting out of the car carrying the two sandwich boxes, one of them slipped and fell to the ground. Fortunately for me, it was MLA's sandwich and beans. Made a mess inside the box however no real damage. Other than her pride....

Oh, I installed the battery in the Harley after dinner and now she purrs like a kitten. Can't wait to get out and take a few rides.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Meet The Neighbors Cocktail Hour

One element of the RV lifestyle that never changes is the fact you are constantly meeting new people. Whether it's at the campground, on tours/caravans or attending rallies, meeting lots of new people is an enjoyable part of the process.

Not one to remember names -- not to worry. Everyone is in the same boat. Lots of events have participants wear their name tags however everyone understands the difficulty of remembering all those names. Many people, including Mary Lynn and I, make it a point to refer to one another by name, especially when relating a story to someone else.

One activity that is a constant is the cocktail hour around the campfire, even in campgrounds such as our current park where open fires are not allowed. People get together for an drinks and h'ordeurves or maybe for a pot luck.

Tonight we had just such a potluck, (mostly) for the people on the same street to get to know one another. Everyone brings a chair, a side dish, and it's usually BYOB -- Bring Your Own Beverage. Of course there's always a round of introductions where each person introduces themselves and their spouse. People usually mention how long they have been 'on the road', what type of RV they have, and where they are from initially.

Tonight's get together had 4 Canadian couples, 4 couples from Washington State, and one couple from the following states: Oregon, Montana, Utah and of course, MLA & I from Maryland.

The guy from UTAH said his other wives are coming down next week, at which point his wife hauled off and smacked him. I know many people think men in Utah have multiple wives & this guy was quite excited by the potential of having several wives; it was obvious his wife did not appear to share his enthusiasm on the subject....

We met one couple who have a Harley and want to go riding with us as soon as I get a new battery for the Harley, which should hopefully be accomplished on Monday when the temperatures are cooler. Today was beautiful however cooler weather is setting in. Temperatures will only get to mid-50's on Monday & Tuesday before returning to the high 60's- mid 70's later in the week.

It sure cools off quickly at night here. Once the sun dips below the horizon the night air starts to get chilly pretty quick since there are rarely any clouds to help hold in the warmth.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Cancer Awareness Combined with Bicycles, Water Volleyball, Pickleball, Hot Tub & Cracker Barrel

What a day! Mary Lynn and I rode our bicycles around the park first thing this morning and ended up at the main pool, where we watched the water volleyball league for a little while. Watching someone else play water volleyball is like watching paint dry; no fun at all. So we biked the long way back to the RV.

On the way MLA passes me, a huge grin on her face, yelling "It's a race". Heck yeah I thought and, as I applied a little leg muscle to the pedals, I yelled "OK, It's a race to the stop sign" which was about a quarter mile away. MLA says "Nope, the race is already over. You lost and you are buying me lunch". That lady does not play fair...

I wanted the fish tacos being served on the patio however MLA is not a fish fan. So, since I lost the race, MLA had her choice of restaurants. So we ended up at a local BBQ joint for lunch. A couple of pulled pork sandwiches later we returned to the the park, just in time for me to play water volleyball. I tried to get MLA to play water volleyball however she's deep in yet another book so she stayed at the RV.

I played from water volleyball from 2 pm to 4 pm, jumped on the bike and headed home to change out of the wet clothes and put on some sneakers. Then I met MLA at the pickle ball court, where we played pickle ball from 4 to 6 pm.

This was the first time we played pickle ball and boy, did we have a great time. However, after 2 hours of instruction and playing, both of us were dragging butt. When we got back to the RV we were so tired I was afraid we would 'freeze up', that is, all of our joints would refuse to move. My legs were screaming what with all the biking, volleyball, and pickle ball.

So we implemented an emergency plan; we biked over to the hot tub and proceeded to soak our bodies until we could move without too much pain. We then biked back to the RV and, before all of our joints locked up again, we went to dinner at the Cracker Barrel. MLA's been in the mood for one of their BLT salads and I usually get the grilled catfish. Mmmmm, delicious.

The RV Park is helping raise awareness and money for cancer research, and as a part of that process, the park residents installed luminarios throughout the main roads in the park. For those of you who don't know, luminarios are basically a paper bag, filled about a third full with sand, and then a small candle is placed in the bag. When these are lit at night the effect is beautiful. In this case many of the bags were dedicated and decorated to loved ones who are victims or survivors of cancer. Really touching to see the many, many comments and decorations on the luminarios.

My grandfather passed away from cancer when he was only 63 and MLA's dad passed away from cancer when he was only 67. That used to seem old to me however now I recognize that's barely past middle age. All of us deserve to live much longer than that.

Some people say cancer can be eliminated in our children's lifetime if the necessary money and research happen. Perhaps with our help, cancer can be eliminated in our lifetime.

So if you haven't done anything to help in the battle against cancer lately, maybe you can reach out and help eliminate some of the pain & suffering that this disease continues to impose on cancer victims and their families.

See Ya!

Casa Grande: Best Adult Toy Store On Earth: Best Buy

After a full day of water volleyball, buying a bicycle for myself, and grilling a terrific steak dinner, I noticed the sun was going down and it looked like it was going to be a spectacular sunset. All the conditions were right for a very colorful sunset.

I knew I would have to drive out in the desert a little bit if I wanted to get a few pictures without all of the clutter that can ruin photos. For instance, our current RV site is very nice however our views of the sunset are 'cluttered' by lots of overhead wires and light poles in the distance. Your eyes adjust for this clutter when you are viewing the sunset in person however when you are looking at a photograph this clutter almost jumps out at you.

I didn't really get very far from the RV park before I started losing the light. Not a big deal however I need to locate a good spot to take pictures at sunset, one that's not too far from the park. So far all of the areas I've explored still have defects: overhead lines, light/power poles, buildings/structures, etc.

During my mad dash I noticed the car was very low on gas so I hit the gas station. No big deal right? Except it brought me into the gravitational pull of the world's best toy store for adults: Best Buy. And like a large meteor that passes too close to a planet's gravitational pull, I was sucked into the local Best Buy store.

I love their stores. I have spent hours and hours in their stores. Best Buy stores are filled with great products that feed all of my passions.

After having been in the computer industry for over 30 years you'd think I'd be a little tired of them and yet, I enjoy using and playing with computers as much now as I did when I first started as a Systems Engineer for HP. Evaluating all of the cool devices and researching which one is the best one for Mary Lynn and I is something that can keep me busy for hours, if not days.


They have cameras of every style and description: point & shoot, DSLR, and HD video cameras. Stereos with surround sound so you can 'feel' the movie you are watching deep in your bones. Phones and Blackberry devices so we can communicate 24x7. GPS systems so we'll never get lost again in our lifetime. DVD players that show the latest movies in full HD, some with Tivo built-in so you can record any show in order to watch it when your schedule permits (not that any of us have 'free' time anymore. And don't get me started on the HD TV's: big TV's & bigger TV's, plasma, LCD, rear-projection, contrast ratios, multiple inputs and outputs, refresh rates, viewing angles.

Aggggggggh! I love this stuff.

Mary Lynn gets a little frustrated because I'll look at all the different models of whatever we intend to buy, and then evaluate them by constructing spreadsheets that compare all of the features, prices, resale value, service, reliability, etc. You name it and I've put it in a spread sheet.

I do all of this detailed study and evaluation to ensure that whatever we buy, it is the best combination of price & features available, within our budget. I get all excited once I figure out the best solution for us, go out and buy the item, and rush home to show MLA. By the time I get home I am so excited to tell MLA about the item I can't stand it.

And do you know her response? "That's nice Dear" is about as excited as she gets -- talk about busting my bubble.

So I have to settle for knowing, without a doubt, whatever I have selected is the best fit for us. MLA could not care less.... And she is convinced all this time and energy are not necessary. In fact I'm pretty sure she only tolerates all of this so that I don't mess with her stuff or get underfoot with her.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Rebecca Dawn Live From Branson, MO

Tonight we attended one of the live entertainment shows Palm Creek offers on a regular basis. IN this case it was Rebeca Dawn & Joe who perform in Branson, Missouri most of the year.

This may be the hardest working lady in show business. I was exhausted just watching her entertain the crowd. She's a singer who covers a wide range of music, although country was her main focus.

She's the type of entertainer who goes into the crowd and gets them to help her sing some of the songs. At one point she says "You people are such good singers, the whole time we were singing, I was wondering about something. You people want to go on the road?".

At which point one lady yells out "We are on the road". Too funny. All in all, Mary Lynn and I had a good time.

Earlier today I had a chance to get caught up with my good friend Jack S. He and I worked together for years and Jack has a great sense of humor. He's one of those people who can tell funny stories for hours.

He let me know his beautiful wife Cathy has taken up a new hobby/craft: woodcarving. He told me she completed a couple of pieces, which the best he can determine cost $812.37 each -- which he thought was not bad for a troll and a Santa (each about 3 inches tall). Jack went on to tell me that on the down side, Cathy has slowed down a little after stabbing herself in the hand. She is a bleeder...who knew.

It was great to spend some time with Jack and hear about how things are at 'the old salt mine'. Sounds like the old saying " Same Stuff, Different Day" still applies. I miss the people but not the rest of it.

I read a quote today that said "Twenty years from now you will only regret the things you didn't do, not the things you did do".

This is a really special time for MLA and I; we are incredibly fortunate to be able to see the country and meet so many great people.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: I really Wanted To Do A Strawberry Blonde

I really wanted to do a strawberry blond but my wife wouldn't let me. When we went to the Cold Stone Creamery this evening we decided, in order to save money and calories, we would split one of Cold Stone's signature deserts.

My favorite is the Strawberry Blond however Mary Lynn is nuts about the Peanut Butter Cup, and since she had the $$$, her argument was pretty convincing.

That said, the Peanut Butter Cup Perfection is just that -- Perfect. Chocolate ice cream, couple of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, some chocolate syrup and a big dollop of peanut butter, all mashed together until creamy. Yum.

Still pretty warm out tonight after reaching 80 degrees this afternoon. Tomorrow should be another excellent day; the forecast is for 82 degrees. Then the temperatures start to cool down pretty quickly with rain forecast this weekend.

I'm not even sure of what day of the week this is, it's just not that important here, at least for me. I work on projects and chores everyday until 1:20 when I head up to the water volleyball games; we usually play from 2 to 4 or 4:30.

MLA keeps track of what day of the week it is since her activities change day to day. Monday was lapidary and bingo; Wednesday is lapidary, and a dinner play; Thursday is a t-shirt craft workshop, etc. As she says, there is just not enough time in the day to get everything done.

Especially since we both like to stay up late at night reading. I've completed several books in as many days; trying to work through the hardcover books first to eliminate some of the weight before we take off at the end of March.

MLA also went to the activities center and purchased tickets for a number of shows, a casino trip, several dances PLUS, being the sweetheart that she is, she bought tickets for the Colorado Rafting Trip.

Truthfully, I think she was afraid that if she didn't go on this three day trip I would sign us up for one of the 1 or 2 week long Colorado River rafting trips. So, she seems to have taken the lesser of two evils. I'm hoping she enjoys herself on that trip or I'll never hear the end of it. Not that that's a bad thing... Stay tuned.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, AZ: Lapidary With Dog House Gems

We have met a number of great friends here at the RV park, and one couple, Dave and Mary Anne, asked us to come over Sunday and watch the Super Bowl with them. Actually they asked me to come over to watch the game with Dave and a few buddies. They asked Mary Lynn to come over and keep Mary Anne company, since neither of the ladies enjoys football.

Actually that's not entirely true, MLA enjoys football when her boys are playing or her girls are cheer leading. Beyond that, forget it. She enjoyed all the sports our kids played over the years: baseball, football, soccer, swimming, cheer leading competitions, softball, lacrosse, basketball; you name it and she enjoyed all of the kid's sports. Except, that is, for wrestling. She did not enjoy watching the boys wrestle.

She just can't handle seeing any of her offspring hurt. As you probably know, wrestling involves a lot of personal effort, strength, flexibility, and speed. One wrong move and you can find yourself in a lot of pain and about to be pinned. More than once MLA would scream and close her eyes when one of our boys appeared to have their bodies tied in a knot by their opponent.

On one occasion I had to physically keep her from running onto the mat to protect one of the boys who was caught in something called an 'arm bar' move. Basically the move has one of three outcomes: a) your arm breaks b) your shoulder pops out of the socket, or c) you get pinned. Boys being stubborn, and our boys are especially stubborn, typically resist getting pinned by making a lot of verbal noise (grunts, groans, hoots, etc) and a holiday parade of anguished facial expressions.

It can be pretty painful for the participants and their parents; MLA was ready to go down and smack the young man who was in the process of breaking the arms and/or pinning one of her sons. That's just the kind of mom she is.

That's a long way of telling you that if our kids are involved in a sport/activity, MLA loves the sport. Otherwise, forget it. She has no interest in watching sports anytime, anyplace. Give her tickets to the Olympics and she'd be one of the people you seeing wandering around looking at all of the cultural exhibits and shopping for discounted items at the bazaar. And the tickets you gave her would have been sold on eBay...

So while the guys were watching the Super Bowl, MLA & Mary Anne went shopping. MLA said it was great because the stores were almost entirely empty AND the discounts at the stores were especially steep.

While we were with them on Sunday, MLA agreed to go to a lapidary class with Dave this afternoon. Dave normally plays water volleyball however he had a hip replacement about 10 days ago, so no water volleyball for him.

The two of them went to the class together, the first time for each of them, while I played, you guessed it, water volleyball. MLA really enjoyed the class and made an earring. Not a pair of earrings, just a single earring. I'm truthfully not sure if there will ever be a match to the earring she made today. This one could end up on eBay for all I know.

The lapidary instructor started by showing all the new students around the classroom, explaining the various pieces of equipment and pointing out various rocks & gems collected by himself and others.

While he was helping someone else on the other side of the room, MLA picked up some of the rocks to look at them more closely. The instructor hurried back over and explained that you never, ever, pick up someone else's rocks and you can only touch someone else rock's if invited(insert you own joke here). If someone wants you to see thier rocks, they will place it into your hands.

Apparently the rocks are fragile if dropped and collector's develop quite an affection for their rocks. It might look like just a pile of rocks and dust to you and me however, to the rocks owners there are valuable items hiding inside the rocks, just waiting for the person with the right skills, patience, and attention to detail to release them from the surrounding material.

Similar to when a master sculptress was asked how she made such beautiful statues, she replied earnestly "It simple. I just cut away everything that's not part of the masterpiece I see in my mind's eye". How would you like her for an instructor?

Anyway, once MLA learned not to play with other people's stuff, the class went very well. She selected a rock she liked and had a 1/4" slab cut from the rock. She then proceeded to saw, cut, grind and polish the stone before attaching said gem to an earring. Looks great.

And actually, MLA shared with me later that it is a pendant, not an earring -- my bad...

I do have to let you know I'm in the dog house with MLA. You may remember we went gem mining several times last year while travelling throughout the US. MLA amassed quite a collection of rocks, gems, & minerals. We had a blast digging and searching for these stones and MLA is quite enamored with them, more than I knew apparently....

We proceeded to haul those gems & rocks around the US and back to Maryland; all-in-all it is probably 25-30 pounds of stone. I know some of those rocks were lugged over 4,000 miles. Well, somehow, that bag of rocks was left behind in Maryland when we hit the road in early January. I'm sure I really wanted to bring all of those rocks with us again but somehow I overlooked them when packing. Come on, it was an accident...

MLA shared the following observation with me; in fact she shared it with me several times in case I didn't hear or understand the first 5 times. She let me know that the best and highest quality stone available for her to work on in this class didn't come close to the worst of the gem rocks she had collected last year. And it was my fault she now had to use 'inferior quality' gem stones for her projects.

Not that she had strong feelings about me leaving her gems behind. So now I have to have one of the kids pack up the 25-30 pounds of MLA's gem stones/rocks and send them to me, from Maryland to Phoenix.

Can't wait to see that bill.

Plus have you ever picked up a heavy package from the Post Office? They look at you as if you, and your heavy box, are personally responsible for every ache and pain they have suffered throughout their career. And forget trying to explain that your continued use of the Post Office keeps these folks employed.

Apparently their employment contract guarantees employment even if there are no letters or packages being sent through the mail....

In any case, I'll soon be doing my part to keep the postal workers (and their chiropractors) employed. Most importantly however will be the fact that I'm getting out of the dog house with MLA.

See Ya!

Casa Grande, Arizona: RV Industry Feeling Economic Pressure

Yesterday Mary Lynn and I drove up to an RV dealer about 45 minutes north of Casa Grande. One of the largest dealers in this area and probably one of the biggest dealers in the country. They have a huge facility with ~15 service bays and a sales lot that seems to go on and on.

I've seen pictures of their sales lot almost full of RVs but not now. They have the RVs arranged in big star patterns with lots of room in between to make the lot appear less empty however there was no denying just how few units they have. And many of the units on the lot were 2008 models, not the new 2009 models.

We drove up yesterday in search of a bracket to hang a bicycle from the RV's rear ladder (not that the RV has any other ladder) however when we arrived we were told the parts department had already closed.

So we decided to look at a few of the RV's. One of the brands carried by this dealer is Country Coach, a fairly high end RV manufacturer. Late last fall CC sent about 500 workers home early for a long break over the holidays and has not called them back to work. Last week they told the employees to come and pick up their personal effects.

One source indicated CC had been unable to obtain additional financing and would declare bankruptcy. CC lawyer says no, everything is fine and they are not filing for bankruptcy. Heck, even the CEO & founder told the employees they should be looking for other jobs. And still the lawyer is saying 'no bankruptcy'. Not sure what the game is however most people don't believe the lawyer -- go figure.

The downturn in the economy along with last year's spike in fuel costs has been a devastating one - two punch to the RV industry.

If you are in the market for an RV there are some terrific bargains out there. Discounts of 30% and more are pretty common. I've seen some discounts as high as 50% off msrp. Just make sure you are not buying one of the orphans, that is, one of the RV's made by a manufacturer who is no longer in business. Your warranty will be absolutely useless if they have gone out of business.

The industry itself will survive although with far fewer manufacturers than in the past. Actually, the consolidation that is occurring will probably help the industry in the long run however it will be brutal getting to that point.

As for the dealers who make their living by selling RV's? Well, I heard someone say being an RV salesman currently is like being a Christmas Tree vendor on December 26th.

Now it may not be that bad however no one is buying without driving a very hard bargain. And that is always tough for individuals paid on commission. The more profit in the deal the more the salesman makes -- and right now there just isn't as much profit in the deals.

Again, much like the housing industry, this is a great time to buy a new or used unit. Not a good time to be selling.

As for MLA & I, we are very happy with the Tiffin we own currently and seeing as much of the country as we can. Well, actually we are staying in Arizona for two months this winter however we are seeing a lot of southern Arizona while we are here.

See Ya!